Edmonton hockey is back, but we’re not here for the Oilers. The Edmonton Oil Kings are in action for a Wednesday Night showdown between 2 of the WHL’s Central Division powerhouses tonight. The team wraps up this stretch of 5 consecutive road games with a stop in Medicine Hat to take on the Tigers. Your Oil Kings are sitting with a tidy 5-1-0 record, while the Tigers are sitting at an equally impressive 4-1-0 with one less game played so far.
Edmonton’s offense has been consistently dangerous to start the season, averaging at just over 4 goals per game, but it was the defense and goaltending that really stood tall in the last 2 outings as the combination of Simcoe and Snell allowed only 1 goal against in the last 6 periods of hockey they played.
The Oil Kings did make some roster changes since Saturday, as they reassigned Presley Kerner, and made a somewhat surprising trade sending Jack Toogood to the division rival Lethbridge Hurricanes. Toogood had 2 goals on Friday in Moose Jaw and had played in 5 of 6 games for the Oil Kings so far, so it was an unexpected announcement to see him heading south. Edmonton received an 8th round pick from Lethbridge in exchange. The reassignment of Kerner and trade of Toogood leaves the Oil Kings with only 14 forwards currently on the roster, which could signify that whatever injury Kayden Stroeder has been dealing with he is getting close to his return.
Playing in Medicine Hat will be no easy feat to continue this winning streak however, as the Tigers are also averaging over 4 goals per game, while holding their opponents to 2 goals or less in all 4 of their wins. If the Oil Kings hope to win, the back end will be tasked with shutting down another potent offensive attack.
I may be guilty of having discounted the Medicine Hat Tigers chances this season after Gavin McKenna, Cayden Lindstrom, and Ryder Ritchie all chose to leave for the NCAA, but this team has proven in the early parts of this season that they are more than just a couple of big name players. They are a well-balanced team with a lot more talent than I gave them credit for in the pre-season.
On The Throne
Those players that are considered to be trending upwards, on a hot streak, or otherwise impressing will be seen as being On The Throne.
Miroslav Holinka - The hot stayed hot as Miro gets to be here for the 3rd straight Briefing. He now has goals in 3 straight games since returning from Toronto, and 5 points total to start his season. He has been an key part of the success of the penalty kill, a defensive anchor in his 2 way play, and a driving force in the offensive zone and on the powerplay. As an all-around player, he has become an invaluable piece to the success the team has had since his return. Someday soon, he may seen his chance to don the blue and white for the Marlies or Maple Leafs, but for now we are thankful to have him here in the red, blue, and gold.
Joe Iginla - Speaking of players staying hot, Joe Iginla increased his points total with his 3rd goal of this road trip to keep his season on the rise. I spoke last week about his rise with the more seasoned veterans returning to the lineup, but it’s looking more and more like he’s starting to regain some confidence in his game and really finding his niche on this team. Pairing him with Holinka and Lukas Sawchyn on the top line has provided a spark for all 3 players, and suddenly the Oil Kings 1st line looks like a serious threat to opposing teams every night. That line’s continued production could be an important key to victory tonight.
Rhys Pederson & Josh Lee - This section has given a lot of love to goal scorers, and point streaks, but that isn’t what it’s all about to sit On the Throne with the Oil Kings. Sometimes, you have to give love to the unsung guys, the ones playing the dirty minutes and coming out of it looking as clean as a whistle. Rhys & Josh have done just that. They opened the season as the 1st D pairing, while others were still away, but have seen such sustained success that even as Ethan MacKenzie, Blake Fiddler, and Parker Alcos eventually returned to the team these 2 have stayed together and just shifted down to become a 3rd pairing beneath the bigger names on the team. Through it all Pederson (+4) and Lee (+6) have proven that they can shut down top lines or checking lines with equal success. They can create offensive opportunities, disrupt opposing team’s pressure, and create timely turnovers to help the team to victory. Playing down the lineup isn’t always a pretty job, but when you can do it as effectively as Alcos and Pederson it makes rolling all 4 lines a whole lot easier for the coaches.
Off The Throne
Players that are struggling through a rough patch, on a cold streak, or possibly battling the puck at times will be viewed as being Off The Throne.
Presley Kerner - After starting 4 of 6 games for the Oil Kings so far, Kerner has become the most recent player to find himself out of a spot on the roster and headed elsewhere for a chance to keep developing and getting playing time. He had been a solid feature on the 4th line in the games he got to play, with an overall 56% efficiency in faceoffs, and chipping in a goal in the season opener against Red Deer. As of yet, there has been no official announcement of where Presley is headed to, but as the last man off the roster I suspect it won’t be long before we see him back in Edmonton for another opportunity.
At the Gate
Who is the man standing between the pipes, the soldier standing between the opponent’s hopes and dreams? The man in the mask, and heavy padding, is the man At the Gate. This is our section where we will look at the starting goaltenders.
Parker Snell saw the goaltending clinic that Ethan Simcoe put on in Moose Jaw, and decided he’d put on one of his own in Brandon as he secured his first shutout of the season in relatively dominant fashion. While Simcoe had numerous highlight reel saves in Moose Jaw, Snell was not as heavily tested in his performance. The best opportunity he faced was probably the breakaway from Jordan Gavin in the 3rd period, but the score was already 5-0 at that point and Gavin didn’t even test Snell as he ripped the shot wide.
