Friday 30 November 2012

Saskatoon at Calgary

The Calgary Hitmen play game three of a four game home stand tonight against the Saskatoon Blades.  Game time is 7pm at Scotiabank Saddledome.  Husky Hitmen Hockey on Sportsnet 960 The Fan starts at 6pm with a one hour pre-game show.

COMING IN:  Calgary is riding a four game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine overall.  The Hitmen haven't played since last Friday's 4-1 home ice win over Medicine Hat.  After a 2-7 start to the regular season Saskatoon is 10-5-0-1 in their last 16 games.  The Blades last played on Tuesday posting a 5-3 home ice win over Lethbridge.

THE STANDINGS:  The Hitmen are tied with Edmonton for top spot in the Central Division with 37 points, but both clubs are only one point behind the Eastern Conference leading Prince Albert Raiders.  Calgary has one game in hand on the Oil Kings and three games in hand on the Raiders.  Saskatoon meanwhile is tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the conference with Regina at 25 points.

OPPOSITE SCHEDULES:  Including tonight, the Hitmen will have played seven of their last eight games at home while the Blades will have played nine of their last 12 games on the road.

STREAKIN':  Spencer Humphries (2a) and Zane Jones (2a) both have points in back-to-back games.  Chris Driedger is 8-0 in his last eight starts with a 1.61 goals against average and .942 save percentage.

BLADES WORKHORSE:  Saskatoon goalie Andrey Makarov has played in all 25 Blades games this season.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:  Tonight is the first of four regular season meetings between the Hitmen and Blades.  Over the last five season Calgary is 6-10-0-0 against Saskatoon including a 3-5 mark at the Saddledome.

DRAFTED BLADES:
- Duncan Siemens - Colorado Avalanche - Drafted 11th overall (1st RD) in 2011
- Lukas Sutter - Winnipeg Jets - Drafted 39th overall (2nd RD) in 2012
- Dalton Thrower - Montreal Canadiens - Drafted 51st overall (2nd RD) in 2012
- Shane McColgan - New York Rangers - Drafted 134th overall (5th RD) in 2011
- Darren Dietz - Montreal Canadiens - Drafted 138th overall (5th RD) in 2011
- Matej Stransky - Dallas Stars - Drafted 165th overall (6th RD) in 2011

TOP SCORERS:
Calgary
Brooks Macek 11g 17a 28pts
Cody Sylvester 16g 8a 24pts
Brady Brassart 7g 14a 21pts

Saskatoon
Josh Nicholls 18g 11a 29pts
Matej Stransky 11g 13a 24pts
Shane McColgan 6g 17a 23pts

Saturday 24 November 2012

Calgary 4 Medicine Hat 1

Cody Sylvester scored twice and set up another as the Calgary Hitmen extended their winning streak to four games with a 4-1 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers Friday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Eastern Conference leading Hitmen have now won eight of their last nine games.

Victor Rask, with his first goal since returning from the American Hockey League, and Pavlo Padakin also scored for Calgary who avenged and earlier 10-1 home ice loss to the Tigers.

The Hitmen (17-5-1-2) are now idle until Friday night when they welcome the MasterCard Memorial Cup host Saskatoon Blades.  Game time is 7:00pm. 

Then on Sunday, December 2nd its the annual Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss as Calgary welcomes Kootenay for a 2pm start.  Fans are asked to bring a stuff toyed to the game and toss it on the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal.  There's an unbelievable deal on this level seated for that game.  Adults $10 Kids $5.  Over 50 Southern Alberta Charities will share the teddy bears collected that day.

Medicine Hat Tigers 1 at Calgary Hitmen 4
Friday, November 23, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Medicine Hat 0 0 1 - 1
Calgary 1 3 0 - 4

1st Period
1, Calgary, Rask 1 (Sylvester, Macek), 19:20 (PP).
Penalties-Rask Cal (checking from behind), 1:27; Bredo M.h (slashing), 11:23; Becker M.h (holding), 18:50.

2nd Period
2, Calgary, Sylvester 15 (Helgesen), 5:19 (SH).
3, Calgary, Sylvester 16 (Humphries, Rask), 14:07 (PP).
4, Calgary, Padakin 6 (Brassart, Jones), 16:02.
Penalties-Lang Cal (closing hand on puck), 5:10; Jensen M.h (hooking), 13:16; Doty M.h (major-fighting), 16:20; Humphries Cal (major-fighting), 16:20; Butcher M.h (slashing), 17:07; Padakin Cal (inter. on goaltender), 19:17; Virtanen Cal (roughing), 20:00.

3rd Period
5, Medicine Hat, Pearce 9 (Busenius), 0:31 (PP).
Penalties-Broadhead M.h (tripping), 3:18; Jones Cal (interference), 11:46; Labelle M.h (cross checking), 18:10; Chase Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 18:58; Koules M.h (hooking), 19:23.

Shots on Goal-Medicine Hat 4-13-8-25. Calgary 13-10-5-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Medicine Hat 1 / 4; Calgary 2 / 7.
Goalies-Medicine Hat, Langhamer 4-6-1-0 (20 shots-17 saves); Lanigan 9-6-0-0 (8 shots-7 saves). Calgary, Driedger 14-3-1-1 (25 shots-24 saves).
A-8,808
Referees-Fraser Lawrence (10), Steve Papp (17).
Linesmen-Justin Slimm (105), Scott Sharun (103).

Calgary 3 Lethbridge 2

Jake Virtanen scored the game winning goal with 27 second left lifting the Calgary Hitmen to a 3-2 victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes Wednesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The win completed a home-and-home sweep of the Hurricanes for Calgary who picked up their third consecutive triumph.

Jaynen Rissling and Alex Roach also scored for Calgary.





