Game Preview: Calgary at Prince Albert – 06.12.24
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (13-8-3-1) open a two-game Saskatchewan road trip tonight with a stop in Prince Albert against the Raiders (11-9-3-0). Game time is 6:00 p.m. (M.T.) at Art Hauser Centre. The Hitmen have been idle since last Sunday’s 9-0 victory over visiting Moose Jaw in the Teddy Bear Toss powered by ENMAX. On a day when Calgary established a new season high for goals in a single game, Tanner Howe led the way with a hat-trick while Carson Wetsch scored twice including the teddy bear goal 1:35 into the opening period. Anders Miller turned aside 19 shots for his first career Western Hockey League shutout. A total of 22,013 stuffed toys were thrown on the ice for charity by 16,869 fans. The Raiders meanwhile last played on Tuesday falling 3-2 to the visiting Red Deer Rebels. Tied 1-1 going to the third period, the Rebels outscored the Raiders 2-1 in the final frame despite being outshot 22-6.
PRINCE ALBERT: Tonight marks the first of four regular season meetings between the two clubs. Last season Calgary went 1-3 against Prince Albert including an 0-2 record in PA. Oliver Tulk (3g, 2a), David Adaszynski (1g, 4a) and Carter Yakemchuk (1g, 4a) led the way for the Hitmen with five points each. Aiden Oiring (3g, 4a) was the top performing Raider with seven points while Sloan Stanick (3g, 3a) was next with six points. Their next meeting will mark the final game for both teams before the WHL holiday break on Wednesday, Dec. 18 in Calgary.
2023-24 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 13/23 in PA: Raiders 7 Hitmen 2…Aiden Oiring led PA with 2g 1a.
Dec. 3/23 in CGY: Raiders 5 Hitmen 2…Max Hildebrand made 44 saves for PA.
Dec. 8/23 in PA: Raiders 4 Hitmen 3…Sloan Stanick powered PA with 1g, 1a.
Jan. 21/24 in CGY: Hitmen 5 Raiders 4 OT…Maxim Muranov (1g, 2a) scored the winner 29 seconds into extra time.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 160 PA 132 Power Plays: CGY 1-14 (7.1%) PA 8-19 (42.1%)
STREAKS: Ben Kindel (5g, 12a) is on a career high nine-game point streak…Oliver Tulk (7g, 8a) is on a six-game goal scoring streak…Tanner Howe (3g, 5a) is riding a four-game point streak…Carson Wetsch (3g, 1a) has scored in back-to-back games…Anders Miller has won his last two starts in goal and is 3-0 with the Hitmen…Carter Yakemchuk (4g, 4a) saw his five-game point streak end Sunday against Moose Jaw.
FAST FACTS: Last season the Raiders finished two points ahead of the Hitmen for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot but after winning Game 1 against Saskatoon, PA dropped the next four to the Blades to lose their opening round series in five games…Dax Williams is plus-8 in his last seven games…Calgary is 2-2-1-0 against teams from the East Division…The Hitmen have scored at least one power play goal in five straight games…Calgary is 6-1 in their last seven games…The Hitmen have outshot their opponent in six consecutive games…Tonight is Calgary’s second of nine games in the month of December. Of the nine, five are at home with four games on the road…The Hitmen have opened the scoring 17 times this season or in 68% of their 25 games.
WORLD JUNIOR NOTES: Hitmen defenceman Axel Hurtig has been named to Team Sweden for the 2025 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship. Teammate Tanner Howe is one of 32 players, 12 from the WHL, invited to Canada’s World Junior Selection Camp which runs from Dec.10-13 in Ottawa.
NOVEMBER REWIND: Calgary went 7-3-1-0 last month picking up 15 of a possible 22 points. The point total tied for tops in the Eastern Conference with Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Medicine Hat. Oliver Tulk (8g, 9a) led all Hitmen with 17 points while Ben Kindel (6g, 8a) with 14 and Carter Yakemchuk (5g, 8a) with 13 were next. Maxim Muranov (3g, 9a) and Connor Hvidston (3g, 6a) rounded out the top five. Alex Hurtig was the club leader in plus/minus at +10 while Eric Tu led all goalies with three wins while Anders Miller posted a team leading 1.77 goals against average and .917 save percentage.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISION: The Hitmen are 3-1-1-0 in their last four road games and hold an overall record of 6-6-2-0 away from Scotiabank Saddledome this season. Prince Albert is 5-4-3-0 at home.
WHL HONOURS: Hitmen goaltender Anders Miller is the reigning WHL Goaltender of the Week. The 18-year-old earned his first WHL shutout and went 2-0 with a 1.00 goals against average and .958 save percentage. Miller signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement with the Hitmen on Nov. 19 after starting the season with the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Lloydminster Bobcats.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Carter Yakemchuk is just one goal behind Matt Kinch who holds the Hitmen record for most goals by a defenceman with 63. Yakemchuk currently has 62…Oliver Tulk, who is five points away from 200, is tied with Jake Virtanen for 16th on the clubs’ all-time goal scoring list with 85, two goals behind Sean Tschigerl who sits 15th with 87… David Adaszynski is two games shy of 200…Tanner Howe is two points away from 250. Howe eclipsed the 100-goal mark Sunday against Moose Jaw.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
PROSPECT WATCH: Hitmen prospect Shaun Hildebrandt, a second-round pick 43rd overall in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, is playing U18 Prep in the CSSHL as a 15-year-old with Yale Hockey Academy. In 15 games the left-shot forward has 13 points (4g, 9a) to sit fifth in team scoring. Last season he was a second team all-star playing U15 prep with Yale. Highlights included a 10-point game (4g, 6a) in February. Hildebrandt, from Langley, BC, signed with the Hitmen in June of 2024.
12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: All four teams under the CSEC umbrella are once again offering the 12 Days of Christmas sale with a daily deal for the Hitmen, Flames, Wranglers and Roughnecks until Dec. 12. Go to https://www.nhl.com/flames/tickets/12-days to secure today’s Hitmen offer of a $14 Student or Child ticket to the Friday, Dec. 13 home game against Kamloops.
UPCOMING GAMES: Calgary wraps up this two-game Saskatchewan road trip tomorrow, Saturday, Dec. 7 in Saskatoon against the Blades. Game time is 6:00 p.m. (M.T.) at SaskTel Centre. The Hitmen will then play three-straight at home prior to their eight-day holiday break, beginning Friday, Dec. 13 against the Kamloops Blazers. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome.
