Meneghin overcomes emotional week to lead Tigers to Game 1 win in WHL playoffs

The Medicine Hat Tigers earned an early advantage in the WHL playoffs’ first-round series Friday against the Swift Current Broncos. The result was almost secondary for the team and goaltender Harrison Meneghin.

The 20-year-old led his team, making 21 saves in a 4-0 victory in Game 1 just five days after his father, Derek, unexpectedly died.

Meneghin received the news about his father after leading his team to a win over the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday. The victory clinched a division title for Medicine Hat.

Against the Broncos, Meneghin was busy, especially in the second period, as he stopped Peyton Kettles on a breakaway after he was sent in alone out of the penalty box.

After the final buzzer sounded, Meneghin made the sign of the cross as his teammates came to embrace him.

Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt said players were crying while supporting Meneghin, who was also serenaded by the 5,458 in attendance at Co-op Place.

“I’m super proud of him,” Wiesblatt told reporters after the game. “I know every guy in there is super proud of him.

“It shows a lot of really resiliency from him, it’s pretty incredible. There’s not a lot of words to put towards it, guys were crying after seeing him get that win. That was probably the most special thing I’ve ever been part of.”

Wiesblatt scored a hat trick while Gavin McKenna extended his point streak to 41 consecutive games with an assist.

After the game, Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins revealed that he was not going to play Meneghin, but then his goaltender asked to get the start.

“His dad’s watching, it’s pretty special,” Desjardins said. “He’s had two huge games, it takes a lot. He asked to play, I wasn’t really going to play him, but he asked and I thought we owed it to him. I’m thinking of his mom and his family a lot, it was great to see him have a game like that. It’s a really, really tough situation.”

Meneghin was selected in the final round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was acquired by the Tigers from the Lethbridge Hurricanes in October and posted a 23-10-1-1 record with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage during the season.

Medicine Hat will look to take a 2-0 series lead over Swift Current in Game 2 at Co-op Place on Saturday night.