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Saturday, September 25, 2010 — THE MEDICINE HAT NEWS


TIGER WHL PREVIEW Valk Carries Hat Colours


With plenty of veterans and professional prospects, Medicine Hat’s blue line could take after that of the 2006-07 roster


SEAN ROONEY srooney@medicinehatnews.com


Curtis Valk had always dreamed of the day when he would no longer be watching Medicine Hat Tigers games from the stands. Growing up in the Gas City, he


tried to watch as many live Tigers games from The Arena as he could. “We had season tickets,” said


Valk. “I remember coming to most of the games every chance I got, when I wasn’t away for hockey. “It was good. It was fun to watch. It teaches you a lot about the game.” When the Tigers won the WHL title in 2004, Valk said he wanted to grow up to be like Stefan Meyer and Chris St. Jacques. Another one of Valk’s childhood heroes was right-winger Ben Thomson, who wrapped up his career with the Tabbies in 2003.


Those idols changed as time


went by and Valk, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 140 pounds, realized he wasn’t going to grow to be as big as Meyer, who stands 6-foot-2.


When the Tigers claimed the WHL title in 2007, Valk wanted to become like either standout left-winger Tyler Ennis or gifted offensive defenceman Kris Russell. Both players were closer to Valk’s size. His biggest fan highlight came from watching the Tigers claim Game 7 of the 2007 WHL championship series in double


overtime with a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants. Seeing centre Brennan Bosch score the game winner was also cool, because he was also a smaller forward like Valk. “When that kind of fog came


over the rink (three) years ago, it was really nerve-racking watching them,” said Valk. “Seeing Boscher score was pretty exciting.” Last season, Valk appeared in four games with the Tigers, while playing with the midget AAA Tigers team. Besides getting the chance to suit up with the team on a full- time basis this season, he is also carrying on a bit of a tradition of having local Medicine Hat born and raised kids playing for the local WHL team. On the 2007 WHL title team, goaltender Matt Keetley and checking forward Jerrid Sauer were two key born and raised Medicine Hat products. Left-winger Kevin Undershute also called Medicine Hat his hometown, but he was originally born in Saskatchewan. Power forward Kale Kessy, who


is part of the current Tigers, has played in the Medicine Hat Minor Hockey system since age 13, but his hometown is technically Shaunavon, Sask. Tigers head coach Shaun Clouston says the addition of Hat products to the Tigers roster almost comes a bit by chance.


NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT - Curtis Valk, left, and Tanner Sohn are both Medicine Hat natives. Valk will play with the Tigers this year while Sohn was traded to Vancouver a week before the regular season started.


“To me, it just happens or it


doesn’t happen,” said Clouston. “We are looking for the best hockey players. “We have been fortunate over


the years that there has been some local guys. It is nice for them and their families, but it is defi nitely just something that happens through the natural process of drafting, listing and recruiting.” The Tigers had a chance to have two born and raised Hat products on their team this season, but 19-year-old rugged defenceman Tanner Sohn was traded to the Vancouver Giants before the regular season started. To show how tough it can be to land local products, rearguard Ryan Aasman had such a successful bantam career that he was selected eighth overall by the Prince Albert Raiders in the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft. The Tigers opening pick in the fi rst round came 13 selections later.


Aasman was dealt last season to the Seattle Thunderbirds and looks to be part


of one of their top two defensive pairings this season. Valk was never drafted and attended training camp with the WHL Tigers as a 15-year-old in 2008. Following that camp, he was placed on the team’s 50-man protected list. Last year in the midget AAA


ranks, Valk’s offensive skill was evident as he netted 17 goals and 23 assists in 31 regular season games. Clouston sees a bright future for Valk with the WHL Tigers and added the shifty centre has had a good training camp and exhibition season with the team this year. “I think he has done a real good job so far,” said Clouston. “He has had lots of opportunity through exhibition games to see lots of ice time. “He has seen some power-play


time. He scored a real nice goal in Swift Current. He has been involved in showing that he is defi nitely an offensive talent. “We recognize that. I think that as time goes on, and he matures and develops and gets physically stronger, he is going to be a big


part of the future of this hockey team.” Following the end of his midget AAA campaign last season, Valk joined the WHL Tigers as a black ace near the end of their regular season and remained with the club through to the end of the playoffs. He said he learned how intense and focused you have to be through a WHL post-season run. He believes he has had a good


training camp and exhibition season this year and looks forward to playing with the club full time on the ice, as opposed to watching games from the stands. He couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. “I have lived kind of my normal


life, and it takes a little bit of pressure off,” said Valk. “Just to play in front of the crowd is always


great.”


HUNTER SHINKAR


HUNTER SHINKARUK


POSITION: C HT: 5’9.5”WT: 160 D.O.B OCT/13/1994 HOMETOWN: CALGRAY, ab 09/10 SEASON: CALGARY ROYALS LEAGUE: AMHL GP: 03 G: 00 A: 01 PTS: 01 PIM: 00 DRAFT: eligible 2013


GOOD LUCK TIGERS!


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NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT - In this Feb. 9, 2009 fi le photo, Medicine Hat Tigers’ Matthew Konan, left, battles Kurt Torbohm of the Kamloops Blazers. Konan, 19, thinks his team can make a run at a league title this year.


tyler pitlic


tyler pitlick


POSITION: C HT: 6’1.5” WT: 194 D.O.B nov/01/1991 HOMETOWN: cEnterville, mn 09/10 SEASON: mankato state university LEAGUE: ncaa GP: 38 G: 11 A: 08 PTS: 19 PIM: 27 DRAFT: edm 2010


ryan harrisonan har


POSITION: C HT: 5’10” WT: 183 D.O.B mar/31/1992 HOMETOWN: kelowna, bc 09/10 SEASON: prince albert raiders LEAGUE: whl GP: 72 G: 14 A: 40 PTS: 54 PIM: 136 DRAFT: eligible 2011


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