GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Lethbridge – 09.20.25
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (1-0-0-0) play their 2025-26 Western Hockey League regular season home opener tonight as they welcome the Lethbridge Hurricanes (0-1-0-0) to Scotiabank Saddledome. Game time is 7:00 p.m. 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. Noise clappers will be handed out to the first fans in the building while special pre-game ceremonies will include player introductions. Fans are invited to stop by the CGY Team Store at Section 212 on the concourse to take in the jersey blowout sale featuring several Hitmen jerseys from past seasons. There will also be a post-game autograph session where two players will be at the autograph table behind Section 212.
LAST GAME RECAP: The Hitmen enter play coming off last night’s season opening 5-3 victory on the road in Lethbridge. Rookie Russian Import Andrei Molgachev scored a pair of third period goals 3:41 apart to break a 2-2 tie. Kale Dach, Rylan Ng and Shaun Hildebrandt, into am empty net, also scored for Calgary. Hunter Aura and Luc Trevors both chipped in a pair of assists while Anders Miller made 20 saves to record the win.
LETHBRIDGE: Tonight marks the second of eight regular season meetings between the two clubs with a whopping four of those scheduled in Calgary’s first eight games of the season. The Hitmen and Hurricanes met eight times during the 2024-25 regular season with Calgary posting a 6-2 record, including a 3-1 mark at home. Their next meeting is Sunday, Oct. 5 when the ‘Canes once again make the trip to the ‘Dome for a 4:00 p.m. start.
2025-26 SERIES RECAP
Sept. 19/24 in LET: Hitmen 5 Hurricanes 3…The Hitmen raced out to a 2-0 first period lead.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 25 LET 23 Power Plays: CGY 2-5 (40%) LET 1-5 (20%)
BEHIND THE BENCH: The Hitmen have a new coaching staff this season led by Head Coach Dustin Friesen, taking over from Paul McFarland who is now an Assistant Coach with the Edmonton Oilers. Friesen is joined by Assistants Brad Moran and Dakoka Krebs. Moran, a Hitmen standout player from 1995-2000, spent the previous seven seasons with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks, the last six as GM and Head Coach where he won two league championships and the 2025 Centennial Cup. Krebs meanwhile gets a promotion after working in the role as Hitmen Video Coach last season. The new Hitmen Video Coach is Lukas Lomicky.
WHL DEBUT: A total of 13 Hitmen made their first career appearance in a WHL Regular Season game last night in Lethbridge. They include Kale Dach, Kaden Meyer, Calder Hamilton, Bobby Williams, Andrei Molgachev, Ben MacBeath, Landon Amrhein, Keaton Jundt, Antonio Correia, Shaun Hildebrandt, Ty Hynes, Hayden Schollar and Luc Trevors.
FAST FACTS: Calgary is 1-1-0-1 in their last three home openers. One season ago they also faced the ‘Canes in their first home game of the season and skated to a 3-1 victory on Sept. 29. Ben Kindel, Carson Wetsch and Oliver Tulk provided the goals on a day where the Hitmen outshot Lethbridge 29-20.
LET’S GO CAMPING: Five Hitmen from the current 27-player roster headed to NHL camps earlier this month: Kale Dach (Pittsburgh), Brandon Gorzynski (Dallas), Axel Hurtig (Calgary), Ben Kindel (Pittsburgh) and Anders Miller (Tampa Bay). So far only Dach and Miller have returned.
2025 PRE-SEASON RECAP: Calgary went 3-2 during their five-game exhibition schedule. Rookie forward Keaton Jundt led the team in scoring with five points (4g, 2a) while Landon Amrhein (2g, 2a) tallied four. Luc Trevors (2g, 1a), Ethan Moore (1g, 2a) and Hayden Schollar (1g, 2a) were all next with three points each. Sophomore Anders Miller led the goaltending department posting an 18-save shutout in his lone appearance.
DID YOU KNOW? For the first time in Hitmen franchise history the team has players from five different countries on their roster with the following breakdown: Canada (17), United States (7), Russia (1), Sweden (1), Czechia (1).
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Forward Rylan Ng is now in his second full season with the Hitmen and enters today with 14 career points (6g, 8a) in 62 games. The forward from Lethbridge, AB, will soon turn 17 as his birthday is this upcoming Monday. Ng was a seventh-round pick of the Hitmen in the 2023 WHL Prospects Draft and cracked the roster after a strong training camp in 2024.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION: The Hitmen head into the opening weekend with 27 players on their roster but only 10 returnees from last season. That means there are 17 rookies on the club including forward Luc Trevors who signed a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement on Thursday. The 19-year-old recorded 22 points (8g, 14a) in 34 games with the AJHL’s Calgary Canucks last season and cracked the opening weekend roster after coming to training camp as a free agent invite.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: Last season Calgary posted a league best 54 points on home ice while compiling a record of 26-6-1-1. Lethbridge was 17-14-1-2 away from VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Goaltender Anders Miller is 11 saves away from 500. The product of Anchorage, AK signed with the Hitmen on Nov. 19, 2025, after starting last season with the AJHL’s Lloydminster Bobcats.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Koy Funk (Upper Body, Week-to-Week), Paker Schellenberg (Lower Body, Month-to-Month).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: The Hitmen will enjoy a week of practice before returning to action next Saturday, on Sept. 27 at home against the Edmonton Oil Kings. Note the early 6:00 p.m. start at Scotiabank Saddledome once again featuring the $6 food and drink Hitmen Happy Hour from when doors open at 5:00 p.m. up until the opening faceoff.
