GAME PREVIEW: CALGARY VS KELOWNA
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (24-26-5-2) close the weekend with a Sunday afternoon contest against the B.C. Division’s Kelowna Rockets (21-31-3-0). Game time is 4:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome in another Sunday Funday, presented by Brookfield Residential. In addition to $2 sips and snacks specials all game long, look for concourse activities from TELUS Spark and a cast of characters outfitted by the Costume Shoppe. There are also $6 Hitmen Happy Hour food and drink deals throughout the day and a post-game family skate. The Hitmen will wear the winning entry in the #YourTeamYourJersey contest presented by Real Canadian Superstore. All game worn and game issued jerseys will be auctioned off with proceeds to support President’s Choice Children’s Charity. Last year across the CHL over $169,000 was raised to fight childhood hunger.
LAST GAME RECAP: The Hitmen are coming off Saturday afternoon’s 4-3 loss to Lethbridge where Logan Wormald scored the game winner for the Hurricanes with 2:12 remaining. Carter Yakemchuk netted a pair of goals for Calgary with Sean Tschigerl adding a shorthanded tally. The Rockets were in Red Deer last night and fell 5-1. The Rebels jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead while Turner McMillen scored the lone goal for Kelowna.
WHERE THEY STAND: The Hitmen are tied for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with Swift Current at 55 points, three points ahead of 10th place Brandon and two back of seventh place Medicine Hat. Kelowna holds the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot with 45 points.
KELOWNA: Today is the first and only meeting of the season between the two teams. It’s also their first head-to-head encounter in over three years. Their last happened in the 2019-20 season when Calgary skated to a 6-5 overtime win in Kelowna on Feb. 17, 2020. That day the Hitmen roared back from a 5-1 third period deficit before Josh Prokop buried the game winner 2:31 into extra time. Kyle Olson (2g, 1a) and Jett Woo (3a) powered the Hitmen with three points each. The Rockets haven’t been in Calgary since Dec. 14, 2018, when the Hitmen posted a 5-1 triumph. Jake Kryski scored twice in the victory while Egor Zamula added a goal and two assists.
PLAYER STREAKS: Carter Yakemchuk (4g, 1a) is on a career high four-game point streak. Matteo Danis (2a) has points in back-to-back games.
FAST FACTS: The 14 goals scored by Carter Yakemchuk is the most by a Hitmen defenceman since Travis Sanheim tallied 15 and Jake Bean netted a franchise recording setting 24 during the 2015-16 season…Carter MacAdams and Grayden Siepmann both returned to the Hitmen line-up yesterday following lengthy stays in the injury list. MacAdams missed 15 games while Siepmann missed six…Today is Calgary’s last game in February, a month that has seen the club post a record of 1-9-0-1…Brayden Peters picked up an assist on Wednesday against Winnipeg for his first of the season and 10th of his career. Mack Shields is the club’s all-time leader in points by a goaltender with 13. The Hitmen have scored at least one power play goal in 10 of their last 12 games going a combined 16-48 (33.3%) during that span…Kelowna enters today having won four of their last five games. It’s also their third game in as many days…Winnipeg forward Easton Armstrong received a WHL imposed two-game suspension for his charging major on Hitmen forward Maxim Muranov on Wednesday…Tomas Marinkovic reached 250 face-off wins yesterday against the Hurricanes while Matteo Danis needs to win four more draws to hit 300…On Monday the Hitmen recalled prospect Chase Valliant from the U18 Prep Yale Hockey Academy. He has now played nine games this season (1g, 2a) during three different appearances with the club. The 16-year-old Valliant has 36 points (16g, 20a) in 25 games with Yale…Rockets forward Andrew Cristall (30g, 40a) is ranked 16th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting for the 2023 NHL Draft…Adam Kydd played 104 career games with the Hitmen (33g, 48a = 81pts) before his trade to Kelowna on Jan. 5, 2022.
PLAYOFF PUSH: Counting today, the Hitmen have 11 games remaining in the regular season with six at home and five on the road. Their opponent breakdown is as follows; (LET 3X’s), (EDM 2X’s), (MH 2X’s), (RD 2X’s), KEL, SC.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Maxim Muranov (upper body, day-to-day), Billal Noori (upper body, indefinitely), Carson Wetsch (lower body, week-to-week), Jacob Wright (lower body, week-to-week).
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Hitmen penalty kill is number one in the WHL at 84.9%. On the flip side the power play has jumped to 18th at 19%.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: Calgary is 10-13-3-2 on home ice. Kelowna is 9-17-1-0 on the road.
REGULAR SEASON CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Sean Tschigerl is one game away from 200. Brayden Peters needs one win to pass Mack Shields and move into sole possession of sixth place on the Hitmen’s all-time wins. Peters and Shields have 57. Peters is also 39 saves shy of 3,500. London Hoilett played his 50th game yesterday against Lethbridge while Carter Yakemchuk reached 50 points Wednesday against Winnipeg.
FOREVER A HITMEN: The Hitmen will honour Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart for the outstanding contributions he has made to the franchise on Saturday, March 11, when a ‘Forever A Hitmen’ banner for Hart will be raised and remain on permanent display at Scotiabank Saddledome. The pre-game ceremony, ahead of the Hitmen and Rebels game at 2:00 p.m., will enshrine Hart as the fourth inductee in the ‘Forever A Hitmen’ program. It’s all part of the third annual Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart game presented by Vallen. Players will wear a specially designed jersey reflective of their namesake while fans will also be treated to a post-game on-ice wresting show presented by Dungeon Wrestling.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen will enjoy a six-day break before returning to action next weekend for just a single game. On Sunday, Mar. 5 they welcome the Swift Current Broncos to Scotiabank Saddledome for 2:00 p.m. start in another Sunday Funday, presented by Brookfield Residential. It’s then off to Red Deer the following weekend to begin a home-and-home set with the Rebels on Friday, Mar. 10.
