Game Preview: Calgary vs Lethbridge – 09.29.24
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (0-1-0-0) host the Lethbridge Hurricanes (3-0-0-0) for their 30th Anniversary season home opener against the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Game time is 2:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. The team will be debuting a special 30th Anniversary Jersey. The game will include special guests including former General Manager Kelly Kisio, Alumni Brad Moran and team co-founder Bret Hart in a special pregame ceremony. Tickets are still available here.
It’s the first Sunday Funday of the year presented by Brookfield Residential. In addition to $3 sips and snacks all game long, look for family fun entertainment on the west concourse. There are also $6 Hitmen Happy Hour food and drink deals throughout the day. The Hitmen are coming off Saturday’s 4-1 loss in the season opener in Edmonton. Maxim Muranov would be the lone goal scorer in a 4-1 loss at Rogers Place. Lethbridge is coming off a game on Friday with a 6-3 victory over the Swift Current Broncos at the VisitLethbridge.com Arena. Lethbridge has three games under their belt entering today’s contest comparatively to Calgary’s one.
LETHBRIDGE: Today marks the first of eight regular season meeting between the two rivals. The Hitmen went 3-3-1 against the ‘Canes last season, finishing with a including a 2-1 mark at the ‘Dome. Ben Kindel (2g, 6a) and Carter Yakemchuk (1g, 4a) led the season against the ‘Canes. Miguel Marques (5g, 7a), Noah Chadwick (3g, 8a) and Brayden Edwards (5g, 8a) were the top performers for Lethbridge with 11 points each. Calgary is 6-8-3 in their last 17 home games against the Hurricanes.
2023-24 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 18/23 in LET: Hurricanes 3 Hitmen 2 OT…Logan Wormald scored the winner 25 seconds into extra time.
Oct. 22/23 in CGY: Hitmen 4 Hurricanes 3…Ben Kindel set up a career-high three goals for Calgary.
Oct. 27/23 in LET: Hitmen 4 Hurricanes 3 OT…Reese Hamilton scored the winner 3:53 into extra time.
Nov. 29/23 in LET: Hurricanes 4 Hitmen 1…Miguel Marques scored twice while Harrison Meneghin made 36 saves for the ‘Canes.
Feb. 3/24 in LET: Hurricanes 6 Hitmen 0…The Hurricanes put the game away with a four-goal third period.
Feb. 25/24 in CGY: Hurricanes 9 Hitmen 2…Tied 2-2 early in the second period, the ‘Canes scored seven unanswered goals.
March 17/24 in CGY: Hitmen 3 Hurricanes 2 OT… Reese Hamilton scored the winner 3:12 into extra time
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 242 LET 231 Power Plays: CGY 4-26 (15.4%) LET 5-27 (18.5%)
LET’S GO CAMPING: Four Hitmen headed to NHL camps earlier this month: Axel Hurtig (Calgary), Oliver Tulk (Los Angeles), Carson Wetsch (San Jose) and Carter Yakemchuk (Ottawa). Hurtig, Tulk and Wetsch have returned from their respective clubs while Yakemchuk remains with the Senators.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION: There are currently 24 players on the Hitmen roster with 18 returning veterans and five rookies. With the acquisition of Connor Hvidston from the Swift Current Broncos and the return of Russian import Maxim Muranov, all three overage spots are filled rounded out by 20 year-old goaltender Ethan Buenaventura. The roster breakdown is as follows:
3 – 20 year olds (’04)
6 – 19 year olds (’05)
6 – 18 year olds (’06)
7 – 17 year olds (’07)
2 – 16 year olds (’08)
2024 PRE-SEASON RECAP: Calgary went 3-1 during their four-game exhibition schedule. Rookie defenceman Hunter Aura (4a) led the team in points with four, while forwards Ben Kindel (3g) and Rylan Ng (3g) were next with three points each.
TRANSACTIONS: On Tuesday, Calgary traded 19 year-old defenceman Aleksey Chichkin and 17 year-old forward Connor Bear to the Regina Pats. The club also reassigned 16 year-old forward Koy Funk.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Robin Svancara (Upper Body, Indefinitely)
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Ben Kindel returns to the Hitmen roster this season. Kindel is coming off an impressive rookie year, posting 60 points (15g, 45a), in 68 games played. This earned him the Calgary Hitmen Rookie of the year at this past season’s Hitmen awards. The forward from Coquitlam, BC represented team Canada this past summer at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and returned home with a gold medal.
BEHIND THE BENCH: The Hitmen have a new coaching staff this season led by Head Coach Paul McFarland who is joined by Assistants David Liffiton and Ben Wilson. Dakota Krebs also joins the staff as a Video Coach. McFarland brings a decorated resume to the position having spent six seasons on an NHL bench as an Assistant Coach with Seattle (2021-24), Toronto (2019-20) and Florida (2017-19). Liffiton enjoyed a lengthy pro career (2004-2017) in both North America and Europe before joining the coaching ranks while both Wilson and Krebs have gone full circle from former Hitmen defencemen to now members of the coaching staff.
ALUMNI REPORT: Former Hitmen Jake Bean has made his return to Calgary but this time as a Calgary Flame. The defenceman signed a two-year deal with the club back in July. Bean had an illustrious career during parts of four seasons with the Hitmen highlighted by a pair of franchise records. In 2015-16 he tallied 24 goals to set a new single-season franchise mark for goals by a blueliner which was only broken last season by current Hitmen defenceman Carter Yakemchuk. Bean still holds the Hitmen record for most points by a rookie defenceman with 39.
REGULAR SEASON CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Oliver Tulk is two games shy of 200 career games. Keets Fawcett is five points shy of 50 career points.
UPCOMING GAMES: Calgary is back on the ice tomorrow Wednesday, Oct. 2 to welcome the Saskatoon Blades for a 7:00 p.m. start. They will then visit the Red Deer Rebels on Saturday Oct. 5 before returning home for another Sunday Funday Presented by Brookfield Residential on Oct. 6.
