Medicine Hat Tigers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Medicine Hat Tigers
City	Medicine Hat, Alberta
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1970
Home arena	Co-op Place
Colours	Orange and Black
General manager	Willie Desjardins
Head coach	Willie Desjardins
Championships	Ed Chynoweth Cup 6 (1973, 1987, 1988, 2004, 2007, 2025) Memorial Cup 2 (1987, 1988) Conference Championships 3 (2003–04, 2006–07, 2024–25)
Website chl.ca/whl-tigers

Travis Dunstall playing for the Tigers in 2007.

The Medicine Hat Tigers are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team. They play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team is based in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The Tigers started playing in 1970. They have won the Ed Chynoweth Cup six times. This ties them with the Kamloops Blazers for the most wins. The team has also won two Memorial Cup titles. Since 2015, the Tigers play their home games at Co-op Place. Before that, they played for 45 seasons at the Medicine Hat Arena.

Team History

The Medicine Hat Tigers joined the Western Canada Hockey League in 1970. Their first season was a bit tough. But the team quickly got much better. Star players like Tom Lysiak and Lanny McDonald led the way. Lysiak won scoring titles in 1972 and 1973.

Early Success and First Championship

The Tigers made the playoffs in their second season. By their third season, they reached the championship final. They beat the Saskatoon Blades to win their first league title in 1973.

Back-to-Back Championships in the 1980s

The team had another great period in the late 1980s. In 1986, they won their first regular season title. They then reached the league finals three times in a row. Players like Trevor Linden, Wayne McBean, and Mark Pederson were key. The Tigers won back-to-back championships in 1987 and 1988. They also won the Memorial Cup in both of those years. Because of their amazing success, these championship teams were honored. They were inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

More Titles in the 2000s

The Tigers won two more league titles between 2004 and 2007. In 2004, Medicine Hat had the best record in their conference. They swept the Everett Silvertips in the final to win the championship. In the 2005–06 season, the Tigers won their second regular season title. They lost in the Conference Final that year.

The next season, 2006–07, they returned to the championship series. They played against the Vancouver Giants. Goaltender Matt Keetley helped the Tigers win the title. They beat the Giants in double-overtime of game seven. Since Vancouver was hosting the 2007 Memorial Cup, both teams went to the tournament. The Tigers beat the Giants again in overtime during the first round. This sent them straight to the final. The final was a rematch against the Giants. This time, the Giants won 3–1.

Recent Years and New Arena

Since their last title run in 2007, the Tigers have mostly made the playoffs. However, they have not advanced past the second round. They did win division titles in 2016–17 and 2017–18. In 2015, the team moved to the new Co-op Place arena. This was a big change from their old home. In 2024, Gavin McKenna won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy. This award is for the WHL rookie of the year. He was the fourth Tiger to win it.

Team Achievements

The Medicine Hat Tigers have a proud history of winning.

• Memorial Cups: They won the top junior hockey prize in 1987 and 1988.
• Ed Chynoweth Cups: They are six-time league champions. They won in 1973, 1987, 1988, 2004, 2007, and 2025.
• Scotty Munro Memorial Trophies: This award is for the best regular season record. The Tigers won it in 1985–86 and 2005–06.
• Conference Championships: They won their conference in 2003–04, 2006–07, and 2024–25.

WHL Championship Finals

• 1972–73: Won against Saskatoon Blades
• 1985–86: Lost against Kamloops Blazers
• 1986–87: Won against Portland Winter Hawks
• 1987–88: Won against Kamloops Blazers
• 2003–04: Won against Everett Silvertips
• 2006–07: Won against Vancouver Giants
• 2024–25: Won against Spokane Chiefs

Memorial Cup Finals

• 1987: Won 6–2 against Oshawa Generals
• 1988: Won 7–6 against Windsor Spitfires
• 2007: Lost 1–3 against Vancouver Giants
• 2025: Lost 1–4 against London Knights

Players Who Played in the NHL

Many players from the Medicine Hat Tigers have gone on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Here are some of them:

Team Records

Here are some of the best records for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Single Season Team Records

Single Season Player Records

See also

• List of ice hockey teams in Alberta