GAME PREVIEW: Calgary at Brandon | 02.06.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (27-13-6-1), winners two in a row and five of their last six games, are in Manitoba tonight to face the Brandon Wheat Kings (28-20-1-0). Game time is 7:00 p.m. (CT), 6:00 p.m. (MT) at Assiniboine Credit Union Place. Fans can watch the game for FREE on Victory+. The Hitmen are fresh off Wednesday’s 5-4 overtime victory in Prince Albert where Julien Maze scored a pair of goals including the winner 3:25 into the extra session. Kale Dach, Hunter Aura and Ethan Moore also found the back of the net for the Hitmen who erased deficits of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 to win their second game in as many tries on this East Division road trip. Calgary was outshot 37-22 but goaltender Aidan Hesse made 33 saves to pick up the win. Brandon meanwhile has been idle since last Saturday when they closed their U.S. Division road trip with a 4-0 loss in Spokane. The Wheat Kings finished their six-game in nine nights American tour with a record of 3-3.
WHERE THEY STAND: If the playoffs were to start today it would be Calgary and Brandon in an opening round best-of-seven series. The Hitmen are fourth in the Eastern Conference at 61 points, four points ahead of fifth place Brandon but with two games in hand on the Wheat Kings. Brandon is three points ahead of sixth place Saskatoon with one game in hand on the Blades.
BRANDON: Tonight marks the third of four regular season meetings between the two clubs. Calgary has picked up three of a possible four points with a record of 1-0-1-0. Kale Dach (1g, 1a), Ben MacBeath (2a) and Brandon Gorzynski (1g, 1a) have all notched two points each for the Hitmen. Nicholas Johnson (1g, 1a) and Brady Turko (2a) are the top performers for the Wheat Kings, also with two points each. Their final regular season meeting is back in Alberta when Brandon stops by Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday, Mar. 11.
2025-26 SERIES RECAP
Nov. 2/25 in BDN: Hitmen 3 Wheat Kings 1…Calgary scored once in every period getting a goal and assist each from Kale Dach and Brandon Gorzynski.
Dec. 19/25 in CGY: Wheat Kings 3 Hitmen 2 OT…Calgary erased a 2-0 deficit before Joby Baumuller scored the winner 2:25 into extra time.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 79 BDN 46 Power Plays: CGY 3-7 (42.9%) BDN 1-5 (20%)
STREAKIN’: Julien Maze (5g, 2a) is on a four-game point streak. Goaltender Eric Tu has won his last three starts. Kale Dach (3g, 2a), Hunter Aura (1g, 3a), Calder Hamilton (1g, 2a), Ben MacBeath (3a), Ethan Moore (1g, 2a), Keaton Jundt (3a) and Wyatt Pisarczyk (2a) all have points in back-to-back games. Andrei Molgachev (4g, 7a) saw his six-game point streak end Wednesday in Prince Albert while a two-game goal scoring streak for Caine Wilke (2g, 1a) was also snapped.
NHL DRAFT COUNTDOWN: NHL Central Scouting has released its midterm rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Three Hitmen are on the list of the top 225 North American skaters. Defenceman Ben MacBeath is #20, forward Landon Amrhein is #85 and forward Andrei Molgachev is #199.
HEADING WEST: Two Hitmen have been named to Team East for the WHL’s inaugural Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Both Defenceman Ben MacBeath and forward Landon Amrhein will play in the Wednesday, Feb. 18 contest at the home of the Vancouver Giants, the Langley Events Centre. MacBeath has been named to the leadership group of Team East and will serve as an Alternate Captain. All 23 WHL Clubs are represented in the event with each roster consisting of 22 players. NHL Central Scouting worked with the WHL to determine player selection.
TRANSACTIONS: On Monday the Hitmen added forward Antionio Correia to the roster as an affiliate player after reassigning fellow prospect Jack Poole to the CSSHL’s U18 Prep North Shore Warriors. This is Correia’s second stop with the Hitmen after opening the season on the roster and appearing in one game. This season the 16-year-old is a member of the Winnipeg AAA U18 Bruins where he has tallied 36 points (12g, 24a) in 26 games. The Winnipeg, MB, product was a second-round pick of the Hitmen, 28th overall, in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft.
FAST FACTS: Calgary has picked up points in 18 of their last 23 games, posting a record of 15-5-3-0…The Hitmen are 9-3-2-0 against the East Division…In each of Calgary’s last five wins the Hitmen have scored at least five goals…Julien Maze (57pts) and Kale Dach (56pts) are both Top-20 in WHL scoring with Maze tied for 17th and Dach tied for 19th…Eric Tu has the WHL’s third best goals against average at 2.59 with his .907 save percentage is tied for seventh.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play, which has scored at least once in 15 of the last 19 games, has climbed into second place in the WHL at 31.5%…The Hitmen penalty kill is fifth at 80.1%.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: The Hitmen are 14-6-4-1 on the road and have outscored their opponents by a combined 99-83. Brandon is 13-10-1-0 at Assiniboine Credit Union Place where they are tied with Penticton for the fifth most home ice goals scored in the WHL this season at 102 (4.25 per game).
JANUARY REWIND: The Hitmen went 7-3-2-0 last month. Here in February, Calgary faces a schedule that serves up 13 games in 26 days which began Tuesday in Saskatoon. Of those 13 games, 11 remain with seven on home ice (SC, EDM, EVT, SAS, RD, MJ, MH) and four on the road (BDN, REG, EDM, MH).
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Axel Hurtig is in line to play his 100th career WHL game tonight in just his second season. The 20-year-old Hitmen captain from Sweden has 30 points (10g, 20a) in 99 career games along with a stellar plus/minus rating of +55. Hurtig, a Calgary Flames prospect, was a first-round pick of the Hitmen, 33rd overall, in the 2023 CHL Import Draft. Rookie forward Blake Vanek meanwhile is set to play his 50th game tonight in Brandon. Caine Wilke is one point shy of 50. Ty Meunier and Wyatt Pisarczyk both recorded their 50th career point in Prince Albert on Wednesday.
MANITOBA CONNECTIONS: Although the Hitmen roster has only one player from Manitoba in 16-year-old prospect Antonio Correia, there are several key members of the Hockey Ops department from the province as General Manager Garry Davidson grew up in Souris while Director of Scouting Gary Michalick and Athletic Therapist Adam Leckie are both from Winnipeg.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Andrei Molgachev (Lower Body, Day-to-Day).
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION: Calgary has 23 players on their roster including 14 forwards, seven defencemen and two goaltenders. There are only six returning players from last season with 12 rookies on the club.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: The Hitmen Road trip has one stop remaining and that’s tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 7 in Regina against the Pats. Game time is 6:00 p.m.(CT), 7:00 p.m. (MT). Calgary then returns home to play seven of their next eight games beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 11 against the Swift Current Broncos in a 7:00 p.m. start at Scotiabank Saddledome.
