The Medicine Hat Tigers have a chance to do something that hasn't been done in 11 seasons: Bring a Memorial Cup trophy to the Western Hockey League. However, this isn't their first rodeo. The Tigers won back to back championships in 1987 and 1988, defeating the Oshawa Generals and Windsor Spitfires respectively. Credit: Randy Feere // Medicine Hat Tigers [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f08f269c-7144-49ee-8d2b-a982fc106ed8.jpeg] Credit: Randy Feere // Medicine Hat Tigers There has been one attempt since then, though it didn't go the way they expected. What happened the last time Medicine Hat made their way to one of junior hockey's biggest stages? VANCOUVER, 2007 The Tigers were fresh off a WHL championship win over the Vancouver Giants, a hard-fought seven game series that saw the orange and black come back from a 3-2 series deficit and finish off the Giants in a double overtime thriller. Career Tiger Brennan Bosch scored the eventual winner, sealing Vancouver's fate. However, Medicine Hat would not get the last laugh. The 2007 Memorial Cup was hosted in Vancouver, so it was inevitable that the two teams would meet again. In their lone round robin matchup, the Tigers squeaked out a 1-0 victory. Now-former NHL journeymen Derek Dorsett, Kris Russell, and David Schlemko all combined for the game's only goal and Matt Keetley turned aside 29 shots for the shutout. The Giants ended up pumping the now-defunct Plymouth Whalers by a score of 8-1 in order to secure their spot in the championship game, and they were not going to let the opportunity go to waste. Longtime Detroit Red Wings forward Darren Helm scored the only goal for the Tigers, but Vancouver ended up with a 39-15 shot advantage and skated their way to a 3-1 win and a Memorial Cup title in their hometown. Nearly 20 years later, the only piece of that Medicine Hat team that remains? Head coach Willie Desjardins. Surpassing the 500-win mark this season, the former NHL bench boss is ready to take his team to the promised land and secure a championship in Rimouski. With several NHL-drafted prospects (and several more making their way to the podium in the next couple seasons) the Tigers are primed to do battle with teh powerhouse London Knights, who are coming off repeat OHL championship winning seasons of their own. Make sure you bookmark THN's WHL site and add us to your favourites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Victoria Royals Skaters Reschny And Verhoeff Commit To NCAA For 2025-26 Season [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/victoria-royals-skaters-reschny-and-verhoeff-commit-to-ncaa-for-2025-26-season] Medicine Hat Tigers Harrison Meneghin Having A Memorial Cup To Remember [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/medicine-hat-tigers-harrison-meneghin-having-a-memorial-cup-to-remember] Looking Back On The Last WHL Team To Win The Memorial Cup, The 2014 Edmonton Oil Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/looking-back-on-the-last-whl-team-to-win-the-memorial-cup-the-2014-edmonton-oil-kings] Medicine Hat Tigers To Watch At The 2025 Memorial Cup [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/latest-news/medicine-hat-tigers-to-watch-at-the-2025-memorial-cup] Meet The 2025 Memorial Cup Opponent: The Rimouski Océanic [https://thehockeynews.com/whl/game-day/meet-the-2025-memorial-cup-opponent-the-rimouski-oceanic] Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/b63e2c6c-89ed-4c3a-91b9-321fc23bbe35.jpeg]
