Sunday, October 8, 2017

Early Season Thoughts

Early Season Thoughts

Overage Deadline
The overage deadline is October 10th which is almost here. The Tigers need to be under the limit of 3 Overagers and 25 players.  Decisions will need to be made SOON. They still  have 28 players and 4 overagers

Dalton Gally & Defenceman
I noticed his weight has dropped 10-12 lbs from last season.(depending on what site you get your stats from.

 Last year I half wrote him off as a guy I wasn't keen on. A "defensive filler" so-to-say, but his work ethic has completely changed. He is a lot leaner physically and looks way more mobile on the ice.  So far he has my vote as the most improved player.

Gally has been behind the veteran defenceman on the depth charts. He is being given 3rd line minutes as expected with other veterans ahead of him. As a 19yr old with limited offensive numbers in his whl career, his trade value is low, but he is giving the Tigers great experience and value on the 3rd line.

In an ideal situation you'd want your 3rd unit to be younger up and coming guys, unless you plan on an "up" season and wish to maintain a veteran presence.(Which is what we want this year to be)

Going forward the Tigers will be answering the question on what to do with their younger defenceman and Gally's improvements has made that decision tougher. They still have 10 defenceman on the roster.

Current Combo's
Quenneville Nassen
Rubins Macpherson
Gally  Clayton/Macphee

Moving Gally means more regular ice-time for Clayton/Macphee, and being able to keep another guy such as Joel Craven, Daniel Baker, or Trevor Longo.

IF we look at turnover for next year the Tigers assuredly loose 2 of their top 4, with potentially a 3rd in David Quenneville.

IF the Tigers want to "go for it" keeping Gally is probably a better option. IF they are unsure about how good they will be(which I am)  going with some younger defenceman is probably a better route. as those younger defenceman will need to play 2nd line minutes next season, and exposing them to a regular 3rd pairing would do more for their development.

The Tigers have been guilty of having last years depth guys takeing icetime away from newer players.

So this decision on defenceman is quite important going forward for next season and this season.

Mark Rassell -
6 goals in 6 games. He has been the Tigers most dangerous threat on the ice. He is the type of player that has a lot of 1v1 skill, and can create chances for himself rather than relying on a systematic "overwhelm with speed" approach the Tigers have been known for the last dozen years.

Tyler Preziuso & Gary Haden
Last season I was disappointed in the improvement paths of both players. The Tigers only dressed Haden for a paltry 32 games and he didn't see a lot of ice-time.

Both players are playing better, but I fear that their age and their value are in danger of becoming mis-aligned. As 18 yr olds they need to become impact players with hopes that next season they turn into top 6 forwards. I don't see that from either of them yet.

The Tigers need those two to play top 6 minutes next year, and right now that is  a scary thought because they need to find big improvements in their game. Both are behind schedule so they need to step their games up.

Josh Williams
He was good in the pre-season. He shows potential for very high 1v1 skill. He is still learning the ropes and adjusting to faster play. I'll give you a little tip when it comes to recognizing who the next breakout player will be.

The direct sign before a point breakout is consistently winning the small battles that may or may not translate into points. Coming up with puck possession on  50-50 scenarios, skating past a guy standing still, stealing/stripping pucks away from veteran players. Central 1v1 positioning and only taking off after receiving puck possession and not before.

 These are the types of small battles that don't necessarily generate points by themselves, but are the starting blocks to something more

Williams is on the step before that.

 He isn't yet consistently winning the small battles outright, but he is coming out in advantageous positions.  I feel that it may take some games for things to click, but when it does it may click quickly. He has a lot of skill for a 16yr old.

Jordan Hollett
Still need to see more from him, but I'm getting a Dawson MacAuley vibe, but a little more mobile. A big goaltender who stops the first shot and his size will prevent lots of second shots.

The Tigers are great at training mobility and stick-handling puck control with their goaltenders, and those are two areas Hollett will look to improve upon.

Their is a reason why most goaltenders in the NHL are 6"2 or taller.  I have a feeling that fans may not see Hollett as talented as other goaltenders because he isn't as mobile as what the Tigers have seen in the past. While that may or may not be true, he needs to work on his mobility and likely will have some up and down games.

The reason you don't see small goaltenders in the NHL is that shots are now much faster than what a goalie can react too. A smaller goalie simply needs to react to a longer distance.

It is too early to judge Hollett's potential, but so far his showing has been decent.

Linus Nassen
The first couple games he played really well. I  expected maybe a slight bit more  from a 3rd round NHL Pick. He isn't a bad player, but he needs some time to get used to the North American game. I understand why Florida wanted him to play Junior, as he needs some seasoning and a little more aggressiveness/drive to his game. I notice he is becoming a little hesitant in high traffic areas, and they need to nip that in the bud before it becomes a bigger issue.


Dislikes - Overall chemistry
With Mason Shaw out for the majority of the season, the Tigers don't have a legit 2nd line centreman and are using a player who shouldn't be in the top 6.  They have (Hamblin, Chyzowski, Haden, White) as their centremen, and Hamblin is the only one who should be in the top 6.

The lack of a 2nd line centreman and trying to keep the roster balanced, has seen production dips from Zach Fischer and James Hamblin.

