Game Preview: Calgary at Saskatoon – 07.12.24
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (13-9-3-1) wrap up their short two-game Saskatchewan road trip tonight in Saskatoon against the Eastern Conference leading Blades (17-6-2-1). Game time is 6:00 p.m. (M.T.) at SaskTel Centre. The Hitmen are facing a back-to-back having played last night in Prince Albert where they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Raiders. Prince Albert scored the game winner with 4:08 remaining after David Adaszynski, Connor Hvidston and Oliver Tulk helped the Hitmen erase a 3-0 second period deficit. Saskatoon has been off since Wednesday’s 5-4 shootout loss to the visiting Red Deer Rebels. Saskatoon forced overtime on a goal from Tyler Parr with 1:19 remaining only to see Matthew Gard score the game winner for the Rebels in round five of the shootout.
SASKATOON: Tonight marks the second of four regular season meetings between the two clubs. Saskatoon took their opener back at Scotiabank Saddledome by a score of 5-3 over two months ago. Connor Hvidston (2a) and the departed Keets Fawcett (1g, 1a) top Calgary with two points each in the season series. Rowan Calvert (1g, 1a), William James (1g, 1a), Hudson Kibblewhite (1g, 1a) and Cooper Williams (1g, 1a) all have two points each against the Hitmen. Their next meeting is not until Friday, Jan. 10 back in Calgary.
2024-25 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 2/24 in CGY: Blades 5 Hitmen 3…The Blades overcame deficits of 2-0 and 3-2.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 21 SAS 27 Power Plays: CGY 0-4 (0%) SAS 1-4 (25%)
STREAKS: Ben Kindel (5g, 13a) is on a career high 10-game point streak…Oliver Tulk (8g, 8a) is on a seven-game goal scoring streak… Carson Wetsch (3g, 3a) is on a three-game point streak…Connor Hvidston (3a), Kalem Parker (3a) and David Adaszynski (1g, 1a) all have points in back-to-back games…Tanner Howe (3g, 5a) saw his four-game point streak end last night in PA.
BACK-TO-BACKS: The Hitmen are 4-2-1-0 this season when playing games on consecutive days.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen have scored at least one power play goal in six straight games…Calgary is 6-2 in their last eight games…The Hitmen have outshot their opponent in seven consecutive games…Tonight is Calgary’s third of nine games in the month of December…The Hitmen have two of the WHL’s Top-12 scorers in Ben Kindel and Oliver Tulk. Kindel is 11th with 38 points while Tulk is tied for 12th with 37… Calgary is 2-3-1-0 against teams from the East Division…Hitmen defenceman Linden Burrett made his WHL debut last night in Prince Albert after signing with the club on Nov. 18.
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 6-7-2-0 away from Scotiabank Saddledome this season. Saskatoon is the WHL’s only team without a regulation home loss this season posting a record of 11-0-1-1 at SaskTel Centre.
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 four points away from 200, is 16th on the clubs’ all-time goal scoring list with 86, one goal behind Sean Tschigerl who sits 15th with 87…David Adaszynski is in line to play career game 200 tonight in Saskatoon…Tanner Howe is two points away from 250. Howe eclipsed the 100-goal mark last Sunday against Moose Jaw.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
PROSPECT WATCH: Hitmen prospect Adam Halat, a fourth-round pick 72nd overall in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, is playing in the Alberta Elite Hockey League with the Okotoks U18 AAA Oilers. In 18 games the forward from Chestermere, AB, has 27 points (11g, 16a) to lead the Oilers in scoring.
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 check out today’s Hitmen offer.
UPCOMING GAMES: Calgary heads back to Alberta to 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. They will also face Swift Current on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 4:00 p.m. in the return of Sunday Funday at the ‘Dome presented by Brookfield Residential before a rematch with the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 7:00 p.m.
