GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Edmonton | 02.13.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (29-14-6-1) open a weekend home-and-home set with Edmonton by welcoming the Oil Kings (34-12-3-2) to Southern Alberta tonight. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. Be sure to take advantage of the $6 food and drink Hitmen Happy Hour from when doors open at 6:00 p.m. up until the opening faceoff while Andrei Molgachev and Keaton Jundt will be at the post-game autograph table behind Section 212. Fans can also watch the game for FREE on Victory+ or listen to Sportsnet960 The Fan. The Hitmen are coming off Wednesday’s 3-1 home ice loss to Swift Current which snapped a four-game winning streak. Ethan Moore scored the lone goal for Calgary on a third period power play. Edmonton is also looking to rebound after they were blanked 4-0 by visiting Everett on Wednesday. The Oil Kings were held to just 18 shots on goal with former Hitmen Anders Miller picking up his third shutout of the season.
WHERE THEY STAND: Calgary is fourth in the Eastern Conference at 65 points, six points ahead of fifth place Brandon and eight points behind third place Edmonton which has 73. The Hitmen have two games in hand on the Wheat Kings and one game in hand on the Oil Kings.
EDMONTON: Tonight marks just the fourth of eight regular season meetings between the two Central Division rivals and their first in just over two weeks. Calgary leads the season series 3-0 and has outscored the Oil Kings by a combined 14-7. Ethan Moore leads the charge with five points (2g, 3a) while Kale Dach (1g, 3a), Andrei Molgachev (1g, 3a) and Wyatt Pisarczyk (4a) all have four. Blake Fiddler (1g, 1a), Andrew O’Neill (1g, 1a), Gavin Hodnett (2a) and the recently traded Joe Iginla (1g, 1a) have been the top performers for the Oil Kings with two points each. Their next meeting is on Valentine’s Day, tomorrow, Feb. 14 at Rogers Place.
2025-26 SERIES RECAP
Sept. 27/25 in CGY: Hitmen 6 Oil Kings 3…Six different Hitmen scored in the win with points from nine different players.
Oct. 26/25 in EDM: Hitmen 3 Oil Kings 2…Brandon Gorzynski scored twice for Calgary.
Jan. 28/26 in CGY: Hitmen 5 Oil Kings 2…Trailing 2-1 after 40, the Hitmen erupted for four third-period goals.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 89 EDM 88 Power Plays: CGY 1-12 (8.3%) EDM 0-10 (0%)
STREAKIN’: Ethan Moore (4g, 3a) is on a four-game goal scoring streak. Andrei Molgachev (2g, 3a) and Caine Wilke (4a) are both on three-game point streaks. Goaltender Eric Tu has won his last four starts. Julien Maze saw his four-game goal scoring streak (5g, 2a) and six game point streak end Wednesday against Swift Current while a four-game point streak for Kale Dach (4g, 3a), a three-game point streak for Calder Hamilton (1g, 3a) and a two-game point streak for Harrison Lodewyk (1g, 1a) were also snapped against the Broncos.
DID YOU KNOW? Counting tonight, of Calgary’s 18 remaining regular season games, five are against the Oil Kings with two of those at home and three up in Edmonton.
HOME COOKING: Tonight is the second game in a stretch for Calgary that sees the club play seven of their next eight games at home in the ‘Dome. Including tonight there are visits from six different teams remaining (EDM, EVT, SAS, RD, MJ, MH) with the lone road stop in Edmonton tomorrow.
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.
FAST FACTS: Tonight is the second game in a stretch of four games in six days for the Hitmen…Calgary is 13-6-2-1 against the Central Division…Julien Maze is 11th in the WHL in goals with 29…Kale Dach (58pts) is fourth in WHL rookie scoring, Andrei Molgachev (47pts) is fifth and Ben MacBeath (38pts) tied for ninth…Eric Tu has the WHL’s fifth best goals against average at 2.64 with his .905 save percentage tied for seventh.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play, which has scored at least once in six straight games, leads the WHL at 32.2%…The Hitmen penalty kill is sixth at 80.1%.
HOME & AWAY COMPARISON: Calgary is 13-8-2-0 at home, with points in seven of the last eight games (7-1-1-0) at the ‘Dome. Edmonton is 19-8-1-0 on the road where they have won their last two games.
MOORE’S MARCH: Ethan Moore’s third period power play marker Wednesday against Swift Current was his 68th career goal, moving him into a tie with Carson Wetsch for 22nd place on the club’s all-time regular season goal scoring list. Moore is now two goals behind Carter Yakemchuk (70) who sits 21st. Assistant Coach Brad Moran is Calgary’s all-time goals leader with 204.
WHL NOD: Hitmen forward Kale Dale is the reigning Sandman WHL Rookie of the Week. The Pittsburgh Penguins prospect recorded seven points (4g, 3a) in four games. It’s the second time Dach has grabbed the award this season. The 18-year-old was also the WHL Rookie of the Month in December.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Luc Trevors is in line to play career game number 50 tonight against Edmonton. Ben MacBeath hit the 50 games played mark Wednesday against Swift Current while goaltender Aidan Hesse eclipsed the 1,000 minutes played mark against the Broncos.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Wyatt Pisarcyzk (Upper Body, Day-to-Day).
PROSPECT WATCH: Kaeden Plewes, Calgary’s ninth-round pick, 205th overall, in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft is playing AAA in the U17 Alberta Elite Hockey League. The 15-year-old forward has five points (1g, 4a) in 18 games with the St. Albert Flyers. He also notched four points (3g, 1a) in four games in January’s CIHA Winter Classic.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: The Hitmen head to the Alberta capital tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14 for a rematch with the Oil Kings. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Rogers Place. Calgary then opens a five-game homestand with a Family Day Monday, Feb. 16. matinee against the U.S. Division leading Everett Silvertips. Game time is 1:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome.