Lethbridge Hurricanes 2 at Calgary Hitmen 3
Wednesday, November 21, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Lethbridge 0 1 1 - 2
Calgary 0 2 1 - 3

1st Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Humphries Cal (tripping), 1:09; Duke Let (interference), 6:09; served by Calladine Cal (too many men), 7:21; Jones Cal (boarding), 15:46.

2nd Period
1, Calgary, Rissling 3 (Roach, Jones), 7:18 (PP).
2, Lethbridge, Blomqvist 2 (Duke, Johnston), 11:09.
3, Calgary, Roach 6   15:56.
Penalties-Erkamps Let (major-fighting), 6:16; Ramsay Let (roughing, unsportsmanlike cnd.), 6:16; Harmsworth Cal (roughing), 6:16; Padakin Cal (major-fighting), 6:16; Brassart Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 12:57; Harper Let (kneeing, major-fighting), 15:16; Helgesen Cal (instigator, major-fighting, 10-minute misconduct), 15:16; Roach Cal (boarding), 19:42.

3rd Period
4, Lethbridge, Wong 1 (Maxwell, Topping), 15:05 (PP).
5, Calgary, Virtanen 5 (Rissling, Humphries), 19:33.
Penalties-Samoridny Cal (hooking), 2:24; Padakin Cal (interference), 13:41.

Shots on Goal-Lethbridge 7-6-3-16. Calgary 16-13-20-49.
Power Play Opportunities-Lethbridge 1 / 7; Calgary 1 / 2.
Goalies-Lethbridge, Rimmer 13-11-1-2 (49 shots-46 saves). Calgary, Driedger 14-3-1-1 (16 shots-14 saves).
A-7,070
Referees-Matt Kirk (4).
Linesmen-Reid Anderson (53), Michael Roberts (87).

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Calgary 3 Lethbridge 2

The Calgary Hitmen opened a home and home series with the Hurricanes in Lethbridge Tuesday night by posting a 3-2 win.

Outplayed most of the night, the Hitmen road the hot goaltending of Chris Driedger to victory.  The Ottawa Senators third round pick in 2012 made a season high 42 saves.

Calgary never trailed building leads of 1-0 and 3-1 on goals from Greg Chase, Alex Roach and Carson Samoridny. 

The Hitmen penalty killing brigade also played a key role killing seven of eight short handed situations.

The win moves Calgary into top spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Prince Albert.

                                              Photo Credit:  Lethbridge Hurricanes



Calgary Hitmen 3 at Lethbridge Hurricanes 2
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 - Enmax Centre - Lethbridge, AB

Calgary 1 1 1 - 3
Lethbridge 0 1 1 - 2

1st Period
1, Calgary, Chase 3 (Rissling, Brassart), 18:53.
Penalties-Padakin Cal (checking from behind), 7:50; Ramsay Let (interference), 7:53; Brassart Cal (hooking), 12:42; Roach Cal (delay of game), 15:23.

2nd Period
2, Lethbridge, Merkley 12   1:24.
3, Calgary, Roach 5 (Rask), 11:41.
Penalties-Chase Cal (roughing), 3:29; Roach Cal (interference), 5:47; Brassart Cal (tripping), 12:59; Virtanen Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 19:07; Blomqvist Let (holding), 19:07.

3rd Period
4, Calgary, Samoridny 4 (Peterson, Hurley), 1:47.
5, Lethbridge, Pilon 3 (Maxwell, Erkamps), 6:11 (PP).
Penalties-Roach Cal (cross checking), 5:51; Ramsay Let (tripping), 7:32; Harper Let (slashing), 13:39; Macek Cal (tripping), 14:34.

Shots on Goal-Calgary 6-4-10-20. Lethbridge 17-17-10-44.
Power Play Opportunities-Calgary 0 / 3; Lethbridge 1 / 8.
Goalies-Calgary, Driedger 12-3-1-1 (44 shots-42 saves). Lethbridge, Rimmer 13-10-1-1 (20 shots-17 saves).
A-3,451
Referees-Clayton Hall (42), Brett Montsion (54).
Linesmen-Aidan Henderson (78), Matt Schoenroth (21).

Tuesday 20 November 2012

Calgary at Lethbridge

The Calgary Hitmen open a home-and-home series with the Hurricanes tonight in Lethbridge.  Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fan begins at 6pm with a one hour pre-game show.

THE STANDINGS:  The Hitmen (14-5-1-2), winners of six of their last seven, sit first in the WHL's Central Division with 31 points, just a single point back of the Eastern Conference leading Prince Albert Raiders.  The Hurricanes (13-10-1-1) are fourth in the conference with 28 points, two points back of third place Edmonton.  After going seven games without a regulation loss, Lethbridge has dropped three of their last four.


COMING IN:  Both teams last played on Sunday.  Calgary was a 4-2 winner over visiting Swift Current while Lethbridge fell 5-3 on home ice to Brandon.

HOME AND AWAY:  Calgary has the WHL's best winning percentage on the road this season with an 8-1-0-1 mark while Lethbridge has an Eastern Conference best nine wins on home ice, going 9-5-1-1 in their first 16 games at Enmax Centre. 

RECENT HISTORY:  Tonight is the first of six regulation season meetings between the two clubs.  They meet again tomorrow night at Scotiabank Saddledome in the back half of this home-and-home.  Game time is 7:00 p.m.  Over the last five seasons Calgary is 15-7-2-0 against the Hurricanes including a 7-3-2-0 record in Lethbridge.

STREAKIN':  In his last five starts Hitmen goalie Chris Driedger is 5-0 with a 1.57 goals against average and a .943 save percentage.  For Lethbridge, Daniel Johnston (1g 4a) and Jamal Watson (1g 2a) are both riding three game point streaks.

DID YOU KNOW?  Lethbridge has had the second most powerplay chances this season in the WHL at 114, that compares to 88 for the Hitmen...Hurricanes defenceman Daniel Johnston is tied for 7th in D-men scoring with 18 points while Hitmen Alex Roach is tied for 15th with 15 points....Hurricanes goalie Ty Rimmer is a workhorse having appeared in 24 of the teams 25 games this season.  He leads the WHL in saves with 753, averaging 31.4 per game. 

