There’s a popular meme floating around in which three identical Spider-Men are looking and pointing at each other. It was adapted from a comic that originated in the 1960s and has become a default template for online jokes calling out the similarities between just about everything and anything.
One might use that meme to illustrate the how the Spokane Chiefs, their previous postseason opponent Portland Winterhawks, and upcoming WHL championship opponent Medicine Hat Tigers do a lot of things in the same manner.
They all want to push play, get up the ice in a hurry, generate a lot of shots on goal, then use a withering forecheck trying to get the puck back. The name of the game for all three squads is pressure – at both ends, at all times.
That leads to lots of scoring chances, both for and against.
Another strong similarity – top of the line, all-star talent.
For the Chiefs, that’s the “Big Three,” as coach Brad Lauer calls them, of captain Berkly Catton – the No. 8 overall pick in last year’s NHL draft by the Seattle Kraken, winger Andrew Cristall – the league’s point leader this year, and Shea Van Olm – the league’s leading goal scorer.
For Medicine Hat, it principally means one guy – winger Gavin McKenna, widely recognized as the potential No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NHL draft.
“We know they’re a good team. We’re a good team,” Lauer said. “I think we match up well against them. I think they match up well against us. It’s going to be one of those series where it’s just, we’ll have to see how things go after Game 1.”
“They are a super-skilled team,” Catton said of Medicine Hat. “They like to hold on to pucks, play offense, play in the O-zone. So, I think going against them, just us playing in the O-zone is gonna be huge. Puck possession, and just kind of shutting them down early and not giving them time and space that they want.”
McKenna had an exceptional season. His season totals (41 goals, 88 assists) only tell part of the story. He has added 35 points in 13 playoff games and recently set a Major Juniors record scoring in 51 consecutive games. On Wednesday, he was awarded the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the Western Hockey League’s Player of the Year for 2024-25 – an award for which Catton and Cristall were also nominated.
“They got the kid there, obviously everyone’s talking about how good he’s going to be,” Lauer said. “He’s an exceptional player. Exceptional status coming in from Day 1, you know. Lots of highlight-reel goals for him. Lots of highlight plays for him.”
The teams played once in the regular season – a 3-2 win for the Tigers at the Arena in a game the host Chiefs led 2-0 in the third period.
“We know it’s going to be a fast-paced series,” defenseman Brayden Crampton said. “We’re expecting that both skilled teams that can score goals. But you know, the defensive end of our game’s got to be better. … In January, thought we played really good up until the third, but it’s got to be a full 60 (minutes) every single game we play against them.”
A lot is going to be made of the superstars in this series. The Chiefs are well aware of all that McKenna brings to the ice.
“He’s awesome, like, he’s an unreal player,” Cristall said. “He’s so gifted, and what he’s doing at such a young age like that in this league, it’s pretty incredible. So, it’s gonna be fun to go up against him.”
It’s not like the Chiefs lack for their own star power.
Cristall led the league with 132 points in the regular season, and has added 20 goals and 17 assists in 14 playoff games. Catton has 36 points in the playoffs – one more in two additional games that McKenna, and Van Olm led goal scorers in the regular season with 49 and has 11 in 15 playoff games.
“To go this far, you got to have special players on your lineup,” Lauer said. “And there’s no doubt about, like (Medicine Hat does), having the call what you want, the ‘Big Three,’ … they kind of drive things as a coach.”
Outside of the “Big Three” though, the Chiefs got huge contributions from all four lines in the Portland series especially.
“There’s so much skill, I think,” Catton said. “Up and down the line, everyone can play on our team, which is something that’s underrated. … It’s a really cool environment. And everyone just comes into the rink every day and wants to get better, and in practice wants to be the best player, and ultimately, day by day, that pushes everyone to be better.”
The Chiefs swept Portland in four games. If they are able to knock off Medicine Hat, the Eastern Conference regular-season and playoff champion, they’ll have to do the same things – only better.
“Portland, Medicine Hat; they have lots of similarities,” Catton said. “They both push up the ice with their offensive abilities. I think we match up well against teams like that. … Maybe clean up a little bit of the defensive side. But they’re going to be a very strong offensive team.”
“It’s shutting down plays in D-zone early,” Crampton said. “That’s what we’ve got to do better – not giving them the time and space and letting them make plays. We’ve just got to be harder in the D-zone.”