Will they re-balance their lines and put a winger at Centre? or will they continue to try and force what they have and hope something changes? Receiving a 2nd line centre in return for Gally is too much to ask for and would need more going back, and I haven't seen the Tigers trade a key youngster unless they demand a trade.

Rookies & Sophomores.
I like the group of newer players the Tigers have. Ryan Chyzowski is leading the way and has shown a noticeable improvement. The Tigers next season could be a little lean up front and someone like Chyzowski will be looked to provide a scoring presence. As the season goes on I expect to see Chyzowski, Rybisnki, Heathcote  become more noticeable.

I would like more time to watch Heathcote and Rybisnki they both look strong on the puck and look to have solid 1v1 potential.

Ryan Jevne
He is showing big improvements in his skating & work ethic.  We know from last year he has a very good shot. If he can connect the dots between his skating and his shot by improving his puck handling ability,  points will rise. He is better slotted into the 3rd line, but I'm hoping to see those dots start connecting.


Defence

The Tigers have been ok. Not great, but not terrible. 3 of the 6 games their shots against has been pretty low, which is great!! I think their is a lot of room for improvement here.

I see some communication issues and getting used to new players/roles.

An Example:

Their was a battle for the PUCK inside P.A's blueline. Macpherson took a slightly risky line change, just as P.A gained puck possession and fed the puck up the ice.

Now if Quenneville noticed this, he could have been more aware of the approaching P.A raider, but he was not aware, and was caught flat footed at center.  Now this play is not entirely Quenneville's fault, but a combination of a communication fault, with Macpherson making a slightly risky late change and Quenneville not being aware of it.

Quenneville has been a lot better defensively so far, but this is one play where 2 veterans misplayed the situation with poor communication.

Rubins
Looked amazing in his first game back, not so much in his second game, but then again their whole group looked flat against P.A

Overall
An average start to the season which was almost expected with some late returnees and injuries. It is good to finally see everyone healthy minus Mason Shaw.

 The Shaw injury completely changed things. Him being out has diluted the skill, and it may take the Tigers a few games to work out solutions.

The good thing is that I don't expect Fischer and Hamblin to be held off the scoresheet forever. Once they start scoring the Tigers should start rising from .500.

134 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree quenneville has been better defensively so far.
I have not been impressed with white at all. I realize it takes time to get up to speed after not playing for a while but I don't think he deserves to be here.
I would rather have heathcote, Anderson, Steele and Rybinski playing almost every game. They seem equally skilled to white and they are are two years younger. This is just my opinion but I see these guys as the core of the team in two years so there is no point in having them riding pine all year.
Ex. Through six games heathcote has played just two games. Steele just one game. Anderson three games.

Defensively it will be interesting to see what happens because I really liked what I seen from longo at training camp and he has only gotten into two games. In those two games he didn't play a lot of minutes.
I think baker is best to be sent back to midget because he won't get consistent ice time here and he is only 16. I did like what I seen from him when he played though.

TigerTurf said...

So getting into the mindset of clouston....

The thing is those young guys would be over their heads on a 2nd line centre role, which is what they need and why white is here.
------
Either white slots into 2nd line centre...or they move a winger into centre


His thinking is that he knows a free player that could potentially fill that slot so try him out, which is a legitimate idea.

I kinda hoped they would try a winger at centre, and give some more time to those younger rookies as well

Anonymous said...

I agree that the young guys can't move into a top 6 role but in my personal opinion I think our best scenario is that white is gone or at the least he is out of the top 6 and your second line centre becomes chyzowski. I realize he is only 17 but I think a line of
Fischer chyz jevne/Williams is better than
Fischer white jevne/Williams

I have seen some good things from Haden so far and I would hang onto him because I think he has some potential to be a late bloomer and he seems to have a bit of a scoring touch.

Preziuso is an odd one though because he is so fast but he has trouble turning that into offence. He tries extremely hard and is a good bottom 6 guy but I agree that he could be a trade piece. The fact is that he just doesn't create much offense.

TigerTurf said...

I agree I don't like white on the 2nd line. He would be better on the 3rd or 4th lines. He needs more experience. Maybe he could be ready in the future, but it is too soon.

When Shaw comes back I like these lines

Fischer Shaw Gerlach
Rassell Hamblin Jevne
Haden/prez Chyzowski Wiiliams
Heathcote White Rybinksi
----

Until then test out Fischer or gerlach at centre, and give Jevne the shot he deserves.
Rassell Hamblin Jevne
Chyzowski Gerlach Fischer
Preziuso Haden Williams
Heathcote White Rybinksi

Rotate Williams and Chyz, unless chemistry develops...

The Rassel/Hamblin/Jevne line is in tact the whole year.. Williams and Chyz get turns exposed to higher calibre of play. I think they still need some time at a 3rd line level to develop better, and keep their confidence up but they may be forced higher into the lineup.

Maybe move white to the 3rd line if needed. Haden/prez basically fight with each other for the 3rd line spot come playoff time.

The Tigers gave Gerlach some faceoffs in the first couple games, but to be honest I didn't recognize it, so I don't remember how he did.

Anonymous said...

