March 15, 2022
Medicine Hat, Alberta: In a widely entertaining back and forth game Medicine Hat came out on top 5-4. The Tigers were up 2-0, then down 4-2 before charging back to force bonus hockey. The game was finally decided in a shootout on goal by Logan Barlage. Below is a list of players eligible for the 2022 NHL draft who we feel made an impact on the Tiger’s win.
| Pavel Bocharov | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | R | D | 6’0″ | 183 | Saskatoon Blades | 2019 | Escondido, CA | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Bocharov scored the first goal of the game on a beautiful cross body one-timer from the high slot. He did not see much power play time, but he was a key component of Medicine Hat’s penalty kill unit. While short handed he played with an active stick and showed patience as the weakside defenseman. Conversely, Bocharov showed nice awareness as the strongside defender as he exploded towards Regina players when they bobbled a puck or turned their back to the play. On one such play he forced a loose puck and then used his speed to generate a short handed 3 on 1. On the play he carried the puck through the neutral zone before trying a soft sauce pass to his streaking linemate who was headed to the back post. The pass landed softly, but the shot hit the outside of the net. He showed a willingness to block shots and maintain shooting lanes in all situations. As the game wore on and the Tigers needed a goal, Bocharov was not on the ice for the final 2 minutes or overtime. He did not shoot in the shootout.
| Bogdans Hodass | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 203 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2021 | Jelgave, LAT | 2003 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Hodass played a steady two-way game. He got off to a slow start by making an indirect pass to a teammate who was standing still in the neutral zone which led to a Tiger’s penalty, but from that point on he played a steady no frills game that coaches love. In defensive transition he gapped with his hips and stick to the middle forcing the play wide. He maintained tight gaps and did not need to crossover to move laterally while defending. We liked how he played every situation with his stick on the ice and he showed the awareness to poke the puck five or ten feet to his left or right to start transition off of a defensive zone scrum. His outlet passes were quick on the tape and when activating in the offensive zone into the high slot for a scoring opportunity his snap shot was a bullet. Hodass seemed to generate turnovers and create transition on almost every shift. He finished the game with zero points, but had three scoring opportunities and played in the 3 on 3 overtime.
| Rhett Parsons | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | R | D | 6’2″ | 201 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2018 | Cremona, AB | 2003 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Parsons played a simple direct game that was based on physicality. In the defensive zone he cleared shooting lanes by any means possible and often times manhandled his opponent. While ending the cycle he took two or three hard strides which allowed him to initiate contact and pin his man to the wall. There times during defensive neutral zone transition that Parsons appeared to be flatfooted, only to take a smart angle which allowed him to attack the intended target while the pass was still in motion. His stick placement forced bobbled pucks and his physicality led directly to turnovers. In the offensive zone Parsons did not look to activate into a high cycle or walk the line for better shooting angles, but he did pinch down the wall to maintain an aggressive forecheck. He finished the game -3, but his professional mentality was very evident.
| Steven Arp | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | R | F | 6’3″ | 195 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2021 | Swan River, MB | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Arp played 9:29 of even strength hockey, but we noticed him early in the first period because of his quickness to loose pucks in the offensive zone. He had a grade “A” opportunity after winning a foot race to a loose puck in the slot showing and the quick hands / body awareness to take his opponent’s ice before taking a backhand from the mouth of the crease. Arp scored Medicine Hat’s third goal of the game on a beautiful tip in the high slot after winning body positioning on the way to the net. We did not see him on the ice during 3v3 overtime, but he played a key role in keeping the pressure on Regina in the final few minutes of regulation. Arp is probably not on many draft lists, but we feel that the combination of his size, upward trajectory and willingness to outwork opponents make him an ideal development camp invite and potential free agent down the road.
