Game Preview: Calgary vs Medicine Hat – 10.30.24
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (5-5-2-0) are back on home ice tonight to host Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha and the Medicine Hat Tigers (7-6-0-0). Note the 6:00 p.m. start time at Scotiabank Saddledome for this Halloween Eve contest. Be sure to take advantage of the $6 Hitmen Happy Hour from when doors open at 6:00 p.m. up until the opening faceoff. Items include pizza, burgers, hot dogs, 14-ounce beer, highballs and 6-ounce house wine all for $6 each. Calgary is coming off last Saturday’s 5-4 overtime loss in Brandon. Ben Kindel scored twice while Carter Yakemchuk added a single for the Hitmen who never trailed until Marcus Nguyen scored the game winner for the Wheat Kings 2:32 into the extra session. Medicine Hat has also been idle since Saturday when they dropped the visiting Regina Pats 5-1. Mathew Ward (2g, 1a) and Andrew Basha (1g, 2a) both had three-point outings for the Tigers.
MEDICINE HAT: Tonight is the second of eight regular season meetings between the two Central Division rivals. The Tigers took the first just seven days ago in a 4-2 home ice victory. Ben Kindel and Carson Wetsch scored for Calgary while Gavin McKenna powered the Medicine Hat attack with two goals and an assist. Last season Calgary was 2-1 on home ice against the Tigers. The two clubs won’t meet again until Saturday, Nov. 30 in Medicine Hat.
2024-25 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 23/24 in MH: Tigers 4 Hitmen 2…Tied 2-2, the Tigers scored two-third period goals 46 seconds apart.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 22 MH 17 Power Plays: CGY 1-5 (20%) MH 1-5 (20%)
STREAKS: Ben Kindel (5g) is on a three-game goal scoring streak and a six game (8g, 7a) point streak. Carter Yakemchuk (4g, 6a) is also on a six-game point streak. Oliver Tulk (3a) has points in back-to-back games.
TRADE WINDS: On Tuesday the Hitmen acquired a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft from the Prince Albert Raiders in exchange for 18-year-old Brandon Osborne. The defenceman played 31 career games with the Hitmen during parts of two seasons in Calgary.
ROAD TRIP RECAP: The Hitmen are back home tonight following a three-game road trip which saw the club post a record of 1-1-1. Overall Calgary was outscored 9-8 during a stretch where they played three games in four days in three different provinces. Ben Kindel (5g, 2a) was the top performer with seven points while Carter Yakemchuk (1g, 3a) was next with four. The power play went a combined 5-13 (38.5%) while the penalty kill was 6-7 (85.7%).
DIVISIONAL DIET: Tonight kicks off a stretch that will see the Hitmen play three straight games against teams from their own division with a stop in Lethbridge on Friday and a Monday visit from Red Deer still to come from Central Division opponents.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen have scored a least one power play goal in six straight games and have outshot their opponents in each of the last four games…Three Hitmen have at least one shot on goal in all 12 games this season in Ben Kindel, Carson Wetsch, and Oliver Tulk.
DID YOU KNOW? Tonight is Calgary’s final game in October, a month which has seen the club post a record of 4-4-2. There are 11 games on their upcoming November schedule but just four of those at home.
YEARLY REWIND: The Hitmen have 12 points through their first 12 games of their 68-game regular season schedule. Last year through their first 12 games they had eight points after starting the 2023-24 campaign with a record of 3-7-2-0.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISION: The Hitmen are riding a three-game home ice point streak having gone 3-0-1 in their last four home games. Overall, they are 4-1-1-0 at Scotiabank Saddledome this season. Medicine Hat is 1-3 on the road.
PROSPECT WATCH: Two Hitmen in Ben Kindel and Reese Hamilton have been selected to play in the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota. The two-game series will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL take on the U.S. National Under-18 team Nov. 26 and 27 in London and Oshawa, Ontario.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Oliver Tulk is two assists away from 100 while Maxim Muranov is four points shy of the century mark. Tulk is also one goal back of Riley Fiddler-Schultz for 19th place on the clubs’ all-time goal scoring list. Fiddler-Schultz scored 77 goals, Tulk has 76. Keets Fawcett is two points shy of 50.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION: There are 24 players on the Hitmen roster with 18 veterans and seven rookies. Roster breakdown as follows:
20’s (3) – Buenaventura, Hvidston, Muranov, 19’s (6) – Adaszynski, Moore, Tulk, Hurtig*, Williams, Yakemchuk, 18’s (5) – Wetsch, Valliant, Leonard, Fawcett, Bowland*, 17’s (7) – Hamilton, Mayes, Kindel, Gorzynski, Pisarczyk. Aura*, Svancara*, 16’s (3) – Kosick*, Tu*, Ng*
*Denotes rookie
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Robin Svancara (Upper Body – Indefinitely), Sawyer Mayes (Lower Body – Day-to-Day).
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen will make a day trip to Lethbridge to face the Hurricanes on Friday, Nov. 1 before returning to the ‘Dome to host Red Deer on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7:00 p.m. Calgary will then depart on their U.S. Division road trip which opens Friday, Nov. 8 in Kent against the Seattle Thunderbirds.
