WHL Championship: Spokane Chiefs fall behind early, drop Game 1 to Medicine Hat 4-1
MEDICINE HAT, Alberta – The Spokane Chiefs hadn’t played a game in the Western Hockey League Championship Series since 2008, the year they went on to win their second Memorial Cup. The Medicine Hat Tigers hadn’t made it since 2007, when they beat Vancouver in seven games, but then lost to the Giants in the Cup – hosted by Vancouver.
Both teams entered on a roll. The Chiefs scored 30 goals in four games to sweep Portland in the Western Conference final.
The Central Division and Eastern Conference champion Tigers swept their last two playoff rounds and were 22-1 dating back to Feb. 22 in the regular season.
Now make that 23-1.
The Tigers scored twice in the game’s first 6 1/2 minutes and the Chiefs never recovered, dropping Game 1 4-1 at Co-op Place on Friday.
“I think, obviously, this was a different stage for us,” Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said. “I think after the first period we didn’t manage very well as a group. (Medicine Hat is) a team that you’ve got to make sure you’re managing, doing those little things to prevent their transition.
“I think we understand what it’s about now. But overall, it was just, you know, one game.”
“Obviously it’s a big stage, but it is just hockey at the end of the day,” Catton said. “I think that start was a little shaky, and we played from behind most of the night. But, you know, I think now we’ve seen it we’ll be ready to go.”
Andrew Basha and Bryce Pickford scored first-period goals for Medicine Hat. Likely 2026 No. 1 overall NHL draft pick Gavin McKenna had two assists, extending his CHL record scoring streak to 54 games.
Chiefs captain Berkly Catton gave his team life with a power play goal early in the third, but Medicine Hat got a somewhat fluky insurance goal 1 minute, 12 seconds later.
The Chiefs outshot the Tigers 37-22, but their best player was goalie Dawson Cowan, who made several spectacular saves – most coming on an odd-man rush – in a second period fairly dominated by the Tigers.
“I think (Medicine Hat) had seven or eight odd-man rushes that we gave up that period,” Lauer said. “And you can’t do that with that team. We were very fortunate that (Cowan) made those saves for us to keep us in the game going into the third period. He played a heck of a second period for us.”
The teams met once during the regular season, when the Chiefs got up 2-0 early in the third only to see the Tigers win in Spokane 3-2.
“Last time we played these guys it was a close game. We made some costly mistakes they capitalized on,” Lauer said. “They get on you to make quick decisions with the puck that would result in some of that. And then some of it is us, you know, not making it easy, (not) keeping it simple, not making the play that’s there.”
The Chiefs gave up a breakaway to WHL player of the year McKenna right off the hop, but it was turned aside by Cowan. They weren’t so fortunate a few seconds later as a failed clear found its way to Basha in the slot and he beat a sliding Cowan high blocker-side just 54 seconds into the contest.
Basha was playing in his first game since an ankle injury sidelined him in late December. The Calgary Flames prospect recorded nine goals and 29 points in 23 games before the injury.
McKenna made more magic a few minutes later, dangling through the Chiefs defense before giving off to Pickford, who sent a wrist shot past Cowan’s glove for his eighth goal of the playoffs to make it 2-0 at 13:33 of the first.
“It’s exciting building to play in, whether you’re visiting a team or a home team,” Lauer said. “And I think we were a little bit late. Not saying we weren’t ready. I think we just kind of wanted to see what it was going to be about. And, you know, (Medicine Hat) came out hard.”
The Chiefs were the beneficiaries of a power play with 8:24 left in the first but couldn’t manage a quality chance against Medicine Hat goalie Harrison Meneghin.
Spokane had another chance with the extra skater when Oasiz Wiesblatt was called for tripping Cowan with 47.5 seconds remaining. The Chiefs got a couple of good looks, but Meneghin was up to the task, and Spokane wasn’t able to make good on the remainder of the power play at the start of the third.
Midway through the period, defenseman Nathan Mayes was caught pinching up on the play. The Tigers went the other way with an odd-man rush but McKenna’s breakaway shot was corralled by Cowan.
Cowan was forced to be the Chiefs best player in the second, facing much tougher shots than his adversary. He stopped all 12 shots he faced, many on odd-man attempts, to keep it at 2-0 entering the third.
The Chiefs got a break early in the third as Coco Armstrong drew a tripping penalty in open ice. This time they took advantage, as Catton and Van Olm played give and go along the left wing, with Catton slotting a backhander past Meneghin for his ninth goal of the postseason.
“Special teams is huge. Obviously, even bigger in the playoffs,” Catton said. “We like to have speed in our break-in. (Van Olm) made a great play to me and I just finished it.”
But the Tigers got the next break, and it came just more than a minute later. An innocent chip by Ethan Neutens off a faceoff win hit Cowan’s blocker and flipped over his right shoulder and into the goal to restore a two-goal lead.
The Chiefs got a few good opportunities through the third, with Armstrong and defensemen Brayden Crampton and Mayes all forcing Meneghin to make tough saves.
Lauer pulled Cowan on an offensive zone faceoff with just under 3 minutes to play. But it was Medicine Hat that scored, with Tanner Molendyck dumping the puck into the empty net with 2:17 left.
Game 2 is Sunday before the series shifts to Spokane for three games.
“I think it’s huge to try and grab one,” Catton said of the importance of winning Game 2. “Once we get into our barn, you know, our fans, our facilities – that’s always huge. But again, you know, we’ll take the day (Saturday) and kind of regroup.”