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Saturday, September 25, 2010 — THE MEDICINE HAT NEWS
TIGERS WHL PREVIEW Tigers expect to flourish in first season without Desjardins New, But Not Really SEAN ROONEY
srooney@medicinehatnews.com
There’s no point in ignoring the elephant that just left the room. The question is, what’s different now that he’s gone?
When head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins left the Medicine Hat Tigers this summer to take an associate coaching job with the NHL’s Dallas Stars, there was a natural instinct for fans to wonder if it was the end of an era. After all, Desjardins was the key cog that turned a losing squad seven years ago into one of the Western Hockey League’s best. League titles in 2004 and 2007. Rows of new banners hanging in The Arena. A club record 323 regular season wins. Hundred- game-long sellout streaks and season ticket waiting lists numbering in the thousands. For those inside the
organization, however, this new era is anything but. “To be honest, I don’t feel the
difference,” said 19-year-old defenceman Matt Konan. “We are going to miss him, he’s a great coach, probably one of my best coaches ever but I think Shaun’s going to pick up the beat just fi ne, our team’s going to pick up the beat just fi ne.” The reason, says marketing and public relations director Dave Andjelic, is that the only new cogs in the Tigers machine are a few rookies on the ice. Head coach Shaun Clouston moved up from an associate role and general manager Brad McEwen was previously the head scout. Familiar faces are easy to come
by.
“Not a lot has changed in the philosophy,” said Andjelic, who himself has been with the team for 19 years. “When you take a look at the change in a corporation where you don’t have to bring in somebody from the outside, you just continue on with what is going. “It’s been very, very smooth. It’s as good of a situation as you could have.” Sure, Clouston will have new duties – for example, he’s
NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT Medicine Hat Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston runs training camp at The Arena. The 42-year-old inherits a team stacked with talent and experience and confi dent there's no such thing as a new era now that Willie Desjardins has left the organization.
passed the defensive unit over to assistant Darren Kruger – but it’s not like this is new territory. Clouston was a head coach for a half season in Tri-City in 2003 and wore the hat for a span in
each of the past two seasons as Desjardins went off to work with the Canadian world junior team. “I feel excited about it, and
confi dent having been able to do that,” said Clouston. “I don’t see a whole lot changing when you compare it to those stretches. I feel fortunate having had that opportunity.” The players seem to agree.
Everyone knows what to expect. “For me, just knowing the coaching staff obviously we’re going to miss Willie, he’s a great coach,” said 19-year-old forward Linden Vey. “But at the same time, Clouston was basically the guy who ran the systems. They have a lot of years in hockey, both played in the league and for the most part it’s going to be pretty much the same way.” That familiarity, plus a plethora
of returning players and some key additions, is why there’s a distinct buzz around this year’s group that hasn’t been felt in a few years. Every team talks of winning a
NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENENTT - Medicine Hat Tigers’ Emerson Etem scores during an April 11, 2010 playoff game against the Calgary Hitmen at The Arena. Etem is expected to continue his offensive production which made him one of the team's top scorers as a 17-year-old rookie last season.
Memorial Cup before the season begins, but Konan says the buzz is louder than he’s ever heard it in Medicine Hat. The California native joined the team just after their trip to the Cup fi nal in 2007. “There’s more talk, we’ve got
more fi repower to work with,” he said. “We’ve got a different mindset. We’re talking about
winning the Mem. Cup, that’s a huge goal and we’ve been talking about that from the start.” That fi repower starts with
last year’s super rookie, forward Emerson Etem. After scoring 37 goals the 18-year-old was drafted 29th overall by his hometown Anaheim Ducks in the NHL entry draft this summer. He appears ready for the next level but will likely remain in major-junior for one more campaign. Etem, Vey and newcomer
Tyler Pitlick are all on the radar for their respective world junior teams. Returning captain Wacey Hamilton and fellow 20-year-old forward Joey Frazer put up 24 and 18 goals respectively last season, while Kale Kessy (11 goals) and Ryan Harrison (14 goals in Prince Albert) are 18-year-olds with plenty of offensive upside. Defensively, the only
newcomers are imports Sebastian Owuya of Sweden and Patrik Parkkonen of Finland. Owuya, about to turn 19, was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers while Parkkonen, 17, seems to be a power play specialist. Veterans like Konan, Thomas Carr and Jace Coyle will take the pressure off the newcomers early on. In goal, 18-year-old Tyler Bunz
is a proven starter who was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers and has the tools to be among the best in the league.
The main questions surround the 20-year-old situation and who will back up Bunz in net. If Hamilton (Colorado) and Coyle (Dallas) are both sent back to Medicine Hat the team will have to cut a 20-year-old, with Frazer and Carr the other two in the mix. In goal, 16-year-old Dawson MacAuley and 19-year- old returnee Deven Dubyk were both strong as the team went 4-1 in the preseason, but on Tuesday MacAuley was sent back to Prince Albert to play midget AAA, giving the backup job to Dubyk. Realistically, there’s not much to be decided until the team’s NHL campers – there were nine of them – return or are signed to pro contracts. But back to that elephant.
Desjardins certainly built this team, convincing Etem last year and Pitlick this year to move from the U.S. The new era’s fi rst year will be marked heavily by his infl uence, and there’s no reason to drastically change a club that’s averaged 40 wins in the three years since its last title. From all indications, desire is still in ample supply. “I believe that’s always been there,” said Clouston. “Competition for us means challenging ourselves to become better every day. It’s about striving for constant improvement. It’s not a difference.”
SCOTT MCKAY
POSITION: D HT: 6’0” WT: 186 D.O.B JUN/11/1992 HOMETOWN: CALGARY, AB 09/10 SEASON: MEDICINE HAT TIGERS LEAGUE: WHL GP: 47 G: 02 A: 03 PTS: 05 PIM: 36 DRAFT: ELIGIBLE 2011
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POSITION: rw HT: 5’6” WT: 161 D.O.B may/18/1990 HOMETOWN: brainerd, mn 09/10 SEASON: medicine hat tigers LEAGUE: whl GP: 70 G: 18 A: 12 PTS: 30 PIM: 31 DRAFT: free agent
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