ROUND 1 GAME 3 PREVIEW | Blades return home in crucial game against Hitmen
2025 WHL PLAYOFFS | Round 1 Game 3 | Saskatoon Blades (0-2) vs Calgary Hitmen (2-0)
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Tonight
The Saskatoon Blades (0-2) return home to SaskTel Centre for Game 3 of their Round 1 playoff series against the Calgary Hitmen (2-0). The Bridge City Bunch find themselves down 2-0 in the best-of-seven series after back-to-back losses at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Saskatoon’s latest defeat came in 5-1 fashion Sunday afternoon.
Who to Watch
20-year-old defenceman Grayden Siepmann scored the team’s lone goal of the game Sunday against Calgary. The Langley, BC native leads the team in points this postseason with goals in back-to-back games. Siepmann has four goals against the Hitmen this year including regular season games. In 23 career playoff games, Siepmann has three goals and ten assists for 13 points.
Tonight marks captain Ben Saunderson’s 38th career WHL playoff game, the most of any active Blade. The 20-year-old blueliner has two goals and nine assists in 37 playoff games, including an overtime winner in Round 2 last year against the Red Deer Rebels.
Forward Hayden Harsanyi and rookie defenceman Brayden Klimpke recorded an assist in Sunday’s loss to the Hitmen. The helper marked the first ever of Harsanyi’s seven-game playoff career to go along with his goal last year. Klimpke recorded his first career WHL playoff point with the apple.
Sophomore goalie Evan Gardner was busy through the first two games against the Hitmen. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick faced 81 shots through five periods, stopping 73. Gardner enters Game 3 with a .901 save percentage and a career playoff record of 10-6.