TOP SCORERS:
Calgary
Brooks Macek 11g 16a 27pts
Cody Sylvester 14g 7a 21pts
Brady Brassart 7g 12a 19pts

Lethbridge
Russell Maxwell 14g 9a 23pts
Brady Ramsay 6g 12a 18pts
Daniel Johnston 6g 12a 18pts

Monday 19 November 2012

Calgary 4 Swift Current 2

Pavlo Padakin scored twice, including once into an empty net, lifting the Calgary Hitmen to a 4-2 home ice win over the Swift Current Broncos Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Peter Kosterman netted the game winner for the Hitmen breaking a 2-2 third period tie with 7:17 remaining.

The victory wraps up a successful four game home stand for Calgary which saw the club post a 3-1 record.  It also moves them back into first place in the WHL's Central Division, one point ahead of Edmonton and just a single point behind the Eastern Conference leading Prince Albert Raiders.

The Hitmen return to action Tuesday night when they open a home and home series with the Hurricanes in Lethbridge.

                                               Photo Credit:  Brad Watson



Swift Current Broncos 2 at Calgary Hitmen 4
Sunday, November 18, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Swift Current 0 0 2 - 2
Calgary 1 0 3 - 4

1st Period
1, Calgary, Sylvester 14 (Chase, Brassart), 12:55.
Penalties-Lowry S.c (major-fighting), 18:39; Humphries Cal (major-fighting), 18:39.

2nd Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Heatherington S.c (cross checking), 1:30; Bews S.c (ob-tripping), 7:34; Hurley Cal (roughing), 10:30; Lund S.c (major-fighting), 12:58; Thrower Cal (major-fighting), 12:58; served by Chase Cal (too many men), 14:30.

3rd Period
2, Calgary, Padakin 4 (Samoridny), 4:51 (SH).
3, Swift Current, Black 11 (Bews, Martin), 5:30 (PP).
4, Swift Current, Black 12   10:43.
5, Calgary, Kosterman 2 (Rask, Macek), 12:43.
6, Calgary, Padakin 5 (Virtanen), 19:30 (EN).
Penalties-Helgesen Cal (tripping), 4:01; Nedomlel S.c (major-fighting), 10:52; Rissling Cal (major-fighting), 10:52; Reum S.c (major-fighting), 11:26; Helgesen Cal (major-fighting), 11:26; Derko S.c (10-minute misconduct), 19:50.

Shots on Goal-Swift Current 4-10-9-23. Calgary 9-11-12-32.
Power Play Opportunities-Swift Current 1 / 3; Calgary 0 / 2.
Goalies-Swift Current, Laurikainen 9-10-2-2 (31 shots-28 saves). Calgary, Driedger 11-3-1-1 (23 shots-21 saves).
A-8,869
Referees-Shaun Harris (43), Reagan Vetter (39).
Linesmen-Jared Mackey (52), Ian Shaver (74).

Sunday 18 November 2012

Swift Current at Calgary

The Calgary Hitmen play their first Sunday 2pm matinee of the season this afternoon as they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to Scotiabank Saddledome.  Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fan starts at 2 o'clock.

The Hitmen (13-5-0-1) sit third in the WHL's Eastern Conference with 29 points, while the Broncos (9-10-3-2) are tied tied for fifth with Medicine Hat at 23 points.

Today is the first of four regular season meetings between the two.  Over the last five seasons Calgary is 13-3 against Swift Current including a 6-2 mark at the 'Dome.

COMING IN:  The Hitmen had their season high five game winning streak halted on Monday in a 4-0 home ice loss to Kootenay.  They've had five full days of rest since then.  The Broncos had their two game winning streak snapped night night, falling 2-1 in Red Deer.

ROSTER MOVES:  The Hitmen made a pair of roster moves this week.  They added 19-year-old forward Victor Rask, who returns to the club after starting the season in the American Hockey League with the Charlotte Checkers.  In addition they traded 19-year-old forward Joey Kornelsen to the Kamloops Blazers for a fifth round pick in the 2013 WHL Bantam Draft.

TOP SCORERS:
Calgary
Brooks Macek 11g 15a 26pts
Cody Sylvester 13g 7a 20pts
Brady Brassart 7g 11a 18pts

Swift Current
Adam Lowry 10g 16a 26pts
Coda Gordon 6g 16a 24pts
Graham Black 10g 7a 17pts

HITMEN NHL PROSPECTS: 
Chris Driedger (Ottawa 2012);
Kenton Helgesen (Anaheim 2012);
Jaynen Rissling (Washington 2012);
Alex Roach (Three-year, Entry-level Contract, Los Angeles 2011);
Victor Rask (Three-year, Entry-level Contract, Carolina 2011).

DRAFTED BRONCOS:
Graham Black - 5th round (135th overall) - New Jersey Devils - 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Coda Gordon - 6th round (165th overall) - Calgary Flames - 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Adam Lowry - 3rd round (67th overall) - Winnipeg Jets - 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Reece Scarlett - 6th round (159th overall) - New Jersey Devils - 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Richard Nedomlel - 6th round (175th overall) - Detroit Red Wings - 2011 NHL Entry Draft.


Thursday 15 November 2012

Hitmen Town Hall Tonight

For the first time ever, the Calgary Hitmen are holding a Town Hall tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome.

By invite only, a limited number of seats were reserved for Hitmen season ticket holders.

Hitmen General Manger Kelly Kisio will be in attendance answering questions along with Head Coach Mike Williamson and players Greg Chase, Chris Driedger and Victor Rask.

The Town Hall, happening in the newly renovated Saddleroom Grill, will be broadcast live on Sportsnet 960 The Fan from 6-7pm.

