It didn't take long for Whitehorse Mustangs coach Jim Stephens to notice a difference in the play of goaltender Brad Gustafson.

On Monday the netminder took part in his first Midget Mustangs practice since spending the previous week training with the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League.

"He looked a lot more confident," said Stephens. "Being a goaltender, a lot of it's mental and having confidence, so this should help him out hopefully for the rest of our season and really motivate him to keep working hard. He has always been a good worker, but I think he will push himself a little harder now."

Gustafson, who is a first-year midget, recently signed a contract with the Tigers, but this was the first time he practised with the squad.

Stephens said Gustafson's time in Medicine Hat should be a good motivator for him to keep working hard.

"I think by going down there and playing with some top players and really feeling confident that he can compete at the next level," he said. "It's a pretty neat experience for any young athlete and Brad, I think he had the time of his life for that week."

Beside practicing with the players on Medicine Hat, Gustafson also worked with Tigers goalie coach J.F. Martel.

In Medicine Hat, Gustafson also took in a couple Tigers games from the stands, did some fitness testing and was a part of the team's Skate with the Tigers event, which is offered to kids in the community.

Gustafson said he was pleased with how he did with the Tigers.

"To go from playing midget hockey to major junior, it's a pretty big step," he said.

"So it was pretty fast, but my last day there I felt I did pretty well and was sort of getting a bit more used to the shots and the speed."

Gustafson plans on finishing the rest of the season with the Mustangs, but he will be back in Medicine Hat in August for the team's main camp.

He said he will be more comfortable heading into the camp after his experience last week.

"It was a great trip and I like Medicine Hat and the coaches and the team," Gustafson said. "They were all awesome and I would just love to play there someday. The trip really showed me how hard I have to work if I want to play in the WHL."

Martel said Gustafson has improved since the last time he saw him, which was at November's World Pro Goalie clinic, held in Whitehorse.

"I think he has gotten a bit stronger," he said. "As far as the technical part of the game, I think he understands situations better, so I'm pretty happy with the way he has developed. He has done well in tournaments with his team also, so it's all good points there."

Martel said he was pleased with how Gustafson did on the ice with the Tigers.

"We were pretty happy with the way he did down in Medicine Hat," he said.

"Obviously he is not quite ready for this level, he has to play one year at the highest level, next year probably midget AAA, get ready for the speed of the play and after that he should be good to go. So we are planning on having him here in two years."

In other Whitehorse Midgets Mustangs news, the team will resume its rivalry with Richmond, who plans on coming up for a third straight year for three games. The games will be played on Feb. 6, 7 and 8 at the Canada Games Centre.

"We won the first one, they won last year's, so I guess this will be for bragging rights, but it should be fun," said Stephens. "I know the kids always enjoy playing in front of their friends and family and their home town rink, so they are pretty excited."