GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Edmonton – 09.25.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (2-0-0-0) look to continue their perfect start to the season tonight as they welcome the Edmonton Oil Kings (1-0-1-0) to Scotiabank Saddledome. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Be sure to take advantage of the $5 and $7 Hitmen Happy Hour specials from when doors open at 6:00 p.m. up until the opening faceoff. If you can’t make to the ‘Dome, you can also watch the game for FREE on YouTube. Post game, forward Caine Wilke and defenceman Jakob Leander will be at the autograph table in front of the CGY Team Store behind Section 212. The Hitmen have been idle since last Sunday’s 4-3 overtime victory in Edmonton. Defenceman Hunter Aura scored his second goal of the night, 2:02 into the extra frame, to collect the game winner for Calgary. It was also Aura’s first career two-goal game in the Western Hockey League. Brennan Brown and Artem Katsuro rounded out the Hitmen scoring attack while Caine Wilke and Charlie Kresl both chipped in a pair of assists. Goaltender Aidan Hesse made 20 saves to record the win on a day where Calgary built leads of 2-0 and 3-2.
EDMONTON: Tonight marks the second of eight regular season meetings between the two Central Division rivals. Calgary was a perfect 4-0 on home ice against Edmonton last season. Their next meeting is not until Friday, Nov. 20 when once again the Hitmen will host the Oil Kings
2026-27 SERIES RECAP
Sept. 20/26 in EDM: Hitmen 4 Oil Kings 3 OT…The Hitmen game winner from Hunter Aura came on the power play.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 30 EDM 23 Power Plays: CGY 1-5 (20%) EDM 1-4 (25%)
FAST START: This is the first 2-0 start to the regular season for the Hitmen since 2016-17. That season Calgary began with back-to-back victories over the Kootenay ICE. The last time the Hitmen started a season with three straight wins was the 2015-16 campaign.
STREAKIN’: Brennan Brown (2g) has scored in back-to-back games while Charlie Kresl (1g, 2a) is also on a two-game point streak.
QUIET TIMES: Today is the lone game for Calgary in a span of 12 days.
PUTTING IN EXTRA WORK: Both Hitmen games this season have gone beyond 60 minutes. Last season the Hitmen played 15 overtime games while posting a record of 4-8-2-1.
WHL DEBUTS: A total of eight Hitmen appeared in their first career WHL game on opening weekend. Among them were three defencemen in Tate Batchelor, Maden Simard and Jakob Leander along with five forwards in Artem Katsuro, Gabriel Belanger, Grady Anaka, Charlie Kresl and Teague McGlynn.
DID YOU KNOW? The Hitmen have 13 returning players from last seasons roster which finished fourth in the Eastern Conference with 85 points. There are also 13 rookies on their roster. They are among 17 forwards, eight defencemen and two goalies.
LET’S GO CAMPING: Five Hitmen from the current 27-player roster headed to NHL camps earlier this month: Carter Sanderson (Pittsburgh), Jakob Leander (Calgary), Blake Vanek (Ottawa), Landon Amrhein (Calgary) and Andrei Molgachev (Utah).
OFF-SEASON NOTEBOOK: On June 8, the Hitmen announced the promotion of Cass Bruni to General Manager from Assistant GM while Garry Davidson moved from the GM’s chair to a Hockey Operations Advisory Role…On June 30 the Hitmen made two picks in the 2026 CHL Import Draft selecting 19-year-old defenceman and Calgary Flames prospect Jakob Leander along with 17-year-old Russian forward Artem Katsuro…On June 29 the Hitmen announced the signing of 19-year-old forward and Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Carter Sanderson…On July 27 the Hitmen acquired 19-year-old forward Brennan Brown, a third-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2029 from the Swift Current Broncos in exchange for 18-year-old forward Ty Meunier and a seventh-round pick in 2030…On September 11 the Hitmen inked listed prospect 18 year-old defenceman Maden Simard…On September 14 Calgary acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2028 WHL Prospects Draft from the Red Deer Rebels in exchange for 18-year-old defenceman Kaden Meyer…Also on September 14, the Hitmen signed 2025 fourth-round pick and 16 year-old goaltending prospect Donagh Esler-Twiss to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. On Sept. 27 The Hitmen inked 20-year-old forward Charlie Kresl after the product of Denver, CO, attended training camp as a free agent.
2026 PRE-SEASON RECAP: Calgary went 3-1 during their four-game exhibition schedule with two of those victories coming against the Rebels. Julien Maze (3g, 2a) was the top scorer for the Hitmen with five points while Calder Hamilton (3g, 1a), Hunter Auta (1g, 3a) and rookie Charlie Kresl (1g, 3a) all tallied four points each. In between the pipes, four goaltenders all saw action.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Forward Shaun Hildebrandt is entering his second season in the WHL. Hildebrandt recorded 11 points (3g, 8a) in 63 games as a rookie last season. The Langley, BC, product, who turned 17 in June, was a second-round pick of the Hitmen in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. During his time with Yale Hockey Academy, he once posted a 10-point game, scoring four goals and adding six assists on Feb. 18, 2024. That season he finished with 58 points (24g, 34a) in 27 games while playing U15 Prep in the CSSHL.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Rylan Ng (Upper Body, Week-to-Week), Landon Amrhein (Upper Body, Day-to-Day), Teague McGlynn (Lower Body, Week-to-Week).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary will enjoy a full seven-day break before returning to action next Saturday, Oct. 3 in Lethbridge against the Hurricanes. The Hitmen then return home the following day on Sunday, Oct. 3 to host the Regina Pats in a 2:00 p.m. puck drop at Scotiabank Saddledome. It will be the first Sunday Funday of the season presented by Brookfield Residential.