If you have a question you'd like answered you can send me a tweet via @BCurle_Hitmen

Two Hitmen named to Team Pacific

Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey announced today the 22-player roster that will represent Team Pacific at the 2013 World Junior Under 17 Hockey Challenge, December 29, 2012 to January 4, 2013 in Victoriaville/Drummondville, Quebec.

Team Pacific is comprised of 11 players from BC and 11 players from Alberta. 

Hockey Alberta and BC Hockey each identified 34 U17 male athletes (4 G, 12 D, 18 F) from their respective provincial evaluation camps to participate in the joint regional camp in July, 2012.  From the regional camp, these players were evaluated during the first part of their club’s team season by the Team Pacific evaluators.

Eighteen of the 22 players selected to Team Pacific currently play in the Western Hockey League, including Jake Virtanen and Josh Thrower of the Calgary Hitmen.

Virtanen, a 16-year-old forward from Abbotsford, BC, has four goals in 18 games with the Hitmen this season while Thrower, a 16-year-old defenceman from Squamish, BC, has three points (1g 2a) in 13 games.

For the complete Team Pacific roster Click Here


History of Hitmen at World Under-17 Hockey Challenge          
         
2011/12 Windsor, ON Pacific Greg Chase 5gp 1g 5a 6pts 8pim
2010/11 Winnipeg/Portage La Prairie, MB Pacific Rob Trzonkowski 5gp 3g 0a 3pts 27pim 
2010/11 Winnipeg/Portage La Prairie, MB Pacific Chase Clayton 6gp 0g 1a 1pts 0pim 
2010/11 Winnipeg/Portage La Prairie, MB Pacific Keaton Lubin 4gp 0g 0a 0pts 4pim 
2008/09 Port Alberni, BC Pacific Austin Madaisky 6gp 0g 2a 2pts 14pim 
2007/08 London, ON Pacific Chase Schaber 6gp 4g 3a 7pts 10pim 
2007/08 London, ON Pacific Matt MacKenzie 4gp 0g 2a 2pts 6pim 
2005/06 Regina, SK Pacific Brett Sonne 6gp 2g 1a 3pts 4pim 
2005/06 Regina, SK Western Alex Plante 5gp 0g 2a 2pts 6pim 
2004/05 Lethbridge, AB Pacific Karl Alzner 6gp 0g 1a 1pts 4pim 
2004/05 Lethbridge, AB Pacific Daniel Spence 0-1 7.77GAA
2004/05 Lethbridge, AB Western Ryan White 6gp 2g 9a 11pts 6pim 
2004/05 Lethbridge, AB Western Keegan Dansereau 6gp 0g 3a 3pts 17pim 
2003/04 St. John's, NL Pacific Dustin Kohn 6gp 1g 4a 5pts 10pim 
2003/04 St. John's, NL Western Brodie Dupont 5gp 1g 3a 4pts 4pim 
2001/02 Selkirk/Stonewall,MB Western Ryan Getzlaf 5gp 2g 6a 8pts 10pim 
2001/02 Selkirk/Stonewall,MB Western Kyle Annesley 5gp 2g 3a 5pts 6pim 
2001/02 Selkirk/Stonewall,MB Western Paul Albers 5gp 0g 4a 4pts 6pim 
2000/01 Truro, NS Pacific Johnny Boychuk 4gp 1g 2a 3pts 0pim 
1999/00 Timmons, ON West  Owen Fussey 5gp 0g 1a 1pts 2pim 

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Rask returns to the Hitmen from the AHL

A huge boost to the Calgary Hitmen this week.  The American Hockey League's Charlotte Checkers sent 19-year-old Victor Rask back to the Hitmen.  Rask scored 33 goals for the Hitmen last season in his rookie campaign and will return to Calgary as the number one centre. 

In 10 games with the Checkers this season, the Carolina Hurricanes second round pick had 5 points (1g 4a) and was a plus seven. 

“We’re just trying to do what we think is best for Victor,” said Checkers Head Coach Jeff Daniels on gocheckers.com. “We want him to be able to get as much ice time as possible in all situations that he might not have gotten here. He needs to be playing at the end of games, taking key faceoffs and being in more of a leadership role.”

Rask was Calgary's first round pick, 3rd overall, in the CHL Import Draft.  He'll be in the line-up Sunday when the Hitmen host the Swift Current Broncos.  Game time is 2pm at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Hitmen General Manager Kelly Kisio joined the guys on Sportsnet 960 The Fan this morning to talk about the return of Rask and offer his general thoughts on the Hitmen season thus far.

Click here to listen



Tuesday 13 November 2012

Kootenay 4 Calgary 0

The Kootenay Ice snapped an eight game winless streak and in the process halted a season high five game winning streak for the Calgary Hitmen with a 4-0 victory Monday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Ice forward Brock Montgomery scored his first career hat trick for the visitors who opened the scoring just 21 seconds in.

Mackenzie Skapski made 17 saves to record his second career shutout.

It's the first time this season the Hitmen have been shutout. 

Calgary, now 13-5-1-2, will enjoy nearly a week off before hosting the Swift Current Broncos Sunday at the 'Dome.


Kootenay Ice 4 at Calgary Hitmen 0
Monday, November 12, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Kootenay 2 0 2 - 4
Calgary 0 0 0 - 0

1st Period
1, Kootenay, Montgomery 9 (Leach, Reinhart), 0:21.
2, Kootenay, Montgomery 10 (Reinhart, Descheneau), 13:20 (PP).
Penalties-Reinhart Ktn (tripping), 0:44; Humphries Cal (checking to the head), 12:26.

2nd Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Jones Cal (cross checking), 2:18; Martin Ktn (tripping), 4:27; Wand Ktn (major-fighting), 7:31; Helgesen Cal (major-fighting), 7:31; Simpson Ktn (major-fighting), 9:13; Humphries Cal (major-fighting), 9:13; Leach Ktn (slashing), 9:36; Henry Cal (slashing), 11:03; Brassart Cal (hooking), 13:26; Dirk Ktn (holding), 14:25; Martin Ktn (hooking), 19:48.

