The Medicine Hat Tigers secured an early lead in the first-round series of the WHL playoffs on Friday against the Swift Current Broncos. However, the outcome took a back seat for both the team and goaltender Harrison Meneghin.
The 20-year-old goaltender steered his team to victory, blocking 21 shots in a decisive 4-0 win during Game 1, mere days after losing his father, Derek, suddenly.
After guiding his team to victory against the Calgary Hitmen on Sunday, Meneghin learned of his father's situation. This win secured a division championship for Medicine Hat.
During the game against the Broncos, Meneghin had an active performance, particularly during the middle frame when he thwarted Peyton Kettles' attempt after Kettles broke free from a penalty-box release.
Once the last buzzer went off, Meneghin crossed himself before his teammates rushed over to hug him.
Captain Oasiz Wiesblatt mentioned that players were in tears as they supported Meneghin, with the crowd of 5,458 at Co-op Place joining in to cheer him on.
"I'm extremely proud of him," Wiesblatt said. told reporters Following the game, "I'm aware that everyone in there feels incredibly proud of him."
It demonstrates remarkable resilience from him; it’s truly astounding. Words fail to capture the magnitude of this achievement. The players were moved to tears witnessing his victory. This moment stands out as possibly the most extraordinary experience I have ever had.
Wiesblatt netted three goals in a hat trick, and Gavin McKenna stretched his point streak to 41 successive matches with a helper.
Following the match, Tigers' head coach Willie Desjardins disclosed that he had decided not to field Meneghin. However, his goalie requested to take the starting position instead.
“He’s got his father watching, which makes it quite special,” Desjardins remarked. “He’s delivered in these last couple of big matches; that requires a lot. Initially, I didn’t plan to put him in, but since he requested to play, I felt we should let him. My thoughts go out to his mother and all his relatives during this time—it was wonderful seeing him perform so well. The circumstances surrounding us right now are incredibly challenging.”
Meneghin was chosen in the last round of the 2024 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He joined the Tigers after being traded by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in October and recorded a 23-10-1-1 record throughout the season, along with a 2.58 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage.
Medicine Hat aims to secure a 2-0 series advantage over Swift Current with a win at Co-op Place on Saturday evening.