Played on May 9, 2025
Western Hockey League
Game Played in Co-Op Place
Scout: Ben Marshall
General Game Notes: A minute into the game and the Medicine Hat Tigers were able to get on the board. After that, the momentum was in their favor for most of the game until the Chiefs were able to score in the third period. The Tigers quickly responded sealing the deal for game one of the series.
Veeti Vaisanen (D, L, 6’1″, 190, Medicine Hat Tigers, 02/15/2006)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Vaisanen is a fine skater with great vision and strong puck skills. He can help with zone exits, zone entries, and stretch passes, refining a teams transition game. He should not quarterback a power play, but he can be a safe player to give an outlet pass too if his forwards are feeling too much pressure, and he can step into the rush and make plays there too. He does not have a great shot and will not be a major threat from the point, but his passing alone allows him to be able to set something up. Defensively, Vaisanen is a mixed bag. His skating allows him to generate zone exits, which gives him defensive value. He lacks a physical side to his game, though, and will struggle if asked to fight for position or for pucks against stronger forwards.
Tanner Molendyk (D, L, 6’0″, 187, Medicine Hat Tigers, 02/03/2005)
Game Rating
B+
Molendyk’s playmaking ability is a significant asset for his team, as demonstrated by his recent goal that showcased precise passing and shot accuracy. He exhibits confidence in initiating plays, often making clever decisions about when to jump into the action. Molendyk also displays a high level of passion and engagement throughout the game, whether he’s creating scoring opportunities or defending against opponents. His defensive skills are notable for their quickness and agility, as he effectively closes space with his feet in the neutral zone. By meeting the puck at the right moment, he reduces opportunities for opponents to make moves. Overall, Molendyk’s ability to balance offense and defense makes him a valuable player on his team.
1 Viewing
Comments: Molendyk is an elite offensive producer from the blue line, he is an excellent puck mover, point shooter, and playmaker, and he can quarterback a power play excellently. With that offense, though, comes his natural risk taking and defensive warts. He is not an outright liability in his own end, but he is far better when he is taking the puck out of his zone than he is when he is pinned in his own zone and tasked with recovering the puck. Despite those shortcomings, his offensive prowess more than makes up for what he lacks defensively.
Niilopekka Muhonen (D, L, 6’4″, 194, Medicine Hat Tigers, 02/28/2006)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Muhonen is a massive defenseman with exceptional size and strength. He uses those natural gifts to his advantage in the defensive zone, and plays a rugged defensive style that is tough to play against. He may not have much style to his game, but there is a ton of substance there. He can kill penalties, block shots, and use his size, reach, and defensive instincts to kill goals before they can materialize. Muhonen is a limited offensive player and will not provide much value in transition. He is not the best skater and lacks long speed, and defenses have too much time to adjust to him when he rushes up the ice with the puck that he will not be a major positive contributor with zone entries. Still, his reliability on defense is what separates him.
Bryce Pickford (D, R, 6’0″, 170, Medicine Hat Tigers, 04/02/2006)
Game Rating
A-
Bryce Pickford showcased a solid skill set on the ice, particularly in his ability to effectively transition between offense and defense. He demonstrated strong puck-moving skills, which allowed him to efficiently join the rush and contribute to both zone exits and entries. While he tends to excel more in the offensive zone, Pickford’s decent positioning abilities make him a reliable transitional defenseman. However, there are moments where he struggles with reacting quickly enough to plays or making the physical choice over the best defensive play. Despite this, his ability to exit the zone with the puck helps mitigate these issues.
1 Viewing
Comments: Pickford also picked up a nice goal early in the first to give his team a two goal lead. The defender first broke up the play in his own zone, joined the rush, and got a pass in the slot that he was able to bury point blank. This all started with him getting back to a puck first, creating a breakout that led to and odd man rush. Pickford does a good job at creating this type of transition hockey making it hard for forecheckers to keep. This fast pace hockey plays well into his game because of his skating and creativity. All this to be said, he capitalized in a moment that may have looked easy but non the less, scoring a goal is tough anywhere. Only knock really for Pickford is that he can pick his spots better, this one was a great one, but there were times when he was last man back and did not need to get into the play.
Ethan Neutens (C, R, 6’4″, 206, Medicine Hat Tigers, 05/03/2005)
Game Rating
A-
Ethan Neutens has shown promise as a scorer, showcasing his ability to capitalize on loose pucks with ease. He demonstrates impressive deception in the slot, making it difficult for goalies to track his movements. With a quick release, he can generate high-speed shots that are hard to block. In terms of overall skillset, Neutens excels at controlling space and being dominant in challenging areas, such as scoring from contested spots. His biggest area for improvement lies in increasing his foot speed, which would enable him to excel on breakaways and rushes down the wing.
