By Scott Roblin

Bjorklund tallies win in WHL debut, backstops Tigers to 4-2 victory

Dec 29, 2018 | 9:54 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It was a debut to remember for Medicine Hat Tigers rookie Garin Bjorklund on Saturday night.

Making his first career WHL start, the 16-year-old stopped 21 shots to earn his first junior victory 4-2 over the visiting Victoria Royals. 

It was a promising start to the 2017 first rounder’s career, who will be spending the next four games in Tigers stripes with Mads Sogaard plying his trade with Team Denmark at the 2019 World Juniors. 

As for the goal scoring, Medicine Hat got on the board 6:52 into the opening frame with a nifty backhand from James Hamblin to get him to the 20-goal plateau.

The Tigers 1-0 lead stuck until midway through the second period, when Victoria’s Brandon Cutler sauced a cross-ice feed to Ty Yoder for the winger’s third goal of the season to tie the game.

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Victoria believed they had taken the lead just seconds after Yoder’s goal, but the officials quickly waived it off for goalie interference. 

Penalty troubles plagued the Royals shortly afterwards Yoder’s marker, something that the Tigers pounced on. 

Enjoying a 5-on-3 power play with seven minutes left before the break, Medicine Hat regained their one-goal lead with a wrist shot from Hamblin for his second of the night.

The Royals came out of the second intermission hungry however, as Yoder tipped home his second of the evening off a Mitchell Prowse point shot less than two minutes into the third to tie things up at 2-2. 

Dogged determination from Ryan Chyzowski proved to be the difference for the Tigers, as he forced a turnover in the offensive zone and flicked the go-ahead goal past Griffin Outhouse with one hand on the stick. 

Ryan Jevne added an empty net goal in the final minute to seal the 4-2 victory for both Bjorklund and the Tigers.

Bjorklund was named the game’s third star with his debut performance, while Chyzowski led the pack with one goal and two assists on the night.

Winning their second straight game since returning from the Christmas break, the Tigers have extended their lead over the Brandon Wheat Kings for the first wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference to five points.

Holding a record of 19-15-1-2, Medicine Hat is still chasing the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Red Deer Rebels for third in the Central Division as both divisional rivals picked up wins on Saturday.

Medicine Hat will have a shot at closing that gap substantially on Sunday, winding up their weekend with a tilt in Lethbridge against the ‘Canes at 6:00 for their final game of 2018.