It appears that the fallout from adding Jaeger White has started to happen. From a very good source, Zach Fischer has asked for a trade.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is welcome to the Clouston clown show... lol

Anonymous said...

I agree jevne needs a shot in the top 6.

Now about anon 4:12 comments.
I have no inside sources with this team so I don't know if this is true, but if I was zach Fischer I would be pissed off. An nhl drafted player who gets stuck on the same line as a guy who hasn't played in the league in 2 years. Who is mediocre at best.
This might explain why the overage deadline is tomorrow and bullion is still hanging around here.

Fan said...

Makes you wonder why do all these players over the past few years all want out ? Is this common among other teams in the W

Anonymous said...

Happens every year since clouston became coach and gm...hmmm

Anonymous said...

He gives special treament to certain players. I've heard that from someone who played under Clouston. No wonder nobody wants to play here.

Anonymous said...

I've heard that bringing his step son in and handing him the second line center job along with special teams time has rubbed a lot of the players the wrong way. From what I've seen Jaeger White doesn't bring anything special to the table and they already had players here that can fill the role that he was given.

Anonymous said...

Time for the owners to wake up! It's the owners who allowed this to happen




























Anonymous said...

White got hurt in practice today so we have that for all his fans and haters in MH. Lol.

Anonymous said...

Hobbs, Cox, Sanford, Jensen, Hart, and now Fischer? We missing anyone else?

Anonymous said...

Hunt can be added to the list

Anonymous said...

You can add a few more from past seasons that wanted out, Tommy Vanelli (got hurt), Caleb Fantillo, Miles Koules. There may be others that we are unaware of also.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget to add Bradly to the list Shinkarek also wanted out

Anonymous said...

Zach Fisher has apparently left the team

Anonymous said...

Hes in Calgary apparently with the Flames who might turn him pro.

Clouston is a garbage coach/GM who needs to go.

TigerTurf said...

I really hope this isn't true.....


Anonymous said...

Mitch Bach and Ryan McCracken tweeted this afternoon. I think we should all be pissed that Clouston continues to ruin teams

Anonymous said...

Not a rumor anymore, confirmed by Clouston although he wouldn't give a reason. Has left it up to the player to give his explanation.

TigerTurf said...

Ryan McCrackens' twitter
https://twitter.com/MHNMcCracken

Zach Fischer has parted ways with @tigershockey. Left the team yesterday. More to come...

TigerTurf said...

My list of players who've publicly demanded a trade or left the team are:

Jayden Hart
Spencer Jenson
Connor Hobbs
Cole Sanford
Trevor Cox
Zach Fischer

Their have been some players that may have asked but not left the team or gone public. Ex Miles Koules, Caleb fantillo, and perhaps others but their is no way of confirming that information....

Am I missing anyone that has publicly demanded a trade?


Anonymous said...

Not a trade but you can add Darren Kruger to the list. He left the bench because he couldn't get along with Clouston.

Anonymous said...

You can probably add Brad McEwen and others on that list

Anonymous said...

Maybe season ticket holders should start emailing the owners

Anonymous said...

Trevor Cox never requested or demanded a trade. He did however get traded after breaking his hand in a fight with White. It was no secret within the team that Clouston moved him because he didn't like the fact his step son was challenged

Anonymous said...

This team is becoming the joke of the whl once again. There is only one common denominator in all these players leaving,..Shaun clouston

Anonymous said...

I watched the other night Clouston totally yelling at Zach on the bench in the first period and Zach gave it back to him. The whole thing was over Zach not passing the puck to White to avoid the offside. When I saw that happen I knew something bad was going to come out of it. Why should Zach pass it to White - he does nothing out there. His playing favourites showed the othe night. How does a player walk on to a team and get power play time? To tell you the truth I don't think the Masers care what he does with the team as long as we are winning! Maybe the fans are the ones that should stop showing up.

Anonymous said...

I agree but it wont happen

Anonymous said...

There's definitely a problem and a pattern here. It's long overdue but the WHL discipline needs to step in and investigate Clouston why all these players are leaving and wanting out? Masers also need to be investigated as they are part of the problem. Add Butcher to the list I recall he asked for a trade and wanted out in his 19 yr old yr.

Anonymous said...

The league will say players leave all the time for many reasons. That teams have the right to list drop and trade as they see fit to run their team

Unknown said...

How do we get a hold of the owners??

CatFan said...

You could sense that something was wrong with the team on Saturday night. They were listless and just didn't have any jump, especially the vets. Unfortunately you are not always going to play for coaches you like, and I still feel you shouldn't just desert your teammates like that, especially with Shaw down for the count.

Anonymous said...

The masers won't speak to the press so good luck trying to contact them... I guess just the contact info on the Tigers website

Anonymous said...

Easy to say when one doesn't know what went on between the coach and player. Just look at how many players the public know have demanded trade. It's not just 4th line or players that rarely play.This coach has a real record of players walking out or demanding trades

Anonymous said...

I wasn't at the game but I was told Fischer was dropped to the third line. He was apparently pissed. Could also have been pissed with the screaming match he got into What a bizarre Saturday.

TigerTurf said...

Fischer had a very tough start against P.A He was a victim of a bad call against him and P.A was physically challenging him. Then on that off-side I remember Clouston giving it to him on the bench.