1 Viewing
Comments: Neutons picked up the insurance goal for the Tigers tonight off a lucky bounce from the face off set play. As he came around the top of the circle, quickly, shot and it got redirected a couple times in the air, the goalie lost track of it, and next thing you know the puck was in the back of the net. Neutons showed tonight that he is a good skater and possesses above average offensive tools, but he is not enough of an well rounded two way force to warrant situational and every of shift ice time.
Andrew Basha (C, L, 5’11”, 174, Medicine Hat Tigers, 11/08/2005)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Basha opened the scoring a minute into the game with nice goal waiting out the goaltender to find the back of the net. The way he was able to stay square to the passer and the goalie at the same time was the reason he was able to catch and release so quick and have the puck when the goalie was in a vulnerable spot. He does a good job at controlling his skating and being able to be a lateral skater. Couple times off the rush, he cuts one way or the other but mohawks his skates so he can face the play, this not only makes it hard for defenseman to read what he is going to do but allows him to have multiple options rather than skating in a straight line. He is one of the better multi dimensional players on the ice.
Gavin McKenna (LW, L, 5’11”, 163, Medicine Hat Tigers, 12/20/2007)
Game Rating
A
McKenna showcases his impressive speed, which allows him to create scoring chances through individual efforts or team plays. He excels at using his pace off the rush, adding deception to his movements and making it difficult for defenders to anticipate his next step. His vision, footwork, and puck handling skills make him a threat anywhere on the ice, whether he’s creating space to shoot, driving towards the net, or distributing to teammates. While McKenna’s game is nearly complete, there is room for improvement in terms of lower body stability along the boards. This can sometimes lead to being bumped off the puck or pinned by larger defenders. However, as a younger player, this aspect will likely improve with time and maturity.
1 Viewing
Comments: What else needs to be said about McKenna that has not already been said but he was able to show tonight that he is an elite playmaker, pairing fantastic puck skills and strong skating ability to create lots of offensive chances for his teammates. Maybe his only negative tonight is that he can also have some mental lapses in the defensive zone and that he is somewhat mistake prone when he gets flustered. He is not an outright liability in his own end like other offensive minded forwards but needs to put more of an effort in his own end to complete his two way game.
Nathan Mayes (D, L, 6’4″, 194, Spokane Chiefs, 06/10/2006)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Mayes was able to show tonight that his value comes from his ability to be a factor in the transition game, and assist his teammates in entering the offensive zone and carrying the puck up the ice. For everything he can do in the neutral zone, though, he has issues in the offensive and defensive zones. He is not an elite scoring chance producer, and despite his puck moving skills he lacks the offensive tools to be anything more than a marginal point producer. He also lacks a great defensive stick and good defensive instincts, and as a result should not be trusted against the other teams top lines.
Berkly Catton (C, L, 5’10”, 162, Spokane Chiefs, 01/14/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Catton picked up a nice goal going end to end creating a zone entry where he kicked the puck out, got it back, and it was him and the goalie for a mini breakaway. With a nice forehand backhand move, he slipped the puck through the goalies legs showing off his hands and overall skill with the puck. One of the better parts of his game is how he attacks the ice with his head up. He always looks like he knows what he wants to do with the puck while he has it making him dangerous with time and space. He has great speed and not afraid to attack players one on one.
Cameron Parr (LW, L, 5’9″, 181, Spokane Chiefs, 09/06/2006)
Game Rating
B
This player’s skill set is characterized by their agility and quickness on the ice, allowing them to gain space on larger defenders. They are able to stay on their feet while being contacted by bigger players, using the momentum to their advantage. The player also has a strong shot that can be placed accurately, as seen in a recent game where they found an open stick position on a power play. However, there is room for improvement in decision-making when off the rush. They have been known to cross the blue line too frequently and attempt fancy plays that ultimately backfire, leading to losses of possession. Overall, this player’s skills are well-rounded but need refinement in certain areas.
1 Viewing
Comments: No dount that Parrs best asset is his blazing speed, and because he is so fast he is simply able to get more open looks at the goalie than other shooters. He is not an immensely skilled forward, instead he just pairs a fantastic shot with blazing speed. He has the speed to make an impact on the forecheck but overall in his own zone he has not shown the disruptive defensive ability his speed allows him to have. His size does not allow him to be overly physical despite trying to be every shift.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images