McKenna, Medicine Hat begins WHL Final against Spokane
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The Medicine Hat Tigers take on the Spokane Chiefs to begin the Western Hockey League Championship Series on Friday for the right to lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup and to represent the WHL at the Memorial Cup in Rimouski, Que.
Medicine Hat is making their return to the WHL Final after 17 years, last winning the trophy in 2006-07.
They are led by 2026 top NHL prospect Gavin McKenna, who has been setting the WHL record books on fire going into the final.
McKenna finished second in league scoring during the regular season with 41 goals and 129 points, ending the season on a 40-game point streak.
The 17-year-old phenom has continued his prolific pace, recording a point in all 13 of his playoff games, which helped him surpass Alexander Radulov's record of a 50-game point streak that he set during the 2005-06 season with the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League's Quebec Remparts.
McKenna has only failed to record a point in three games this season between the regular season and postseason.
“This is a rare accomplishment and it’s unprecedented this century,” TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button said. “He just set a new bar, and I think it’s only going to increase with the way he’s going. He’s just that good.”
The 6-foot winger helped the Tigers reach the championship series after dispatching the Swift Current Broncos, Prince Albert Raiders, and Lethbridge Hurricanes while only losing one game in the process.
He sits third in postseason scoring with eight goals and 35 points in 13 games.
Medicine Hat has plenty of forward depth besides McKenna including captain Oasiz Wiesblatt and Minnesota Wild prospect Ryder Ritchie.
Wiesblatt was second in team scoring during the regular season with 36 goals and 103 points and added 14 goals and 26 points in the playoffs. Ritchie had injury problems earlier in the season, but still wound up with 29 goals and 61 points in 53 games and has added eight goals and 16 points in the playoffs.
The Tigers have a deep blueline, adding star defenceman Tanner Molendyk at the trade deadline to go along with Bryce Pickford, Veeti Vaisanen and Niilopekka Muhonen. They are also backstopped by Harrison Meneghin who is 10-0 with the playoffs with a 2.43 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.
“It’s hard enough to win 12 games in the playoffs, but to do it opposite to one loss shows you how deep they are,” said Button. “They now have a really strong sense of confidence and it’s going to take someone really good to beat them.
“That notion now becomes something that is daunting for any opponent.”
Spokane is back in the championship series for the first time in 16 years where they beat the Hurricanes in 2007-08. They also went on to win the Memorial Cup for the second time in franchise history.
They defeated the Vancouver Giants, Victoria Royals, and Portland Winterhawks en route to taking on Medicine Hat in the WHL Final this season.
The Chiefs are led by a dynamic duo of Washington Capitals prospect Andrew Cristall and Seattle Kraken draft pick Berkly Catton who finished first and third in WHL scoring respectively,
Cristall was acquired by the Chiefs at the deadline from the Kelowna Rockets and had 48 goals and 132 points in 57 games split between the Rockets and Chiefs.
His scoring prowess was not slowed down in the playoffs, leading the league with 20 goals and 37 points and is nine goals away from the most CHL playoff goals since 2000 with a full round to go.
Catton recorded 38 goals and 109 points with Spokane this season and is second behind Cristall in playoff scoring with eight goals and 36 points.
To round out the top line, overage winger Shea Van Olm was not outdone by his two linemates, recording 49 goals and 92 points in the regular season and 11 goals and 27 points in the first three rounds.
“You can’t take penalties against Spokane, they’re just too good,” said Button. “You can’t get into an offensive boxing match with them, but you also can’t just sit back defensively.
“You won’t be able to play a low-scoring game against them because if you try that, you’ll be taking body blow after body blow, and you won’t be able to weather it. I think you have to attack Spokane, but that line of Catton, Cristall, and Van Olm can carry a lot of minutes and they’re dangerous.”
Game 2 of the WHL Championship Series is set to take place on Sunday in Medicine Hat before the series shifts to Spokane for Game 3 on Tuesday.
The CHL on TSN continues on Saturday when the Rimouski Oceanic takes on the Moncton Wildcats to begin the QMJHL Final at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on TSN4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App. That is followed by Game 2 of the OHL Final between the Oshawa Generals and London Knights at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on TSN3/4, TSN.ca, and the TSN App.