Game Preview: Calgary vs Moose Jaw – 01.12.24
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (12-8-3-1) host the Moose Jaw Warriors (6-14-3-1) this afternoon in the 29th annual Teddy Bear Toss powered by ENMAX. Game time is 4:00 p.m. with doors to Scotiabank Saddledome opening at 2:30 for $6 Hitmen Happy Hour until the opening faceoff. There are still Press Level seats available starting at $25 for adults and $18 for kids with tickets available up until game time at HitmenHockey.com. Fans are asked to bring a new or gently used small or medium sized stuffed toy to toss onto the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal. Those bears will be shared among over 70 local agencies this holiday season including the Salvation Army, Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary Food Bank and Siksika Nation. This year there is a charitable ask for almost 30,000 bears. Today’s game will also see a visit from Santa on the concourse. The Hitmen saw their season high five-game winning streak end last night with a 7-3 loss in Medicine Hat. Moose Jaw meanwhile has been idle since Tuesday’s 7-4 home ice victory over Swift Current. Brayden Yager recorded four assists while Rilen Kovacevic scored a hat-trick.
TOSS HISTORY: This event dates all the way back to year one of Hitmen Hockey when Borys Protsenko scored the first ever teddy bear goal on Dec. 16, 1995 triggering the release of 1,323 stuffed animals in front of 7.905 fans. Calgary holds a lifetime record 18 wins, seven regulation losses, one tie and two overtime losses in the ENMAX Teddy Bear Toss.
LOOKING BACK ON THE LAST FIVE TEDDY BEAR GAMES:
Dec. 9/18 vs. KAM: Hitmen 6 Blazers 3…Teddy Bear goal scored by Kaden Elder at 4:18. Total Bears: 29,635
Dec. 1/19 vs. RD: Rebels 3 Hitmen 2 (OT)…Teddy Bear goal scored by Carson Focht at 1:31. Total Bears: 25,025
Dec. 4/21 vs. LET: Hurricanes 5 Hitmen 4 (OT)…Teddy Bear goal scored by Cael Zimmerman at 26:53. Total Bears: 15,324
Dec. 4/22 vs. MJ: Hitmen 5 Warriors 3…Teddy Bear goal scored by London Hoilett at 5:02. Total Bears: 20,294
Dec. 3/23 vs. PA: Raiders 5 Hitmen 2…Teddy Bear goal scored by London Hoilett at 9:14. Total Bears: 21,233
ENMAX TEDDY BEAR TOSS RECORDS:
Fastest Teddy Bear goal: Dec. 7/02 vs. Medicine Hat; scored by Rob Smith 65 seconds into the first period.
Latest Teddy Bear goal: Dec. 4/11 vs. Medicine Hat; scored by Calder Brooks at 18:21 of the second period.
Opponent History: Today marks the fifth ever Hitmen-Warriors contest in a Teddy Bear Toss at the ‘Dome.
Most teddy bears collected in one game: 29,635 (2018)
Total teddy bears collected to date including Teddy Bear Lane held in 2020: 477,457
Highest attendance: 19,289 (2015)
Total attendance: 396,203
GAME-WORN AND GAME-ISSUED JERSEY AUCTION: During today’s game, Hitmen players will wear special, red-themed teddy bear jerseys with snow-capped numbers and a Santa hat on the primary logo. These jerseys are now up for bid at elevateauctions.com/tbt until Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 8:00 p.m. M.T. Proceeds will benefit the Calgary Hitmen Foundation.
MOOSE JAW: Today marks the first of four regular season meetings between the two clubs. Last season Calgary went 1-3 against Moose Jaw. Keets Fawcett (1g, 4a) led the way for the Hitmen with five points. Oliver Tulk (2g, 2a) and Ethan Moore (1g, 3a) were next with four points each. Jagger Firkus (1g, 5a) was the top performing Warrior with six points. Atley Calvert (1g, 4a) and Denton Mateychuk (1g, 4a) were next with five points each. Their next meeting is not until Wednesday, Jan. 8 again in Calgary.
2023-24 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 10/23 in MJ: Warriors 5 Hitmen 3…Brayden Yager led MJ with 1g 1a.
Nov. 5/23 in CGY: Warriors 2 Hitmen 1…Jackson Unger made 48 saves for Moose Jaw.
Feb. 10/24 in CGY: Warriors 5 Hitmen 2…MJ snapped a 1-1 tie with four unanswered goals.
Feb. 17/24 in MJ: Hitmen 5 Warriors 3…Keets Fawcett paced the Calgary attack with 1g, 1a.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 155 MJ 129 Power Plays: CGY 2-12 (16.7%) MJ 4-12 (33.3%)
STREAKS: Ben Kindel (5g, 8a) is on a career high eight-game point streak…Oliver Tulk (6g, 5a) is on a five-game goal scoring streak while Carter Yakemchuk (4g, 4a) is on a five-game point streak…Tanner Howe (5a) is riding a three-game point streak.
FAST FACTS: Once the bears are tossed today, they will be stored overnight in two 26-foot trucks courtesy of Driving Force. Hitmen players will then be back at the ‘Dome tomorrow from 7:00-10:00 a.m. for Teddy Bear Distribution to charities followed by a visit to the Alberta Children’s Hospital…Hitmen defenceman Kalem Parker faces his former team today for the first time since his Nov. 17 trade to Calgary from Moose Jaw. Parker played 82 career games with the Warriors during parts of two seasons with the club recording 54 points (9g, 45a) before adding nine points (2g, 7a) in 20 playoff games last spring during Moose Jaw’s march to the WHL Championship Title…Dax Williams is plus-7 in his last six games…Calgary is 1-2-1-0 against teams from the East Division…Oliver Tulk eclipsed 2,000 career faceoffs last night in Medicine Hat.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISION: The Hitmen are riding a two-game home ice winning streak and are 6-2-1-1 overall at Scotiabank Saddledome. Moose Jaw is 2-8-3-0 on the road.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Carter Yakemchuk is just one goal behind Matt Kinch for the clubs’ all-time goal scoring lead among defencemen. Kinch finished his Hitmen career with 63 goals while Yakemchuk currently has 62…Tanner Howe is two goals away from 100…Oliver Tulk is 17th on the clubs’ all-time goal scoring list with 84, one goal behind Jake Virtanen who scored 85…Maxim Muranov played career game 200 last night in Medicine Hat while Ethan Moore skated in career game 150.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
UPCOMING GAMES: Calgary heads east this week for a two-game Saskatchewan road trip. The first stop is Friday, Dec. 6 in Prince Albert for a date with the Raiders followed by a Saturday, Dec. 7 stop in Saskatoon against the Blades. The Hitmen will then play three straight at home, beginning Friday, Dec. 13 against the Kamloops Blazers. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome.
