Game Preview – 10.01.23 – CGY vs SAS
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (0-3-0-0) wrap up the weekend this afternoon with a visit from the Saskatoon Blades (2-1-0-0). Game time is 2:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. It’s the first Sunday Funday of the season presented by Brookfield Residential. In addition to $3 sips and snacks specials all game long, look for family fun entertainment on the west concourse. There are also $6 Hitmen Happy Hour food and drink deals throughout the day and a post-game family skate. On top of all of that, fans can meet Hitmen Matteo Danis and Tyson Galloway during a post-game autograph session behind Section 211.
SASKATOON: Today marks the first of five regular season meetings between the two clubs. Calgary went 1-2-1-0 against Saskatoon last year in a season series that saw the penalty killers flourish going a combined 31-32 (96.9%). Sean Tschigerl (1g, 3a) led the Hitmen with four points against the Blades. Grayden Siepmann (2g, 1a) and Riley Fiddler-Schultz (3a) were next with three points each. Brandon Lisowsky (5g) was the top performing Blade with five points while goaltender Austin Elliott from Strathmore, AB, played all 243 minutes and 23 seconds posting a 1.73 goals against average and .939 save percentage. The Hitmen and Blades will meet again in less than two weeks on Saturday, Oct. 14, but this time in Saskatoon.
2022-23 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 16/22 in SAS: SAS 4 CGY 2…Brandon Lisowsky scored twice for the Blades.
Oct. 21/22 in CGY: SAS 3 CGY 0…Austin Elliott made 30 saves for the shutout.
Jan. 3/23 in SAS: CGY 3 SAS 2 OT…Grayden Siepmann scored the winner 53 seconds into extra time.
Jan. 28/23 in CGY: SAS 3 CGY 2 OT…Egor Sidorov tallied the winner 2:30 into the extra session.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 114 SAS 137 Power Plays: CGY 0-17 (0%) SAS 1-15 (6.7%)
LAST GAME RECAP: The Hitmen are coming off Friday’s 3-0 loss in Swift Current. Calgary outshot the home side 33-29 but were unable to solve Joey Rocha. The Broncos goaltender made 33 saves for his second career shutout while Anaheim Ducks prospect Connor Hvidston paced the scoring attack with a pair of power play markers. Saskatoon enters play today following last night’s 3-2 overtime victory in Medicine Hat. Blades defenceman Tanner Molendyk tied the game with 4:52 remaining, leading to the game winner from Egor Sidorov 4:06 into the extra session.
STREAKING: Rookie forward Ben Kindel (1g, 1a) saw his career-high two game point streak end Friday in Swift Current. Seven Hitmen have recorded at least one shot on goal in all three games to start the season: London Hoilett (12), Carter MacAdams (11), Carter Yakemchuk (10), Matteo Danis (8), Maxim Muranov (6), David Adaszynski (5) and Carson Wetsch (5).
LEADERSHIP GROUP: Tyson Galloway has been named captain of the 2023-24 Calgary Hitmen. Joining him as Alternate Captains are Sean Tschigerl, Grayden Siepmann and David Adaszynski. Galloway takes over the ‘C’ from Riley Fiddler-Schultz who has graduated the Hitmen program and turned pro with the AHL’s Rochester Americans.
MONTHLY MATH: Today kicks off October for the Hitmen, a month that will see the club play 12 games against nine different teams; LET (3), SAS (2) BDN (1), MJ (1), REG (1), PA (1), SEA (1), RD (1), POR (1). Of the 12 games, five are at home and seven on the road.
LET’S GO CAMPING: Four Hitmen headed to NHL camps this month: Tyson Galloway (Calgary), Oliver Tulk (Calgary), Grayden Siepmann (Boston) and Sean Tschigerl (Los Angeles). All four have since returned with Galloway and Tulk arriving earlier this week and Tschigerl rejoining his teammates on Thursday.
ROSTER NOTES: The Hitmen are carrying 24 players with the following age breakdown;
20’s (2): Galloway, Tschigerl
19’s (6): MacAdams, Marinkovic, Muranov, Siepmann, Spizawka, Buenaventura
18’s (9): Adaszynski, Chichkin*, Danis, Garrett*, Hoilett, Moore, Tulk, Yakemchuk, Williams
17’s (3): Fawcett*, Valliant*, Wetsch
16’s (4): Kindel*, Hamilton*, Mayes*, Pisarczyk*
*Denotes Rookie
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: During the summer, the Hitmen completed a trade with the Victoria Royals on August 1 which saw the club acquire 19-year-old defenceman Jason Spizawka in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. Spizawka, now in his fourth WHL season, has appeared in 144 games collecting 18 points (2g, 16a). The left-shot rearguard wears number 27.
WHL MILESTONES: Goaltender Ethan Buenaventura is 11 saves away from 1,500. During his Hitmen career he has made 30 or more saves in a game 15 times. Defenceman Grayden Siepmann skated in game 150 on Friday in Swift Current.
2023 PRE-SEASON RECAP: Calgary went 1-3 during their four-game exhibition schedule. Rookie forward Sawyer Mayes led the team in scoring with four points (4a), while Keets Fawcett (2g,1a) and Matteo Danis (2g,1a) notched three points each.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
UPCOMING GAMES: Calgary will open a 10-day road trip next weekend with a stop in Brandon against the Wheat Kings on Saturday, Oct. 7. The prairie swing will also take the Hitmen to Moose Jaw (Oct. 10), Regina (Oct. 11), Prince Albert (Oct. 13) and Saskatoon (Oct. 14). Calgary will then have one more road game in Lethbridge on Oct. 18 before finally returning to the ‘Dome on Friday, Oct. 20 to host former teammate Trey Patterson and the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 7:00 p.m. start.
