Tigers' Coach Willie Desjardins Hits 500 WHL Wins, Rout Rebels At Home
Medicine Hat's bench boss makes an emphatic mark on his WHL career.
Friday's contest was a big one for the Medicine Hat Tigers, looking to keep afloat on top of the Eastern Conference. Under the guidance of head coach Willie Desjardins, they did just that. Playing host to the Red Deer Rebels to close out a three-game home stand, the Tigers made the most of every opportunity they had.
After a pair of first period goals, one of which by Tanner Molendyk for his first as a Tiger, Red Deer would get one back early in the middle frame to cut the lead in half. From there it was all Medicine Hat, including a hat trick from Marcus Pacheco and a three-assist night from Gavin McKenna as the Tigers skated away with an 8-1 victory.
The win marks number 500 for Desjardins, the winningest head coach in team history. Under his leadership, the team won two WHL championships (2004, 2007) and made one Finals appearance at the 2007 Memorial Cup. While Medicine Hat has yet to pass the second round in his second stint as coach, the team has shown gradual improvement in the standings since Desjardins re-joined in 2019.
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