Game Preview: Calgary at Wenatchee
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (9-7-3-1) make their inaugural visit to Wenatchee tonight as they close their six-game U.S. Division road trip against the Wild (6-10-2-0). Game time is 7:00 p.m. (MT) at Town Toyota Center. The Hitmen face their second game in as many days after last night’s 7-2 victory in Spokane. A total of 14 Hitmen found their way onto the scoresheet with Connor Hvidston (2g, 1a) leading the way with three points. The Hitmen held the Chiefs to just 22 shots in claiming their second win in as many tries on the road. Wenatchee meanwhile was not only idle last night but has been off since last Saturday’s 6-3 home ice loss to the visiting Portland Winterhawks. Kyle Chyzowski paced the ‘Hawks with four points (2g, 2a) while Ben Davis, Deagan McMillan and Evan Friesen all scored for the Wild who finished with 40 shots on goal.
WENTACHEE: Tonight is the lone regular season meeting between the two clubs. Last season Wenatchee made the trip to Alberta on Feb. 23, 2024, and posted a 3-2 overtime win at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary built a 2-0 first period lead on goals from Maxim Muranov and Pavel Bocharov before the Wild rallied on a pair of third period tallies from Steven Arp and Caelan Joudrey. Graham Sward then buried the winner 57 seconds into extra time. Tonight is just the second ever game between the Hitmen and Wild, a franchise that moved to Wenatchee from Winnipeg to begin the 2023-24 campaign.
STREAKS: Ben Kindel (3g, 4a) is on a five-game point streak…Chase Valliant (2g, 2a) has points in each of his last three games…Dax Williams (2a), Hunter Aura (2a), Keets Fawcett (1g, 1a), Carson Wetsch (1g, 1a), Connor Hvidston (2g, 2a) and Brandon Gorzynski (1g, 2a) all have points in back-to-back games.
TRAVEL MAP: The Hitmen left Calgary on Wednesday, Nov. 6 for this U.S. road trip which so far has seen the team travel 2,756 kilometers. They will return home to Alberta tonight after playing their sixth game in just nine nights.
ROSTER MOVES: On Thursday, the Hitmen trimmed their roster to 23 players by reassigning 18-year-old forward Simon Bolland to the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks…On Nov. 6 the Hitmen added goaltending prospect Kason Kobelka to the roster. The 17-year-old joined the club as an affiliate player following the same day release of 20-year-old netminder Ethan Buenaventura. Kobelka, who signed with the club this past summer, has a 2.21 GAA and .922 save percentage in eight games with the Calgary AAA U18 Northstars. He made 28 saves, winning his WHL debut in Portland on Wednesday. Calgary still has an opening for a 20-year-old sitting one shy of the league maximum of three.
SPECIAL TEAMS TRACKER: The Hitmen power play is tied for 16th in the WHL at 20% while the penalty kill is third at 83.3%. Coming into tonight the Hitmen have killed 14 straight penalties and 25 of their last 26 shorthanded situations.
FAST FACTS: Calgary has played three times since Wenatchee’s last game….Tonight marks the end of a stretch for the Hitmen that sees the club play 10 of their last 12 games on the road. Following tonight, three of Calgary’s next four games are at home…Carson Wetsch is seventh in the WHL with 79 shots on goal.
THE INCREDIBLE TULK: Hitmen 19-year-old centre Oliver Tulk has a remarkable efficiency on faceoffs this season having won 212 of his 307 draws for a winning percentage of 69.1%. Tulk has won 1,958 career faceoffs in 217 career games.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISION: The Hitmen have picked up at least a point in seven of their last eight road games (5-1-2-0) and are now 5-5-2-0 away from Scotiabank Saddledome this season. Wenatchee is 5-6-1-0 at home.
NHL WATCH: Two Hitmen in Ben Kindel and Reese Hamilton have been selected to play in the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota. The two-game series will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL take on the U.S. National Under-18 team Nov. 26 and 27 in London and Oshawa, Ontario.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Carter Yakemchuk is two points away from 150…Oliver Tulk is 19th on the clubs’ all-time goal scoring list with 79, two back of Brodie Dupont who scored 81…Due to a post-game scoring change, David Adaszynski reached 50 assists in Spokane.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION: There are 23 players on the Hitmen roster with 15 veterans and eight rookies. 20’s (2) – Hvidston, Muranov, 19’s (6) – Adaszynski, Moore, Tulk, Hurtig*, Williams, Yakemchuk, 18’s (4) – Wetsch, Valliant, Fawcett, 17’s (8) – Hamilton, Mayes, Kindel, Kobelka*, Gorzynski, Pisarczyk. Aura*, Svancara*, 16’s (4) – Kosick*, LaPlante*, Tu*, Ng* *Denotes rookie
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Robin Svancara (Upper Body – Indefinitely).
PROSPECT WATCH: Kale McCann, one of three Hitmen picks in the second round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft is playing U18 Prep in the CSSHL as a 15-year-old with the South Alberta Hockey Academy. In 14 games, the defenceman from Cochrane, AB, has eight assists.
TEDDY BEAR COUNTDOWN: We are 15 days away from one of the most popular games of the season for Calgary, the Teddy Bear Toss powered by ENMAX. The annual event is Sunday, Dec. 1 when the Hitmen welcome Moose Jaw to Scotiabank Saddledome. Game time is 4:00 p.m. with doors open at 2:30. Fans are asked to bring a small or medium sized stuffed toy to the game and toss it on the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal. There is a charitable request for 30,000 bears this coming holiday season with second level seating still available.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen head back to Canada tonight and will enjoy a full five-day break before returning to home ice. On Friday, Nov. 22 Calgary welcomes the Victoria Royals to Scotiabank Saddledome for a 7:00 p.m. start.