However fischer wasn't dropped to the third line, the Tigers had 3 different variations or combos. I really want to hear his unedited side of the story though.

I don't want to give money to an organization where their players continually get pissed and demand to leave.

Anonymous said...

I didn't think I'd ever have to say something this stupid but I am totally on board for anyone that wants to start a fire clouston chant tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Me too

Anonymous said...

Its sad that kids these days can make such demands. Their will always be the "bad" coach to blame, but i'm sure there are 100+ kids who would cherish the opportunity to play in the WHL. If a trade couldn't be made, then I would let Fischer deal with the consequences of his decision to leave and his demands, playing in the AJHL or not at all. Sure Clouston may not be liked, but will he just demand another trade from the next coach who has it out with him?

Anonymous said...

Tigertuf, I feel anon 8:10am comment should be removed. It reflects poorly on Rids and that is unfair to him.

Anonymous said...

I am in if the fans want to get in on a “fire Clouston” chant at every game until he is fired. Anyone?

Anonymous said...

I was really looking forward to this season...till now. Fischer chose to vote with his feet...there may be implications to where he plays this season or at what level and that is his responsibility to deal with. However, the pattern of top shelf players leaving points to a big problem in team administration. I don't have anything against a coach being hard nosed if he is fair and of or two players leaving can be written off to the player being a prima donna. But the steady stream of the door is something else altogether.the owners can either deal decisively with it or look at empty seats in the stands. I'm definitely re-thinking my purchase of season tickets for next year as a result of this.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Anon 11:38

TigerTurf said...

Anon 11:38 Agreed removed.
-------

Anon 12:17 agreed. I think their will always be disagreements and it it the coaches direction on where the team goes, but when it happens this often, something is not right.
-----

oct 10: 7:11 anon
You are right he didn't demand a trade, Cox was traded after emergency acquiring an overage goaltender.
-------

Going back through the blog notes The official total is 5 players in 5 seasons.
Jayden Hart - December 2013
Connor Hobbs - November 2014
Spencer Jensen - January 2014
Cole Sanford January 2016
Zach Fischer October 2017
-------

I put a poll up

Anonymous said...

I apologize for my previous post on that has since been deleted. Not very well thought out on my part.

Anonymous said...

Fischer has released a statement

“I want to make it clear that this was a personal decision and not a reflection on the Tigers or the coaching staff,” the statement reads. “There is no one to blame. I have my reasons for change.”

Fischer goes on to say the city and the fans “will forever have a special place in his heart.”

Anonymous said...

Hahaha not buying the coaching thing at all.

Anonymous said...

Here is my list of players requesting trades

Confirmed to public
Hart
Jensen
Hobbs
Sanford
Fischer

Ones that were not public that I heard were true from people who used to be associated with the team
Riley sheen
Caleb fantillo

Ones that were rumoured but I can't confirm or deny if they were true.
Koules
Butcher
Shinkaruk
Cox
Vanelli

Whether these or all true or not all I can say is that this is an awful lot of players in the time clouston has been coaching.

TigerTurf said...

Very classy and professional of Zach Fischer.

Anonymous said...

Baker has been sent back to midget.

Anonymous said...

Clouston is a terrible coach. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
I'm in for a "fire Clouston chant."

Anonymous said...

Classy move by Zach but I don't buy it. Fire clouston!

Anonymous said...

I don’t find the statement classy, he was sent back and it now leaving again. Actions speak louder then words.
There are a lot of Clouston in life, I don’t think quitting on teammates because of a coach is the right approach.
In saying that I want Clouston gone. I don’t think they should allow one guy to coach and be gm. It results in a lack of accountability and loss of your checks and balances.
Clouston can coach, he record shows us that. He just needs to learn how to treat people and create a healthy environment. He does not do that. He is not a leader and you need a coach to be.
Masers should be calling up Willie, begging him to come back. This is getting to be not fun as a fan.

Anonymous said...

His playoff records say otherwise because of the talent on them.

TigerTurf said...

Well that was a great bounce back game. Haden/Chyzowski/Heathcote played amazing and stepped up to create a strong 2nd scoring line. They showed great chemistry together.

Tigers dressed 7 D and I think the Baxter anderson, Jaxon Steele, duo only saw a couple shifts of action. Tigers largely played 3 lines.

Bullion also played very well.
------------

Going forward, IMO the central is still up for Grabs. The Tigers may not be an elite tier1 team we thought they could be, but I think they should still be competitive.

It is probably a situation where they sit back and watch the team play for a little bit, and see where they are weak/strong.

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Cox traded because Clouston didn't like the fact his step son was challenged in a fight by Cox?

Anonymous said...

Haden > White

Anonymous said...

Zach Fischer has a good season last year, gets drafted and now thinks he is a big shot. I have never been a fan of kids who think they can make trade demands, especially at 15-20 years old. There are 20 more kids who would do anything for Fischers spot. In the real world, you won't always like your boss or someone, but if you want or need your job, you deal with it or quit. People won't cater to demands because of someone you don't like. Fischer needs to grow up. Unless the Tigers get fair market value for him, i'd keep him suspended and let him face the consequences of his decision.