Coach Smith has been consistent so far in his goalie rotation, as Simcoe and Snell have alternated games to start the year. That would suggest that Simcoe is in line for this start. No matter if it is Simcoe or Snell, it will be a first for either player as neither one of them has ever played against the Medicine Hat Tigers yet in their short careers.
The Roil Ledger
How well do the Oil Kings match up with their opponents? How have they fared against them in recent seasons? Is there a lot of red in that ledger, or have the results been more positive? We’ll take a look at recent history and notable stats between the two teams.
The rivalry between Edmonton and Medicine Hat may be one of the most feisty rivalries among our Central Division opponents. While Red Deer and Calgary have the heated fan rivalry to amp up the intensity between both city and team, the Tigers from Medicine Hat just bring all of that intensity on the ice. Last season saw the Tigers and the Oil Kings split the season series 4-4-0-0 and combine for over 240 penalty minutes in those games.
The overall record between these 2 is currently leaning in the Tiger’s favor, in large part due to their success against Edmonton at home in Medicine Hat. Edmonton is 45-55-4-10 overall against the Medicine Hat Tigers, with a 21-28-2-6 record in games played in The Hat.
The Threats Beyond the Wall
What awaits the Oil Kings on the other side of the ice? Who should they be keeping an eye on? How has the opponent stacked up around the league? We’ll be looking at the players to watch, those high on prospect draft boards, and the ones already drafted by NHL teams. The team’s place in the standings, win or loss streaks, and other important information to prime everyone to be ready for the opposition.
The Medicine Hat Tigers entered this season as the reigning WHL Champions, fresh off a trip to the Memorial Cup Finals. They swept their way through the Memorial Cup Round robin, and went into the finals with the bye as the #1 seed before being upset by the London Knights in the finals. The team’s chances of a repeat trip were unexpectedly turned on their side during the summer though, when Projected 2026 NHL 1st Overall Pick Gavin McKenna, along with 2024 NHL draft picks Cayden Lindstrom and Ryder Ritchie, all opted to forego the rest of their CHL Careers and commit to the NCAA to finish out their time at the junior level.
Somewhat fortunately for the team and its fans, Medicine Hat had no shortage of players waiting for a chance to fill the giant holes left by those departures. Among those to step up this year, none have shone brighter than rookie addition Yaroslav Bryzgalov. No relation to former Oilers goalie Ilya Brygazlov, the 2007 born Russian was selected by the Tigers in the 1st round of this year’s CHL Import Draft. He has opened the season with 7 points through 5 games while playing a consistent role on the 2nd line wing.
The top line of this Tigers team has some very familiar faces for anyone who may have followed the 2025 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup (HGC), as all 3 were representatives for their respective countries. Noah Davidson was a vital piece of the Gold-medal winning Team USA alongside our own Noa Ta’amu. Davidson put up 6 points in 5 games during the HGC, and has started the WHL Season with 4 points through 5 games.
With Davidson are 2 members of Canada’s Hlinka team, the twin brothers Markus and Liam Ruck. The Ruck Brothers are a scary sight for opposing teams, as they have that same chemistry Oil Kings fans got to witness from the Sawchyn brothers last year but at an even higher level. As twins, they have been able to play on the same teams and at the same age level for their entire lives and seem to know where each other is going to be at any given moment. Markus is the setup man, with 6 assists to start the season but no goals as of yet. Liam is the finisher, but also capable of dishing the puck as well as he finishes, he has 2 goals and 3 assists so far in the early season.
Lastly on the offense side, Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll is a highly touted 2008-born forward who was also part of that HGC Gold-medal Team USA, and just returned from a pre-season injury in Medicine Hat’s last game against Calgary on the weekend. He put up 3 points in the 7-1 win for the Tigers, and should solidify a very dangerous looking Top 6 forward group on their team.
The defense is where Medicine Hat sees all of it’s NHL drafted talent for this season, with 2024 picks Veeti Väisänen (Utah) and Niilopekka Muhonen (Dallas) and 2025 3rd round pick Bryce Pickford anchoring their blue line. 17 year old Jonas Woo rounds out the Top 4 Defenders as a former WHL 1st Round pick, though he has bounced around a bit during his time in the league, starting with Winnipeg and then a season with Wenatchee before joining the Tigers last year. He’s having a strong start to this season with 5 points in 5 games.
In net, the duo of Jordan Switzer and rookie Carter Casey is responsible for the blue ice. Switzer, an Edmonton-born 18 year old, appears to be the go-to guy and will enter this contest with a perfect 3-0-0 record to start the year. This record is mildly deceptive however, as Switzer was pulled after allowing three goals on 14 shots in the Tigers lone loss to the Swift Current Broncos. Casey took the L after Medicine Hat scored two 3rd period goals to save Switzer’s win-loss record.
Edmonton arrives in The Gas City with a heavy head of steam in this young season, but they are facing a possibly unstoppable force in a Tigers team on a mission for revenge and redemption this year. Both teams enter the game with only one loss (both by identical 6-3 final scores) and both are on 3 game win streaks having allowed only 4 goals across those 3 wins. As the 1st and 2nd place teams in the Central Division at the time of puck drop, you can trust that this should be a great one. You can watch the game for free Live on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio for all the action. Puck Drop is at 7pm local Edmonton time, so if you plan to catch the Oilers season opener you can still catch the first period (and maybe most of the second) before the late puck drop in that one. The next Oil Kings game will be back at home for a Saturday Afternoon triple-header in Edmonton as the Oil Kings start the day with a 2pm rematch against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Make sure you’re following us here at The Roil Line for all future Roil Briefings!