GAME PREVIEW: CALGARY AT MOOSE JAW
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (14-7-3-1), riding a three-game road winning streak, make a stop in Moose Jaw tonight to face the Warriors (18-10-0-0). Game time is 6:00 p.m. MT at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. The Hitmen opened the trip on Wednesday with a 4-1 victory in Swift Current. David Adaszynski scored a pair of power play goals while Oliver Tulk notched a team leading three points with a goal and two assists. Grayden Siepmann and Matteo Danis both chipped in a pair of assists while Ethan Buenaventura made 26 saves to pick up the win. The Warriors have been idle since last Sunday’s 5-3 loss in Calgary in the ENMAX Teddy Bear Toss.
WHERE THEY STAND: The Hitmen are sixth in the Eastern Conference with 32 points, just a single point behind Lethbridge. Moose Jaw is fourth with 36 points. Tonight marks the Warriors first home game since Nov. 18 following a run of eight straight on the road.
MOOSE JAW: Tonight is the second of four meetings between the two clubs. Calgary took the opener just five days ago thanks to a pair of third period power play goals which snapped a 3-3 tie. The Hitmen went 0-3 in Moose Jaw last season. The two teams won’t meet again until Friday, Jan. 6 again here in Saskatchewan.
2022-23 SERIES RECAP
Dec. 4/22 in CGY: Hitmen 5 Warriors 3…Carter Yakemchuk and Riley Fiddler-Schultz both notched 1g, 2a.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 41 MJ 20 Power Plays: CGY 2-3 (66.7%) MJ 0-3 (0%)
STREAKS: London Hoilett (2g) has scored in back to back games. Oliver Tulk (2g, 1a) and Sean Tschigerl (2a) are both on two-game point streaks…David Adaszynski has four goals in his last five games…Riley Fiddler-Schultz (1g, 3a) saw his two-game point streak end Wednesday in Swift Current.
ONE YEAR AGO: Calgary is six points ahead of their pace 25 games into last season when they were 11-10-2-2.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen are 11-3-2-0 in their last 16 games…Three of Calgary’s top eight scorers are defenceman in Grayden Siepmann, Tyson Galloway and Carter Yakemchuk…The Hitmen are 4-4-0- against the East Division…Grayden Siepmann has equaled his point total from last season in 41 fewer games…Tonight is the second of four games in five days on the road for Calgary.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
WHL TOP-10: Brayden Peters is tied with Seattle’s Thomas Milic for the league’s seventh best save percentage at .919.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Calgary’s penalty kill is number one in the WHL at 89.4%. On the flip side the power play is tied for 15th at 20% having scored on five of their last seven chances.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: The Hitmen are 8-3-2-0 on the road this season for a .692 winning percentage. Moose Jaw is 8-6-0-0 on home ice.
REGULAR SEASON CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Brandon Whynott is one game shy of 100. Sean Tschigerl needs four goals to reach 50. Jacob Wright picked up his 50th career assist on Sunday against Moose Jaw while Tyson Galloway recorded his 50th career point the same day. Dax Williams recorded an assist last Friday against Medicine Hat for his first career point.
TEAM LEADERS:
GOALS– Riley Fiddler-Schultz 14
ASSISTS– Grayden Siepmann 19
POINTS– Riley Fiddler-Schultz 28
PLUS/MINUS– Grayden Siepmann +16
WINS– Brayden Peters 9
GAME-WORN AND GAME-ISSUED JERSEY AUCTION: During Sunday’s 2022 ENMAX Teddy Bear Toss, Hitmen players wore special red-themed teddy bear jerseys with snow-capped numbers and a Santa hat on the primary logo. Those jerseys are now in an online auction until Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 9:00 p.m. MT. Fans can bid on the 24 game worn and game issued jerseys at elevateauctions.com/TeddyBearToss. Among the items is a Hitmen Suite for 12 as donated by Ferrari of Alberta.
PROSPECT WATCH: Hitmen prospect Connor Bear has been named to Team Saskatchewan for the 2023 Canada Winter Games. The 15-year-old was Calgary’s sixth-round pick, 117th overall, in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. The Whitewood, SK product is playing U-16 in the CSSHL with Rink Hockey Academy in Winnipeg. In 19 games the forward has 33 points (15g, 18a) to not only lead his team in scoring but sit second overall in the CSSHL point’s race.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: All five teams under the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation umbrella are providing special gift ideas until Dec. 12. There are a dozen days of deals for the Hitmen, Flames, Roughnecks, Stampeders and Wranglers. Today’s Hitmen offer is a Reindeer Pack which includes 8 ticket vouchers for $99. Visit www.calgaryflames.com/12days for all the details including the Offer Code.
UPCOMING GAMES: Calgary’s prairie road trip continues tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 10 in Regina before a stop in Brandon on Sunday, Dec. 11. The Hitmen will then head to Lethbridge the following weekend on Saturday, Dec. 17 before returning home to host Edmonton in their final game before the Christmas break on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2:00 p.m.