Is there turmoil over Clouston/White situation? Possibly, but i'm sure Clouston wasn't the only person involved in making that decision. If so, probably not the best way to go about making that call.

So we fire Clouston, who is his replacement? If the Tigers are unsuccessful after firing him, who will people blame then? Or will he be responsible for everything for all past years?

We are only 7 games into the season, with a winning record. Tweaking still needs to be done. Cheer for the damn team! Hope for the best, hope for hardwork and effort from all the players, they are the ones on the ice. They are trying to reach their goals and dreams. The ones that want it bad enough will show it on the ice.

Anonymous said...

Re: Anon Oct 12 at 10;48
White needs to learn that lesson as well - "People won't cater to demands."

Anonymous said...

Re: Anon Oct 12 at 12:22 PM

White needs to learn that lesson as well - "People won't cater to demands."

Do you really think White demanded he play on the team? You really think he has that kind of pull? The kid is just trying to make a comeback. Sure he caught a break with the Tigers and his ties to Clouston, but I highly doubt he is on the team because of any demands. Clouston rolled the dice on him, I'm sure the situation will be the same as MJ, if he can't contribute, he'll be gone. Probably why he has got the playing time he has to see if he could prove himself. Getting injured now might just cost him his chance.

Had he lit it up, what would people say? Great pickup? Or still call for Clouston to be fired?

Anonymous said...

White didn't crack the Warriors because to put kindly and simply hes a terrible hockey player. Clouston looked like a goof for adding him at the time.

Fan said...

If someone doesn’t like their job they have every right to quit , if Zach doesn’t like playing for Clouston he also has every right to ask for a trade . No one really knows truth about what happened it is all speculation . Clouston now has the task to do what is best for the tigers . Take the players name out of it he is an asset . Everyday he sits the assets stock ( value ) changes . If i remember it looks like the best thing Hobbs did for his career was ask for trade . Sanford ask for a trade and was told wait we will make it happen and weeks and months went by nothing happened until he demanded a trade and wouldn’t play . Maybe Fisher wants to avoid this hence he did what he did . Can you really blame him ?
Take bigger question is why is this happening ?
Why do players want out of this organization ?
I’m curious do other teams have similar issues players wanting out ? If not then the tigers have some serious issues they need to deal with

Anonymous said...

You can sum this up to 1 word..."nepotism". It is so obvious that Zach got yelled at from Clouston after not passing the puck to White on that offside Sat night. If Clouston is smart which I question he better release White as this could get out of hand fast. If anyone doubts this read up on Michael Feterik owning the Stamps and having his son at quarterback what a gong show...

Anonymous said...

Honestly, everyone needs to stop blaming the kid. Saying he is no good - how many of you have played in the WHL? You cannot blame a kid for wanting to play hockey and trying to resurrect his career. Is it an ideal situation? No, of course not.

People need to put their feelings aside, stop trying to live in their own little perfect world and deal with it. Just because you have placed 6th in your fantasy hockey league for the last 8 years does not make you a GM or coach material.

This is a hometown KID you are bashing. I have lived in half a dozen WHL cities in my life, and Medicine Hat is by far the worst for their own fans ragging on players. I remember the days when Cam Barker and Joffrey Lupul were "bums". Then it was Linden Vey. Anyone Remember Curtis Valk? He was way too small and would never make in in the league. Then he started scoring and everyone "knew it from day one".

Stop blaming the kid. Stop belittling him and his stepfather. If I can find this blog, he certainly can too. The negativity on here is incredible. I don't know the kid and have never met him, but I am sure that the next time he plays, if you would all show him some appreciation, and be proud that a local kid is living his dream (it's not you out there and I know this might be hard) but he will probably show his appreciation back.

I hope he scores 15 goals, makes the team next year as an overage and scores 40 more. Just so I can come back here and see how different the tone is.

Anonymous said...

Never once did I say I blame White but Clouston better release White not because of his play. Surely anyone can see this is a HUGE conflict of interest.

TigerTurf said...

I really liked Chyzowski and Nassen tonight. I also see Preziuso trying different things and starting to generate some good chances.

I liked clouston/quenneville giving up the pp quarterback slot to Nassen. It opens up a lot of flexibility on their PP and they won the game off of it tonight.

I feel like Hamblin is struggling a bit, so hopefully tonights 2 points for him is a confidence boost.
-----

Anonymous said...

Be interesting to see where White gets slotted in next week. Both the chyzowski, preziuso, Jevne and Haden, heathcote and Rybinski lines played real well the last two games.

CatFan said...

I'm really impressed with the Haden-Heathcote-Rybinski line. I wish they would continue to get more ice time because they really amp things up when they are out there.

Anonymous said...

Hilarious we should be defending a player who has had 5 stops in 3 plus seasons (with a weekend stint in Junior A last fall) whos put an amazing 22 points. Not too also mention he is gifted a roster spot because of his step dad and gifted lots of ice time. Got it.

He isn't a WHL player and that potential tag has long expired.

Anonymous said...

Rumours that Fischer could up in Regina. Scoring really isnt their problem though.

Anonymous said...