3rd Period
3, Kootenay, Montgomery 11 (McPhee, Reinhart), 6:46 (PP).
4, Kootenay, McPhee 2 (Descheneau), 17:32 (EN).
Penalties-Hurley Cal (slashing), 1:47; Clayton Cal (slashing), 5:42; Padakin Cal (hooking), 6:02; Faith Ktn (interference), 9:36; Clayton Cal (roughing), 12:11; Muth Ktn (roughing, unsportsmanlike cnd.), 20:00; Henry Cal (roughing, unsportsmanlike cnd.), 20:00.

Shots on Goal-Kootenay 7-11-13-31. Calgary 8-3-6-17.
Power Play Opportunities-Kootenay 2 / 8; Calgary 0 / 6.
Goalies-Kootenay, Skapski 5-7-0-0 (17 shots-17 saves). Calgary, Shields 3-2-0-1 (30 shots-27 saves).
A-6,614
Referees-Adam Byblow (23), Clayton Hall (42).
Linesmen-Michael Roberts (87), Aidan Henderson (78).

Monday 12 November 2012

Kootenay at Calgary

In a game originally scheduled for Sunday, the Calgary Hitmen (13-4-1-2) host the Kootenay Ice (4-12-1-0) tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome.  Game time is 7pm.  Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fan starts at 6pm with a one hour pre-game show.  Tonight the Hitmen will honour Hometown Heroes.  Past and present members of the military as well as all police, fire and EMS service members will receive complimentary admission to the game by presenting their identification card at the Scotiabank Saddledome box office.

HEADING IN:  The Hitmen are riding a season high five game winning streak and are coming off Friday's 5-2 home ice win over Victoria.  The Ice are winless in eight (0-7-1-0) having last played Saturday night dropping a 4-1 decision to Moose Jaw in Cranbrook.

THE STANDINGS:  Calgary shares top spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference with the Edmonton Oil Kings.  Both teams have 29 points, but the Hitmen have one game in hand.  Kootenay is last in the conference with nine points, sitting 13 back of the Red Deer Rebels for the final playoff spot.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:  Tonight is the second of eight regular season meetings between the two clubs.  Calgary won the opener 5-1 at home on September 22nd.  Zane Jones scored twice while Darian Henry, Cody Sylvester and Brooks Macek all had a goal and an assist.  The Hitmen outshot the Ice 31-28.  Over the last five seasons Calgary is 15-17-1-0 against Kootenay, including a 10-7 record on home ice.

STREAKIN':  Brady Brassart (1g 3a), Brendan Hurley (1g 1a) and Kenton Helgesen (2a) all have points in back-to-back games.  In his last four starts Chris Driedger is 4-0 with a 1.50 goals against average and a .949 save percentage.

FORMER CLUB:  19-year-old forward Brendan Hurley, who has four points (3g 1a) in eight games since joining the Hitmen this season, faces a team he spent parts of four seasons with.  Hurley played a total of 150 regular season games with the Kootenay Ice (2008-09 to 2011-12) collecting 21 points (10g 11a).  He also won the Ed Chynoweth Cup in 2011 with the WHL Champion Ice.

TOP SCORERS:
Calgary
Brooks Macek 11g 15a 26pts
Cody Sylvester 13g 7a 20pts
Brady Brassart 7g 11a 18pts

Kootenay
Sam Reinhart 5g 9a 14pts
Brock Montgomery 8g 4a 12pts
Jaedon Descheneau 3g 8a 11pts


Calgary 5 Victoria 2

Alex Roach (2g 1a) and Brady Brassart (1g 2a) both had three point games as the Calgary Hitmen beat the Victoria Royals 5-2 Friday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Hitmen entered play without their top two scorers in Brooks Macek (illness) and Cody Sylvester (upper-body injury day-to-day) but also welcomed Brassart back into the fold after missing his last seven games due to injury.

After a scorless first period the Hitmen built a 2-1 second period lead on Elliott Peterson's first goal in the Western Hockey League.

The third period was all Calgary en-route to their fifth straight win, and second in as many tries on home ice.




Victoria Royals 2 at Calgary Hitmen 5
Friday, November 9, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Victoria 0 1 1 - 2
Calgary 0 2 3 - 5

1st Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Kornelsen Cal (closing hand on puck), 1:40; Traber Vic (checking from behind), 4:27; Zgraggen Vic (delay of game), 5:08; Nelson Vic (ob-tripping), 11:26; Hodges Vic (roughing), 18:02; Calladine Cal (roughing), 18:02.

2nd Period
1, Calgary, Padakin 3 (Henry, Helgesen), 1:15.
2, Victoria, Stahl 1 (Gogolev), 13:14 (PP).
3, Calgary, Peterson 1 (Roach), 19:52.
Penalties-Traber Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 2:14; Roach Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 2:14; Magee Vic (roughing), 9:45; Chase Cal (slashing), 12:30; Kosterman Cal (hooking), 13:28; Kanzig Vic (major-fighting), 19:22; Rissling Cal (major-fighting), 19:22.

3rd Period
4, Calgary, Brassart 7 (Hurley, Humphries), 2:40.
5, Calgary, Roach 3 (Humphries, Brassart), 6:27 (PP).
6, Calgary, Roach 4 (Brassart, Peterson), 12:43 (PP).
7, Victoria, Hodges 5 (Fisher), 19:58 (SH).
Penalties-Fisher Vic (cross checking), 5:58; Traber Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 6:27; Padakin Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 6:27; Kosterman Cal (tripping), 7:56; Cote Vic (roughing), 11:03; Hicketts Vic (roughing), 11:54; Stahl Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:54; Samoridny Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:54; Crooks Vic (10-minute misconduct), 12:43; Fransoo Vic (roughing, roughing), 15:58; Virtanen Cal (roughing, roughing), 15:58; Calladine Cal (roughing), 16:10; Carroll Vic (major-fighting), 16:54; Henry Cal (major-fighting), 16:54; Stahl Vic (roughing), 18:02.

