Habs Defensive Prospect Dominant in WHL

Despite his shot being his main attribute, it was actually his ability to pinch during the 2nd period that got him on the board. After he passed the puck to his teammate and 2026 NHL Draft prospect Liam Ruck, who shot the puck wide of the net, Pickford followed the rebound, where he beat the Wheat Kings goaltender by banking a shot off the netminder’s pad and into the net to tie the game for the first time in the game. 

What Pickford showed on that play is that his hockey IQ can create offence alongside his shot. There have been other occasions of that throughout the season, but this is the most recent example of just how good Pickford’s hockey IQ can be when it comes to playing in the offensive zone.

After his first goal of the game, the Tigers struggled for the majority of the 3rd period, where the Wheat Kings had a 5-3 lead with a little more than 2 minutes left in regulation. That’s when Pickford officially took over to help his team secure a point in the standings. 

With the goaltender pulled and the extra attacker on the ice, Pickford was patrolling the blueline with the puck as he passed it over to Ruck, who made no mistake this time around by ripping a wrister past the Wheat Kings’ goaltender to cut the lead to 5-4. 

Then, about a minute later, Pickford gets the puck again and patrols the point where this time he uses his signature hard and accurate wrist shot to tie the game. His 2nd goal of the game was his 11th of the season, which tied him for the lead in goals among all defensemen in the WHL with his teammate Jonas Woo. Despite the Tigers being a much weaker team due to many of their top players from last season either heading to the NCAA or graduating up to the pro game, they still have an elite offense from the back end that they are relying on this year.

Through his leadership as the Tigers’ captain and his offensive abilities, Pickford was able to help his team make a late comeback; however, unfortunately, they weren’t able to win the game despite his heroics. 

Pickford should continue to be one of the brightest spots on a weaker Medicine Hat Tigers team as the season goes along, before he gets his Entry-Level contract to join the Laval Rocket next season, hoping to round out his game to one day play in the NHL.