Hockey fans are the same everywhere, Medicine Hat is no different. I'm standing up for the other players who are affected by White being given another chance. Their dreams and futures are just as important as his.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:26 pm, while I agree that there are younger players that bring as much or more to the table as White does, you seem to be blaming him for what has happened. Dont think he's the one people should be pointing the finger at.

Anonymous said...

No one has blamed White!!! I dont get where this argument is coming from! White is not a WHL player, other teams have confirmed that. He is only playing WHL and not only that 1/2nd line minutes because his daddy put him there. If Shaun was not the coach this crap would not happen. White does not belong here. I imagine he could be a nice guy (although other teams would disagree - know this from a personal friend) but lets give him the benefit of the doubt, he still does not belong in the WHL. Clouston has made this team a laughing stock and a poorer team with White on it. It is pathetic. Someone needs to step and and kick Clouston to the curb and send White to the AJHL where he belongs.

Anonymous said...

I think the fans in general have little respect for Clouston. We all can not wait for the day he is ousted.

Willie does not have a job, why are the tigers not begging him to come back???

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:54, wrong, Willie has a job. Coach of the Canadian Olympic team.

Anonymous said...

The owners and coach are to blame not white

Anonymous said...

This entire thread is about the coach and one particular player. Regardless of who he is and what you think of the coach, this team is currently 6th in the league, the least penalized team, 3rd in PP%, and is 4th in goals against.

The early signs show that Medicine Hat will be a competitive team with a good look at the playoffs. But again, this is not good enough.

Anonymous said...

Any word on when the Tigers will be wearing the Don Cherry sweaters, 3rd jerseys etc? or pack the rink night?

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:12, if I was a betting person my guess would be the Tigers won't be doing the Don Cherry jerseys. No marketing person, the new guy lasted one game.

Anonymous said...

Blame Clouston for him lasting one game? Might not seem so far fetcehd either hahaha

TigerFan said...

What happened to the new marketing guy??

Unknown said...

Add me to the Fire Clouston chant. He should have been punted a while ago. Look at what he's done this year. Aside from the Fischer/White debacle, there's another lousy decision.

Daniel Baker is just 16 but he was rated as the 18th best rookie in the DUB and 6th best rookie D-men by Brennen York of the Dub Network (Williams was rated 8th best overall). Interestingly, that every other rookie on that list is still with their respective team but Baker wasn't good enough. Same old story. Give guys like Gally and MacPherson the ice time, squeak into the playoffs and lose in the first round of the playoffs if we're lucky. Rinse, repeat. I didn't see Baker enough to know whether he can play at 16 but from what I did see, he looked pretty darn good.

I would not be overly-critical of the win now decision, but finally there is some good young talent here (Williams, Rybynski, Baker) and it would be a good year to look to build around that core. And TBH, the team is just too thin up front this year to make any noise this year (Jaeger White, HA).

The Maser's seem out of touch. Clouston should have been long gone.

Anonymous said...

Yes the Masers are out of touch, new big barn and zero attempts to Fill it, no new promotions, family nights, kids nights, minor hockey nights, fill the barn nights, 3rd jersey nights, 9 pack ticket deals, whl all star games vs russia pathetic!

Anonymous said...

Exactly...they don't care

Anonymous said...

I have a friend that has been in business for years and was having a conversation with one of the owners and offered his services to help them with promoting the team and was told "we don't do that, we're old school". They still think that people will just show up without doing anything.

Anonymous said...

When you have an ownership group that accepts mediocrity from the top down the organization becomes very dysfunctional. Part of that is when your GM is your Head Coach. We have all witnessed the deterioration of this organization since Willie left. The smart ones are those players that recognized this and requested a trade. Nothing will change until there is a new owner that cares about its players and fans and makes smart business decisions surrounding themselves with quality and character people and has a blueprint for every member in the organization to succeed.

Anonymous said...

Oh so true

Anonymous said...

Lmao my god thats terrible and funny at the same time.

Anonymous said...

There is a reason that very few recent Tigers have had success in the NHL or even minor pro since Willie left. The reason is mediocrity. The scouts. GM's and agents all know that the team is built to have one maybe 2 rounds of success every year and there is no pursuit of excellence or major team success. These players unfortunately are branded with the label and that's why when they get to 19-20 they want out in the hopes of salvaging the pro dream. The Masers don't care about success just the one or two rounds of playoff revenue.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:48, You just NAILED IT!!!!

Anonymous said...

Sooner or later people will stop going to the games until then we all suffer with owners who are out of touch and don't care.

Anonymous said...

Fischer is a Spokane Chief

BS this is not about the coach

Anonymous said...

Hayden Ostir, Eric Van 2nd Round Pick 2019 WHL Bantam Draft coming back.

Anonymous said...

Unimpressed we keep having guys walk off this team. Clearly little to no respect for the coach and management.

Anonymous said...

Should be an interesting game on Wednesday when Spokane comes calling.

Anonymous said...

Hard to have respect when you are shown none at all! What is clouston going to do with his step son now that he has traded for another small forward

Anonymous said...

White should not be on the team. So send him home, that is what he should do.

I have nothing against White. I understand him wanting another go. It is great he wants back into hockey. I wish him well, I really do, but he does not make the grade for WHL. Not with a number of other teams and not with the Tigers. It is sad that Clouston has put him in this position, must be unpleasant. AJHL or University would love to have him, I am sure of it. Clouston needs to shake his head and do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

Clouston has to go. Period.