Shots on Goal-Victoria 8-10-11-29. Calgary 11-6-9-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Victoria 1 / 5; Calgary 2 / 8.
Goalies-Victoria, Vollrath 1-3-0-0 (26 shots-21 saves). Calgary, Driedger 10-3-1-1 (29 shots-27 saves).
A-8,179
Referees-Mike Campbell (89), Fraser Lawrence (10).
Linesmen-Reid Anderson (53), Scott Sharun (103).

Friday 9 November 2012

Victoria at Calgary

The Calgary Hitrmen (12-4-1-2) play game two of a four game home stand tonight as they welcome the Victoria Royals (9-9-0-0) to Scotiabank Saddledome.  Game time is 7:00 p.m.  Husky Hitmen Hockey on Sportsnet 960 The Fan starts at 6pm with a one hour pre-game show.

It's a meeting between two teams going in oppostite directions of late.  Calgary has won four in a row, while Victoria is riding a five game losing streak.  However the Royals have won their only meeting this season, posting a 3-1 home ice win on Vancouver Island back on October 18th.  Former Hitmen Alex Gogolev scored twice for Victoria who outshot Calgary 29-21.

STANDINGS:  Calgary leads the WHL's Eastern Conference with 27 points.  Victoria is sixth in the Western Conference with 18 points.

HOME AND AWAY:  Calgary is 4-3-1-1 while Victoria is 3-7-0-0 on the road.

SPECIAL TEAMS:  Calgary has the 8th ranked powerplay in the WHL at 22.2%.  The penalty kill has killed 22 straight opposition chances to imrpove to a tie for 10th at 78.9%  Victoria has the 14th ranked powerplay at 18.3% while the Royals penalty kill is ninth at 79.7%

TOP SCORERS:
Calgary
Brooks Macek 11g 15a 26pts
Cody Sylvester 13g 20pts
Brady Brassart 6g 9a 15pts

Victoria
Alex Gogolev 8g 13a 21pts
Logan Nelson 3g 13a 16pts
Brandon Magee 9g 4a 13pts



Calgary 2 Moose Jaw 1 Shootout

Greg Chase scored the shootout winner leading the Calgary Hitmen to a 2-1 win over the Moose Jaw Warriors Wednesday night at Scoiabank Saddledome. 

After a scoreless first period the two team exchanged goals just 15 seconds apart.  Carter Hansen put Moose Jaw on the board first before Brendan Hurley drew the Hitmen even.

For Hurley it was his third goal in his seventh game since joining Calgary from the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.

The win was Calgary's fourth in a row and improves their record to 12-4-1-2.





Moose Jaw Warriors 1 at Calgary Hitmen 2 (SO)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Moose Jaw 0 1 0 0 - 1
Calgary 0 1 0 0 - 2

1st Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Humphries Cal (cross checking), 7:18; Sylvester Cal (hooking), 11:48.

2nd Period
1, Moose Jaw, Hansen 4 (Rielly, Brown), 1:51.
2, Calgary, Hurley 3 (Helgesen), 2:06.
Penalties-Johnson M.j (inter. on goaltender), 4:57; Clayton Cal (high sticking), 6:03; Edmundson M.j (major-fighting), 6:29; Helgesen Cal (major-fighting), 6:29; Calladine Cal (holding), 11:04; Eberle M.j (boarding), 13:53; Sylvester Cal (cross checking), 13:53.

3rd Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Doucette M.j (major-fighting), 2:20; Peterson Cal (major-fighting), 2:20; Point M.j (hooking), 4:58; Brown M.j (major-fighting), 7:43; Henry Cal (kneeing, major-fighting), 7:43.

OT Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-No Penalties

Shootout - Moose Jaw 1 (Kirsch G, Rielly NG, Fioretti NG), Calgary 2 (Macek G, Sylvester NG, Chase G).
Shots on Goal-Moose Jaw 6-13-5-5-0-29. Calgary 2-8-7-2-1-20.
Power Play Opportunities-Moose Jaw 0 / 5; Calgary 0 / 2.
Goalies-Moose Jaw, Paulic 5-3-3-2 (19 shots-18 saves). Calgary, Driedger 9-3-1-1 (29 shots-28 saves).
A-7,133
Referees-Kevin Webinger (6), Derek Zalaski (8).
Linesmen-Jared Mackey (52), Mark MacIsaac (22).

Wednesday 7 November 2012

Moose Jaw at Calgary

The Calgary Hitmen (11-4-1-2) open a four game home stand tonight against the Moose Jaw Warriors (7-7-3-2).  Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Hitmen have won three in a row while Moose Jaw is winless in five (0-2-2-1).  Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fans starts at 6pm with a one hour pre-game show.

Calgary will be looking to solve their home ice issues, where they have lost three in a row to slip to the .500 mark at 3-3-1-1.  Special teams have been a huge problem for the Hitmen at home this season.  The powerplay is 6-40 operating at 15 % while the penalty kill has given up a whopping 15 goals in only eight games going 30-45 for a least worst 66.7%.  Calgary plays eight of their next nine games at home so sorting out this issue will likely go a long way to determining their chances of contending for top spot in the WHL's Eastern Conference, a spot they currently share with Edmonton at 25 points each.

Moose Jaw will be trying to solve their road woes.  The Warriors have struggled away from Mosaic Place posting a 1-6-0-1 record in enemy buildings.  Part of the problem has been a lack of scoring.  Moose Jaw has scored 40 home ice goals in 11 games while scoring only 14 goals in eight road games.

