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Tigers crush Hurricanes 7-2 as McKenna sets CHL scoring record

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Medicine Hat Tiger Gavin McKenna set a new CHL consecutive games points record Saturday against Lethbridge, leading them to a 7-2 win. (Photo: X@WHLTigers)

The Medicine Hat Tigers scored seven times by the second intermission Saturday, then cruised home in the third to a 7-2 triumph over the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The victory gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the WHL Eastern Conference Championship series, with Games 3 and 4 headed for Lethbridge.

It didn’t take Tigers superstar Gavin McKenna long to pick up a point in his 51st straight game, as he recorded an assist on Oasiz Wiesblatt’s goal that opened the scoring 2:37 into the game.

With that point, 17-year-old McKenna set a new Canadian Hockey League (CHL) record for most consecutive games with at least one point.

Bryce Pickford and Josh Van Mullegen added singles to give the Tigers, the East’s top seed, a 3-0 lead after one.

In the second, the Tigers erupted for four more, getting goals from Liam Pickford, another one from Bryce Pickford, Misha Volotovskii and one more from Wiesblatt to head to the break ahead 7-0.

Koen Cleaver took over in the Hurricanes’ goal from Jackson Unger for the third. Lethbridge got single goals from Kooper Gizowski and Anthony Wilson to make it a 7-2 final.

Medicine Hat outshot the Hurricanes 29-22.

Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday night in Lethbridge, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.

The winner of the Eastern Conference final will face the victor from the West – either the Spokane Chiefs or the Portland Winterhawks – in the league final.

The WHL champion will head to Rimouski, Que., next month for the 2025 Memorial Cup national major junior final.

For tickets, go here.