I having been thinking of calling the WHL office. Fan concern that our coach and GM is mistreating players. Bullying. If Masers won't do something maybe the league will.

Anonymous said...

Just going to throw this out there, Cloustons coaching record as head coach here is 294w-179L. Pretty good for a coach that a lot of fans say players don't want to play for.

Anonymous said...

Anon Unimpressed we keep having guys walk off this team. Clearly little to no respect for the coach and management. Lol Do you have any intelligence at all? Your comments make zero sense and just a reminder GM & Coach Clouston same person. If you offer respect then you receive respect.

Anonymous said...

Win-loss would be better if he did not keep having top players walk off the team

Anonymous said...

How many players have to walk off the team for you, Anon 657pm to say that guys dont want to play for him? Whats your number? 6 in 5 years seems concerning

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:01, I'm just playing devils advocate here. Not defending or attacking anyone.

Anonymous said...

The WHL knows what’s going on in Hat. Their hands are tied unless players come forward with their stories. Kids will always be respectful and take the high road to not damage their career, so this likely not to happen. Prime example what Fischer made public it’s not a reflection on the Tigers or Coaching Staff. At the end of the day Fischer was coached by his agent how to release a statement that was beyond the truth.
Most Scouts will shy away from the Hat they would rather fly into a major city to Scout and Portland, Spokane and Seattle offer that same goes with Calgary and Edmonton. Since Willie left Clouston does very little to promote his players and the combination what I just stated above is no wonder players also want out.

TigerTurf said...

I'm developing a strongly worded post...I may sit on it for a night, so I don't say something I regret.... The deal is official and it destroys me to see this type of deal being made.

Anonymous said...

I've heard of 2 players in the last week who Clouston abused whether it be with sticks or it being verbal. I'm not saying who they are as they still play hockey. Closuton is the gift that keeps on giving with all the terrible.things I've been told.

Anonymous said...

Tigerturf I have been told several times over the years that Clouston is not well liked or respected by other GMs in the league. I never thought there was any truth to the rumour but now I’m not sure? Have you heard this over your years of covering the Tigers?

TigerTurf said...

I've heard both good things and bad. From players who were unconfident and ended up with a contract, to someone who though he had no clue on making line combo's.
----

Have you ever had a boss that you hate? He gives lots of attention to another coworker and showers them with praise?

Or maybe have a boss that loves you and he doesn't like other people and you don't understand....

Its kinda like that. If you think and play a certain way, you are a god. If you think and play a different way, it is uncomfortable.
--
The reason I don't like this, is because I feel his way doesn't make championship teams. It makes the owner money, it makes consistent teams, it makes his job secure where coaching is a volatile environment. It only creates a winner once every 100 years.

I have a big post coming out, I might delay till sunday...it goes over everything from clouston to the Masers to Willie D, to Cloustons systems and why some players love him and some hate him....

TigerTurf said...

Having said that 2 things Clouston excels at:
Scrambling, and getting great trade value.

He got a great package for fischer.

Anonymous said...

The GM/Head Coach combo works fine, that is if you surround yourself with good people, such as Willie did and he was able to make the combo work quite fine or should I say with much success. However, when you take all those good people and fire them (or they quit) such as Clouston has done over the past many years, then you have no chance in hell of it working. The staff (hockey operations) turnover is just as alarming as the players wanting out of the organization. The only way it will work is that you let these people do their jobs in confidence and believe in what their input is. When players want out consistently every year you have to recognize the red flags (owners) and do something to protect these young men. Very sad to see this storied franchise going down hill instead of flourishing such as other small markets are in the league.

Anonymous said...

So wait, Willie surrounding himself with good people? And now one of those good people is a bad person? haha

Anonymous said...

Some get power and change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Willie's record first year as Tigers coach - the year before Clouston joined the staff:

29-34-2-7

Anonymous said...

And so the savior was found. OMG are you kidding me!

Anonymous said...

Besides getting good value in trades he also can give up lots to make a move. He gave Regina an large package for Hollett and at age 18 he does not have enough confidence in Hollett's ability to give him the full time starter job and have a back up who is not using up an overage position. He and JF Martel have done an extremely poor job in how we handle goalies and here we go again. NHL drafted goalie with 2 years in the league comes here and he can split the duties.

Anonymous said...

Because all he can do is coach 19 year olds he has never developed a player

Anonymous said...

It's not that he can't develope players it's just that he is a bully and when the players get old enough and have enough confidence in their ability they tell him to pound sand and ask out.

Anonymous said...

Rumor has it Heathcote asked for a trade after the game. Said if white wasn't in the lineup he would have got 6 goals. Cloustons fault.

Anonymous said...

ROFL

Anonymous said...

Chad Butcher got his first pro goal tonight with the Bakersfield Condors!

CatFan said...

Tigerturf what deal are you referring to? Just curious.

Anonymous said...

