With Red Deer's loss to the Everett Silvertips, the Tigers become the third WHL team to clinch a playoff spot.
Medicine Hat Tigers Clinch WHL Playoffs
With the Red Deer Rebels falling to the Everett Silvertips Tuesday night, the Medicine Hat Tigers (36-9-3-3) have officially clinched a playoff birth.
The "Tabbies" now become the second team in the Eastern Conference to secure an "X" beside their name, joining the Prince Albert Raiders in the quest for the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
After capturing the WHL title in 2025, many expected a "cooldown" period for Willie Desjardins’ squad. Instead, the Tigers have spent the majority of the season as the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the East, currently sitting with 78 points and a commanding lead in the Central Division.
Their clinch comes with 17 games remaining on the schedule, a testament to a season where they have picked up points in 34 of their last 39 games.
With the departure of Gavin McKenna, Cayden Lindstrom, Ryder Ritchie and others to the NCAA, players had to step up. 17-year-old twins Liam and Markus Ruck have taken the league by storm. Markus leads the entire WHL with 59 assists, while Liam has established himself as a premier finisher with 32 goals. Their chemistry has turned the Tigers' top line into a nightmare for opposing defenders. Meanwhile, Bryce Pickford continues his historic season, notching 33 goals, leading all defencemen.
The mid-season return of Andrew Basha from the AHL's Calgary Wranglers has added a veteran scoring punch, while the emergence of Luke Cozens and Jonas Woo has given the Tigers a depth chart that rival scouts describe as "the deepest in the Eastern Conference."
With the playoff spot secured, the Tigers now turn their attention to history. They are aiming to become the first WHL team to repeat as champions since the franchise pulled off the feat itself in 1987 and 1988.
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