GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Prince Albert | 03.06.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (34-17-8-1) are back inside Scotiabank Saddledome tonight to open a three-game homestand against the CHL’s #2 ranked Prince Albert Raiders (45-9-5-1). 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 while Kaden Meyer and Aidan Hesse will be at the post-game autograph table behind Section 212. Fans can also watch the game for FREE on Victory+ or listen on Sportsnet 960 The Fan with the Hitmen to wear their black jerseys. The Hitmen swing back into action following Wednesday’s 3-2 victory in Swift Current. Kale Dach, with his 33rd, Ethan Moore with his 23rd and Caine Wilke with his 14th supplied the goals with Moore adding an assist to finish tied with Julien Maze (2a) at a team leading two points each. Aidan Heese made 17 saves to record the victory. Prince Albert last played Tuesday when they dropped a 4-3 home ice decision to Red Deer. The Raiders had built leads of 2-0 and 3-1 before the Rebels surged in the final 7:16 scoring three times to complete the comeback. Alisher Sarkenov, Brayden Dube and Maddix McCagherty all scored for the Raiders.
WHERE THEY STAND: Calgary is fourth in the Eastern Conference at 77 points, six points up on fifth place Brandon and six points behind third place Edmonton with all three teams having played 60 games. The Wheat Kings are in Swift Current tonight while the Oil Kings are idle. Prince Albert is tied with Medicine Hat for the conference lead at 96 points although the Raiders have one game in hand.
PRINCE ALBERT: Tonight marks the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two clubs. Calgary is 3-0 having won a trio of one-goal games, two of them in overtime. Kale Dach (3g, 1a) and Wyatt Pisarczyk (1g, 3a) lead the Hitmen with four points each in the season series. Maddix McCagherty (2g, 1a) and Riley Boychuk (1g, 2a) are the top performing Raiders with three points each. The Hitmen are 6-3 in their last nine home games against PA.
2025-26 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 31/25 in PA: Hitmen 3 Raiders 2 OT…Kale Dach scored the winner 37 seconds into the extra session.
Dec. 5/25 in CGY: Hitmen 3 Raiders 2…The Hitmen scored three unanswered goals including the winner from Calder Hamilton with 10:30 remaining.
Feb. 4/26 in PA: Hitmen 5 Raiders 4 OT…Julien Maze scored the winner 3:25 into extra time.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 69 PA 100 Power Plays: CGY 2-8 (25%) PA 1-8 (12.5%)
STREAKIN’: Julien Maze (3g, 5a) is on a six-game point streak. Ty Meunier (1g, 2a) and Ethan Moore (1g, 4a) are both riding three-game point streaks. Andrei Molgachev (1g, 1a) has points in back-to-back games.
DOWN THE STRETCH: Counting tonight, the Hitmen play eight games in 17 days to close out their 68-game regular season schedule. Of those eight, three are on the road and five at home. They will play Edmonton three times with single dates against PA, REG, BDN, RD and LET.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen have clinched a berth in the WHL Playoffs for the second season in a row. The Hitmen are 13-5-3-0 against the East Division. Ethan Moore’s goal in Swift Current on Wednesday moved him into a tie with Carter Yakemchuk for 21st place on the club’s all-time regular season goal scoring list with 70. Riley Fiddler-Schultz is 20th with 77 goals. Harrison Lodewyk returned to the Hitmen line-up on Wednesday in Swift Current after missing the previous four games with an injury.
THE RACE IS ON: Julien Maze (70) leads Kale Dach (69) by a single point for the team scoring title. The last time a Hitmen season ended with a tie atop the team scoring race was in the 2019/20 season when both Mark Kastelic (38g, 30a) and Riley Stotts (25g, 43a) finished with 68 points each.
DOWN TO THE WIRE: Six of Calgary’s last nine games have been decided by a single goal. Overall, the Hitmen have played 27 one-goal games this season, picking up points in 21 of those with a total record of 12-6-8-1.
FEBRUARY REWIND: The Hitmen went 8-3-2-0 last month. Kale Dach (9g, 8a) led all players in points with 17 while Julien Maze (10g, 4a) was next with 14. Ethan Moore (5g, 8a) notched 13 while Andrei Molgachev (5g, 6a) recorded 11 and Caine Wilke (1g, 9a) and Hunter Aura (2g, 8a) rounded out the Top 5 with 10 points each. Axel Hurtig was atop the plus/minus department at +8.
30-GOAL CLUB: The Hitmen have a pair of 30-goal scorers on the roster. Julien Maze has 34 and Kale Dach 33. One season ago Calgary had a trio of 30-goal snipers. Oliver Tulk led the way with 38 followed by Ben Kindel with 35 and Carson Wetsch who tallied 33.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play is second in the WHL at 31.9%. Calgary’s penalty kill is ninth at 79.4%.
HOME & AWAY COMPARISON: Calgary is 17-8-4-0 at home, with points in 13 of the last 14 games (11-1-3-0) at the ‘Dome. Prince Albert is 22-5-2-0 on the road with tonight just their second road game since mid-February.
SHOT CLOCK: Caine Wilke reached the 100 shot mark this season on Wednesday in Swift Current. Landon Amrhein (98) and Harrison Lodewyk (95) are also knocking on the door of the century mark. Julien Maze is the club leader with 170.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Julien Maze needs two goals to reach 50. Aidan Hesse eclipsed 500 saves on Wednesday in Swift Current. Eric Tu passed the 3,000 minutes played mark Tuesday in Moose Jaw.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Rylan Ng (Upper Body, TBD), Kaden Meyer (Lower Body, Day-to-Day), Ethan Moore (Lower Body, Day-to-Day).
HITMEN VS: BDN (2-0-1-0), EDM (4-1), EVT (1-0), KAM (0-1), KEL (0-1), LET (4-2-1-0), MH (1-5-1-1), MJ (1-3), PEN (0-0-1-0), POR (0-1), PA (3-0), PG (1-0), RD (6-1), REG (2-0-1-0), SAS (2-1-1-0), SEA (1-0), SPO (1-0), SC (3-1), TC (1-0), VAN (1-0), VIC (0-0-1-0), WEN (0-0).
ALUMNI WATCH: Tyson Galloway is playing in the NCAA with Lake Superior State University. The 23-year-old defenceman has six points (1g, 5a) in 23 games. Galloway played part of six seasons with the Hitmen appearing in 216 games from 2018-2024, recording 77 points (15g, 62a).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary wraps up the weekend with a Sunday, Mar. 8 visit from Regina in a 2:00 p.m. start at Scotiabank Saddledome. It’s another Sunday Funday in the ‘Dome presented by Brookfield Residential where fans can enjoy $6 food and drink deals all game long, $3 sips and snacks plus Face Painting, the Fun Zone on the West Concourse and a Post-Game Family Skate. The Hitmen will then host Brandon on Wednesday, Mar. 11. Game time is 7:00 p.m. in the ‘Dome.