Someone mentioned Clouston's win/loss record. I would have added his playoff record to provide a more complete picture. I remember watching the Hitmen Tigers series in 2015. The teams finished high in the standing with almost identical records. I remember speaking to a friend after watching a couple of games early in the series and we concluded that it was obvious the Tigers had absolutely no chance at beating the Hitmen. They lost the series in five games. That despite having a very good regular season. That's pretty much tells the story every spring and it is because of the type of teams that he puts together, they max out in the middle of the year while other teams, with younger talent, keep improving.

If you Google WHL playoff results you'll see a Clouston's teams almost always win the first round and lose in Round 2. There is a conference final and out of playoffs in the mix as well.

This sums up Clouston and his MO. He ices older teams full of average to slightly above average talent that have good regular seasons and are playoff pretenders. The lack of player development in favour of icing older teams with good but not great players keeps them from serious contention. That is the past, though. What in the future?

What I see, even from this thread, is that Clouston's reputation has reached the point that it will have serious negative consequences for the team. It appears things have now reached a tipping point. If that's is the case, the second round playoffs exits will look pretty damn good a few years down the road.

Anonymous said...

Credit should be given to Bobby Fox and Joey Frazer as well as the Captains for getting the teams to the second round of the playoffs each year. Before Fox arrived what we saw Clouston do was have the players fire the puck at the goaltender after crossing the blue line. When Clouston faced any adversity he immediately switched up the lines even if it was only 10 minutes into the game. The players never had a chance to develop any chemistry. Both changed after Fox arrived. I also give credit to the team captains - Kirchenko, Lewington, and now Rassell I think they played/play a big part in supporting the younger players and keeping team moral from ending up in the basement.

Anonymous said...

Forgot to add Darren Kruger to the list of people who should be credited.

Anonymous said...

Duncan McGovern to the Kootenay Ice in exchange for a 5th round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft.

TigerTurf said...

MY post will take a lot longer to generate going through the stats. As a preview

.550 Winning percentage is the average after the extra OT point inflated the standings.

Clouston's Regular Season Record (not counting this season)
294-179-17-14 = .614 Winning percentage.
Plus .064. Or an extra 9.2 points a season compared to the average.

Playoff Record
His record is 37 wins, 33 losses = .529.
.029 above the average. So his playoff success is above the average, but half as successful as his regular season play


For Comparison Willie D
Wins-L-T-OTL-SOL
333-182-15-28-18 = .631 winning percentage which is .100 points above the average (.531 is the combined estimated .500 with 3 seasons in which their were no points for an OT loss


Playoffs
65-43 = .602 record
Which is again .102 points above average.

Makes me appreciate Willie Desjardins success a whole lot more.

Anonymous said...

Plus 2 WHL Championships and 1 Memorial Cup Final, compared to 0 of any for Clouston. Willie was outstanding, bottom line and came in to clean up a mess within.

Anonymous said...

Willie is an outstanding coach. Too bad the Canucks were/are so terrible. Not sure why Linden fired him in VAN. Maybe owner told him he had to do it to sell tickets this year. Travis Green is a lot closer to Clouston than Willie. Willie would out-coach both Clouston and Green in his sleep. Unfortunately, don't think there is much chance of a return. Not many guys in their mid-sixties, aside from Rids, who want to jump on a bus and travel all over the freezing Prairies all winter.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:22 going to disagree with you on the Willie cleaning up the mess within. Although he was an integral part of the turn around he was not solely responsible for it. To this day Rick Carriere doesn't get the credit he deserves for righting this franchise. When he took over from Doug Mosher the team and the players list was in complete shambles. Carriere rebuilt the team from the ground up and the hiring of Willie was what put them over the top.

Anonymous said...

After 20 years sadly I gave up my season tickets this year. Largely this was because I saw so many high potential players become mediocre, drift into obscurity or if they had enough status demand trades and do well elsewhere. I rest this result fully on Clouston's shoulders.

Look at the record since Willy left- how many drafted players (very few), and how many have done well? None. Clouston's record is that he ruins players with great potential, and doesn't develop them, period. He's using old school Mike Keenan like techniques and that does not work in junior hockey beyond the first weeks of a season. It's not 1980 any more if you haven't noticed. The result? It's the same every year here- they do well to start then drift into mediocrity relative to the potential at the start of the year.

Watching players develop is the greatest part of being a WHL fan. Unfortunately that doesn't occur in Medicine Hat since Clouston. Ownership that inherited a team and having no hockey background, plus media that have a love in or are employees of the team doesn't help either.

Oldtigerfan said...

After 20 years sadly I gave up my season tickets this year. Largely this was because I saw so many high potential players become mediocre, drift into obscurity or if they had enough status demand trades and do well elsewhere. I rest this result fully on Clouston's shoulders.

Look at the record since Willy left- how many drafted players (very few), and how many have done well? None. Clouston's record is that he ruins players with great potential, and doesn't develop them, period. He's using old school Mike Keenan like techniques and that does not work in junior hockey beyond the first weeks of a season. It's not 1980 any more if you haven't noticed. The result? It's the same every year here- they do well to start then drift into mediocrity relative to the potential at the start of the year.

Watching players develop is the greatest part of being a WHL fan. Unfortunately that doesn't occur in Medicine Hat since Clouston. Ownership that inherited a team and having no hockey background, plus media that have a love in or are employees of the team doesn't help either.