| Brayden Boehm | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | F | 5’10” | 168 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2019 | Nanaimo, BC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Boehm’s game is predicated on speed. He is explosive and quick in any direction and shows the body control to win races to loose pucks even after body contact. He had two nice scoring opportunities in this one. The first came in the 1st period where he won a wall battle and then sprinted behind the net for a wrap around. The second opportunity came in the 3rd period on a bouncing puck in the high slot. Boehm showed nice edgework and body control as he spun 360 degrees and fired a quick snap shot that resulted in a grade “A” and a rebound. His direct approach and willingness to play in straight lines made him a very effective penalty killer.
| Brendan Lee | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | F | 5’11” | 187 | Everett Silvertips | 2019 | Seattle, WA | 2002 | Long Term Player Watch |
This was Lee’s first game back after missing about three weeks with and injury and he made an impact by scoring two goals. He showed a shooter’s mentality and looked to one-time every puck that he possibly could. His first goal came on a set play on the power play where he snuck back door to receive a Logan Barlage royal road pass and put it up under the cross bar. The second came in the final seconds of the 3rd period with Medicine Hat trailing by one. To everyone in the building it was evident that Lee was the shooter as he was positioned along the right dot lane looking to let it fly, but what made his second goal all the more impressive was his ability to get around a bouncing puck and fire it with authority. Lee is in is third year of NHL Draft eligibility and is a likely free agent option down the road.
| Tyler MacKenzie | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | LW | 5’10” | 172 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2019 | Red Deer, AB | 2004 | Not yet rated |
MacKenzie is an average sized center with a very high compete. He was a key member on both special team’s units and it seemed like the Tiger’s coaching staff entrusted him to take every key draw. On a lost face-off we loved his awareness in the defensive zone as he stayed below his opposing center and tied up their stick without getting himself tied up. He won races to loose pucks and when it was clear that he was not going to win the race cleanly MacKenzie made sure to stay on the defensive side of the puck while forcing the player to the wall or backhand. On the power play MacKenzie worked his strong side left flank where he showed unpredictability and poise. He had a nice first touch and honestly without his hand-eye coordination to knock down an aerial royal road pass there is no way Lee scores his first goal. He has a very easy glide and we feel with an offseason of training he will blossom into a true offensive catalyst during his second full season with Medicine Hat.
| Teague Patton | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | R | C | 5’11” | 161 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2020 | Kelowna, BC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Even though he is a slight right shot forward, Patton is easy to notice because he does a lot of the little things that coaches expect players to do without having to teach them. On line changes he sprinted not only to the bench, but he would eye up an opponent’s lane to their bench and he would skate directly through their ice in a subtle pick to buy his teammates more time. During the defensive zone wall scrums Patton was constantly pushing his opponent into the pile-up or boards so he was never on the wrong side of the puck allowing him to be first off the wall for transition. We loved his defensive stick placement as he forced opponents to their backhands or pinched them off before the lines to force offsides or icings. While cycling in the offensive zone Patton showed strength and balance as he help off defenders while keeping his eyes up looking to make a smart play. He had an absolute beautiful assist on Bocharov’s goal where he collected a bouncing puck and then threw royal road sauce to his weakside defenseman as he attacked the high slot. Patton probably won’t be drafted in 2022, but he has the smarts and awareness away from the puck to be a 200′ player in professional hockey.
| Oasiz Wiesblatt | Medicine Hat Tigers | WHL | L | C | 5’8″ | 183 | Medicine Hat Tigers | 2019 | Calgary, AB | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Wiesblatt is feisty undersized center who fully expects to win every physical confrontation as well as every jawing match. Offensively he thrived in transition where his ability to stop on a dime and be back at full speed in an instant gave him time and space all game. While cycling Wiesblatt showed a stutter step that made opposing defenders bite which allowed him the space needed to make skillful passes. He needed very little space and showed a very quick release. We liked that his shots created rebounds and additional scoring opportunities. During one on one situations Wiesblatt showed wiggle and elusiveness. He used his quick lateral movements to get opposing defenders to lean and then he quickly jumped by them into space. His size will be a deterrent to National League teams, but there is no denying his efforts were all over this one.