Time to Tame the Tigers Game Day #13

Red Deer's arch nemesis, Medicine Hat makes its first trip to the Enmax Centrium.

Medicine Hat Tigers (4-4-1-0) 9pts. AT Red Deer Rebels (8-4-0-0) 16pts.

The Rebels are coming off a huge 7-1 victory over the Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday night. Wyatt Johnson scored the first Red Deer hat-trick since Brooks Maxwell got 4 vs Saskatoon on March 3rd, 2015. This was the 3rd win in a row for the Rebels.

Red Deer is now 5-0-0-0 on home ice this season. Twice since the Rebels inception they have won 29 games at home first in 2000-01 season and then again in the 2002-03 season. The team went on to win the Memorial Cup in 2000-01, and host this season's penultimate tournament.

Medicine Hat comes into tonight's game winners of their last 2 games, both coming in the cozy confines of their new arena, CanAlta Centre. The Tigers are 1-2-1-0 on the road this season. Tonight's game will be the 1st of 6 games between the two hockey clubs. The next game will be contested in Medicine Hat on November 1st.

Evan Polei - Getty Images

Evan Polei enters the night with 4 goals and an assist on the season. He also has two fights, one with Rodney Southam of the Kelowna Rockets and the other with Taylor Crunk of the Vancouver Giants. The Rebels lean on Polei to carry the load when it comes to muscle and willingness to mix it up with the opposition. He has grown in his 3rd season with the team, posting 27 goals to go with 17 assists over his 125 games as a Rebel. He attended Detroit Red Wings Training Camp earlier this year. Polei has also become a fan favorite, especially in this household.

The Rebels added 18 year old Winnipeg, MB native, Braden Purtill from the Tri-City Americans. The team gave up a 3rd round pick in the 2017 Bantam Draft. Purtill has participated in 111 games with the Americans and has scored 11 goals to go with 10 assists. Braden can play both Wing and Defense and looks to be an integral part of the Memorial Cup season.

The team will be without the services of Haydn Fleury for 2 games following his hit to the head of Saskatoon Blade, Nick Zajac. Conner Gay was also suspended for 2 games for his cross check to the face of Fleury after the hit.

Cole Sanford - YahooSports

Medicine Hat will be without the services of Trevor Cox, Zach Fischer and Cole Sanford. All suffering from various ailments. Cox and Sanford make up 204 points from last season's team that beat the Rebels in 5 in the first round of the playoffs.

Austin Lotz was picked up by the Tigers to shore up their inconsistent goaltending. He is 20 years old and in his 4th season. He is 2-0-0-0 since the move and sports a 1.50 GAA and .948 sv%. Also the Tigers no longer have an import on their roster as they released Tomasz Laday on waivers this week and Alexei Polotonov decided to return home, this also leaves the Tigers with just 6 defensemen on the roster. Thanks to Gregg Drinnan and Taking Note.

Tonight's game at the Centrium is expected to be a full house, there is a benefit for the Bott family that lost three daughters in a farming incident recently. $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to them as well as any donations from the game's patrons this evening. Please come out and support a local family that has had to deal with a very devastating tragedy. Doors open at 6PM, puck drops at 7. Come early parking will be at a premium!