INJURIES:
Calgary
#14 Brady Brassart, F, upper body, day-to-day
#19 Calder Brooks, F, upper body, indefinite

Moose Jaw
#11 Sam Fioretti, F, upper body, day-to-day
#29 Reid Jackson, D, upper body, week-to-week
#12 Justin Kirsch, F, lower body, day-to-day
#21 Miles Warkentine, F, upper body, day-to-day

Sunday 4 November 2012

Calgary 2 Moose Jaw 1 OT

Jaynen Rissling scored at 2:13 of overtime on a screened wrist shot from the blue line as the Calgary Hitmen beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 2-1 Sunday night at Mosaic Place.

The Warriors forced sudden death when Torrin White found the back of the net with 1:37 left in the third period.

Calgary had opened the scoring when Brooks Macek tallied his 11th goal of the season in the first period.
The win was Calgary’s third straight victory in as many days as they swept their East Division road trip outscoring their opponents by a combined 10-4.

Mack Shields made 25 saves to pick up the win as Moose Jaw outshot the Hitmen 26-25.

                                              Photo Credit:  MJWarriors.ca

Calgary improves to 11-4-1-2 and takes over top spot in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference with 25 points, one ahead of Prince Albert.

The Hitmen return to action Wednesday night at Scotiabank Saddledome to host the Warriors in the back half of the home and home series.  Game time is 7 p.m.  It also marks the start of a four game home stand for Calgary.

Calgary Hitmen 2 (OT) at Moose Jaw Warriors 1
Sunday, November 4, 2012 - Mosaic Place - Moose Jaw, SK

Calgary 1 0 0 1 - 2
Moose Jaw 0 0 1 0 - 1

1st Period
1, Calgary, Macek 11 (Sylvester, Humphries), 13:09.
Penalties-Roach Cal (major-fighting), 7:56; Zagryadskiy M.j (major-fighting), 7:56; Hurley Cal (major-fighting), 17:52; Edmundson M.j (major-fighting), 17:52; McFaull M.j (roughing), 18:10; Eberle M.j (checking from behind), 18:58.

2nd Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Rissling Cal (major-fighting), 2:54; McFaull M.j (elbowing, major-fighting), 2:54; Thrower Cal (holding), 6:01; Wyton M.j (interference), 6:26; Henry Cal (tripping), 10:00; M.j (too many men), 11:52.

3rd Period
2, Moose Jaw, White 4   18:23.
Penalties-Padakin Cal (hooking), 10:34.

OT Period
3, Calgary, Rissling 2 (Samoridny, Peterson), 2:13.
Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-Calgary 10-6-5-4-25. Moose Jaw 6-10-10-0-26.
Power Play Opportunities-Calgary 0 / 5; Moose Jaw 0 / 3.
Goalies-Calgary, Shields 3-1-0-1 (26 shots-25 saves). Moose Jaw, Paulic 5-3-3-1 (25 shots-23 saves).
A-3,616
Referees-Matt Kirk (4).
Linesmen-Dawson Switzer (97), Ryan Lundquist (106).

Calgary 4 Brandon 2

The Calgary Hitmen won their second game in as many nights on the road posting a 4-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings Saturday night at Westman Place.

The line of Greg Chase, Chase Clayton and Pavlo Padakin combined for seven points.  Chase had three assists while Clayton and Padakin both had a goal and an assist.

Brendan Hurley and Brooks Macek also scored for Calgary who jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead.

Chris Driedger made 26 saves to pick up the win as Calgary outshot Brandon 40-28.

The Hitmen, now 10-4-1-2, wrap up their three game road trip tomorrow in Moose Jaw.

Radio Broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fan starts at 5:00 p.m.

Calgary Hitmen 4 at Brandon Wheat Kings 2
Saturday, November 3, 2012 - Westman Place - Brandon, MB

Calgary 3 0 1 - 4
Brandon 0 0 2 - 2

1st Period
1, Calgary, Clayton 2 (Padakin, Chase), 4:32.
2, Calgary, Hurley 2 (Humphries, Rissling), 11:02 (PP).
3, Calgary, Macek 10 (Chase, Samoridny), 16:00.
Penalties-Hurley Cal (boarding), 1:33; Yaworski Bdn (tripping), 10:45; Padakin Cal (major-fighting), 16:41; Nikkel Bdn (major-fighting), 16:41; Peterson Cal (interference), 17:29.

2nd Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-Clayton Cal (high sticking), 0:30; Nikkel Bdn (hooking), 15:07.

3rd Period
4, Brandon, Robinson 3 (Cooper, Nikkel), 0:46.
5, Calgary, Padakin 2 (Chase, Clayton), 12:07.
6, Brandon, Pulock 8 (Bertaggia), 18:37.
Penalties-Buonassisi Bdn (kneeing), 6:33; Rissling Cal (major-fighting), 11:53; Miller Bdn (major-fighting), 11:53.

Shots on Goal-Calgary 13-15-12-40. Brandon 6-3-19-28.
Power Play Opportunities-Calgary 1 / 3; Brandon 0 / 3.
Goalies-Calgary, Driedger 8-3-1-1 (28 shots-26 saves). Brandon, Boes 7-6-1-0 (40 shots-36 saves).
A-4,489
Referees-Fraser Lawrence (10), Matt Thurston (64).
Linesmen-Bryden Hutlet (114), Ryan Lundquist (106).

Saturday 3 November 2012

Calgary 4 Regina 1

The Calgary Hitmen opened a three game East Division road trip with a 4-1 win over the Regina Pats Friday night at the Brandt Centre.

Carson Samoridny opened the scoring for Calgary who built a 1-0 first period lead.
Spencer Humphries extended the lead to 2-0 in the second period, scoring the eventual game winner on the powerplay.

The Pats then cut the lead in half when Kade Pilton put the home team on the board before the end of the middle frame.

In the third period the Pats had a pair of powerplay chances to pull even but the Hitmen were able to kill them off finishing 4-4 on the penalty kill.

Brooks Macek then struck for a pair of empty net goals to put the game away for Calgary.

Macek (2g 1) and Cody Sylvester (3a) both finished with three points each.  For Macek, he hit the 200 career point mark in this his final season in the Western Hockey League.

Chris Driedger made 30 saves to pick up the win as Calgary outshot Regina 32-31.

The Hitmen, now 9-4-1-2, continue their three game road trip tomorrow in Brandon before wrapping up the swing Sunday in Moose Jaw.

Radio Broadcast Saturday night from Brandon begins at 6:00 p.m. with a 30 minute pre-game show. 

Calgary Hitmen 4 at Regina Pats 1
Friday, November 2, 2012 - Brandt Centre - Regina, SK

Calgary 1 1 2 - 4
Regina 0 1 0 - 1

1st Period
1, Calgary, Samoridny 3 (Sylvester, Macek), 14:49.
Penalties-Jones Cal (tripping), 8:37.

2nd Period
2, Calgary, Humphries 2 (Samoridny, Kornelsen), 16:01 (PP).
3, Regina, Pilton 2 (Brooks), 17:10.
Penalties-Humphries Cal (interference), 6:34; Hardarson Reg (roughing), 14:53; Pilton Reg (roughing), 20:00; Henry Cal (roughing), 20:20.

3rd Period
4, Calgary, Macek 8 (Sylvester), 19:00 (EN).
5, Calgary, Macek 9 (Sylvester), 19:55 (EN).
Penalties-Henry Cal (high sticking), 7:09; Henry Cal (tripping), 11:01; Hurley Cal (major-fighting), 19:23; Jobke Reg (major-fighting), 19:23; Clayton Cal (roughing), 20:00; Hardarson Reg (slashing), 20:00.

Shots on Goal-Calgary 16-8-8-32. Regina 11-7-13-31.
Power Play Opportunities-Calgary 1 / 1; Regina 0 / 4.
Goalies-Calgary, Driedger 7-3-1-1 (31 shots-30 saves). Regina, Hewitt 4-7-1-0 (30 shots-28 saves).
A-4,360
Referees-Jon Stephenson (38), Colin Watt (72).
Linesmen-Troy Murray (34), Derek Nernberg (139).

Friday 2 November 2012

Calgary at Regina

After a full four day break, the Calgary Hitmen swing back into action tonight in Regina to face the Pats at the Brandt Centre.  Husky Hitmen Hockey on Sportsnet 960 The Fan begins at 6pm with a full 60 minute pre-game show.

For Calgary (8-4-1-2), it's the start of a busy stretch on the road that will also take the club to Brandon tomorrow and Moose Jaw on Sunday.

The Hitmen are winless in three (0-2-0-1) while Regina is on a three game losing streak (0-3).  It's their first meeting this season.  Over the last five seasons Calgary is 12-2-0-2 against the Pats including a 5-2-0-1 record in the Saskatchewan capital.


For the Pats (6-10-1-0), it's their sixth game in 11 nights, coming off Tuesday's 3-2 home ice loss to Saskatoon.

TOP SCORERS:
Calgary
Brooks Macek 7g 14a 21pts
Cody Sylvester 13g 3a 16pts
Brady Brassart 6g 9a 15pts

Regina
Lane Scheidl 8g 9a 17pts
Morgan Klimchuk 8g 6a 14pts
Trent Ouellette 6g 8a 14pts

HOME AND AWAY:  Calgary is 5-1-0-1 on the road this season while Regina is 4-3-1-0 at home.

INJURY REPORT:
Calgary
#14 Brady Brassart, upper body, 1 week
#19 Calder Brooks, F, upper body, 30 day list
#15 Chase Clayton, F, lower body, 1 week
#9 Jayden Rissling, D, upper body, day-to-day

Regina
#25 Patrick D'Amico, F, lower body, week-to-week
#29 Dryden Hunt, F, upper body, week-to-week
#20 Trent Ouellette, F, lower body, indefinite
#22 Chandler Stephenson, F, lower body, 6-8 weeks

Kelowna 4 Calgary 1

The Calgary Hitmen closed out a stretch of three games in three days Sunday with a 4-1 home ice loss to the Kelowna Rockets.

After Brendan Hurley opened the scoring for Calgary, the Rockets scored four unanswered goals, two off the stick of Zach Franko.

The Hitmen, who played without four of their top nine scorers, slip to 8-4-1-2.






Kelowna Rockets 4 at Calgary Hitmen 1Sunday, October 28, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Kelowna 0 2 2 - 4
Calgary 1 0 0 - 1

1st Period
1, Calgary, Hurley 1 (Thrower, Henry), 4:39.
Penalties-Virtanen Cal (interference), 11:22.

2nd Period
2, Kelowna, Franko 8 (Wheaton), 10:29.
3, Kelowna, McKinlay 6   11:31.
Penalties-Wheaton Kel (slashing), 0:59; Kornelsen Cal (tripping), 4:53; Nyberg Kel (tripping), 9:04; Humphries Cal (interference), 9:07; Wheaton Kel (interference), 14:36; Stadel Kel (major-fighting), 17:05; Thrower Cal (major-fighting), 17:05; Fowlie Kel (tripping), 19:37.

3rd Period
4, Kelowna, Franko 9 (Baillie, Chartier), 9:04.
5, Kelowna, Sissons 9 (Franko), 19:15 (EN).
Penalties-Heffley Kel (holding opp. stick), 5:47; Olsen Kel (interference), 11:17.

Shots on Goal-Kelowna 8-14-8-30. Calgary 3-5-14-22.
Power Play Opportunities-Kelowna 0 / 3; Calgary 0 / 6.
Goalies-Kelowna, Cooke 7-6-1-1 (22 shots-21 saves). Calgary, Shields 2-1-0-1 (29 shots-26 saves).
A-8,070
Referees-Tyler Adair (58), Reagan Vetter (39).
Linesmen-Aidan Henderson (78).