GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Red Deer | 02.22.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (31-15-7-1) are back on home ice this afternoon to host the 6th annual ‘Every Child Matters Game’ presented by CDN Controls in partnership with Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, Big 4 Motors, Taza Park VW, Blackfoot Confederacy and Okaki. Game time against the Red Deer Rebels (21-30-2-2) is 2:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. It’s also another Sunday Funday 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. Forwards Harrison Lodewyk and Julien Maze will be at the post-game autograph table behind Section 212. The Hitmen are coming off last night’s 3-2 overtime loss to Saskatoon. Twice, Calgary was able to erase one-goal deficits on markers from Calder Hamilton and Ethan Moore, but it was Kazden Mathies who scored the gamer winner on a breakaway 2:13 into the extra session. Harrison Lodewyk set up both Hitmen goals on a night where Calgary outshot the Blades 33-22. Red Deer meanwhile returns to action for the first time since Friday’s 5-2 home ice loss to Saskatoon where the Blades raced out to a 3-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS: The theme of this year’s ‘Every Child Matters game centres on community with an emphasis on unity. The Hitmen will once again wear their specially designed orange Every Child Matters jerseys which will be auctioned off until February 25 at 8pm MT on DASH Auctions. Net proceeds benefit youth programming on Siksika Nation. Indigenous culture will be highlighted today through the inclusion of traditional dancers and drummers while the anthem will be performed by the Crowfoot School choir. Fans can also try indigenous food from the Test Kitchen at Section 227 and are invited to the concourse to join in a traditional round dance during the second intermission.
PLAYOFF BOUND: The Hitmen have booked their ticket to the 2026 WHL Post Season for the second consecutive year. Last night’s Moose Jaw home ice loss to Prince George prior to the end of the Hitmen/Blades contest mathematically cemented the berth for Calgary.
WHERE THEY STAND: Calgary is fourth in the Eastern Conference at 70 points, one point up on fifth place Brandon and seven points behind third place Edmonton. The Hitmen have three games in hand on the Wheat Kings and two games in hand on the Oil Kings. Red Deer is eighth in the conference with 46 points, one point ahead of Moose Jaw for the final playoff spot with two games in hand on the Warriors.
RED DEER: Today marks the seventh of eight regular season meetings between the two Central Division rivals. The Hitmen lead the season series 5-1 including a 2-1 record at the ‘Dome. Kale Dach (6g, 2a) tops the Hitmen in the season series with eight points while Wyatt Pisarczyk (2g, 5a) is next with seven. Beckett Hamilton (1g, 2a) is the leading Rebel remaining on the roster as Samuel Drancak (1g, 2a) and Jaxon Fuder (1g, 2a) who also have three points each were moved out at the WHL Trade Deadline. Their last meeting is not until Saturday, Mar. 14 up in Red Deer.
2025-26 SERIES RECAP
Sept. 25/25 in RD: Hitmen 2 Rebels 1…Calgary erased a 1-0 deficit to improve to 5-0-1-0 in their last six games with the Rebels.
Oct. 29/25 in CGY: Hitmen 4 Rebels 3 SO…Andrei Molgachev scored the shootout winner.
Nov. 30/25 in CGY: Rebels 4 Hitmen 3…The Rebels jumped out to a 3-0 lead 9:23 into the first period.
Dec. 12/25 in CGY: Hitmen 4 Rebels 1…Wyatt Pisarczyk notched a career high three assists.
Dec. 13/25 in RD: Hitmen 9 Rebels 0…A total of 16 Hitmen recorded at least a point while Eric Tu posted a 26-save shutout.
Jan. 23/26 in RD: Hitmen 5 Rebels 1…After the Rebels opened the scoring the Hitmen struck for five unanswered goals.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 184 RD 164 Power Plays: CGY 8-22 (36.4%) RD 1-17 (5.9%)
STREAKIN’: Kale Dach (3g,3a) is on a team-leading four-game point streak. Harrison Lodewyk (1g, 3a) has points in three straight games. Calder Hamilton (1g, 1a) and Ethan Moore (1g, 1a) have points in back-to-back games. Hunter Aura (4a) saw his three-game point streaks snapped last night against Saskatoon while a two-game streak for Blake Vanek (2g, 1a) was also halted.
FAST FACTS: Calgary has picked up points in seven of their last nine games (6-2-1-0). Today is Game 3 in a five-game homestand for the Hitmen. Forward Kale Dach is in a three-way tie for third in the WHL in game winning goals with eight. The Hitmen are 14-7-2-1 against the Central Division. Last night Ethan Moore scored his 69th career goal, moving him past Carson Wetsch and into sole possession of 22nd place on the club’s all-time regular season goal scoring list. Moore is just one goal behind Carter Yakemchuk (70) who is 21st. Harrison Lodewyk has tied his career high of 12 goals set last season with Prince Albert.
MOUNT LODEWYK: Monday against Everett, Harrison Lodewyk eclipsed 500 faceoff wins for the first time in a single season and now has 521. The 20-year-old Red Deer product is also the club leader in faceoff winning percentage at 63.9%. Since the WHL started tracking faceoffs in 2017-18, Calgary’s single season record for wins is 886 set by Mark Kastelic in 2018-19 followed by Riley Fiddler-Schultz who won 885 draws in 2022-23.
30-GOAL CLUB: The Hitmen have a pair of 30-goal scorers on the roster. Julien Maze has 31 and Kale Dach 30. 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.
SET UP MEN: The Hitmen have two defencemen with over 30 assists this season in Ben MacBeath (34) and Hunter Aura (31). MacBeath’s 34 helpers rank sixth in the Eastern Conference among defenceman was Aura’s 31 is tied for eighth. The club leader last season in assists by a defenceman was Carter Yakemchuk who notched 32 helpers.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play, which has scored at least once in 10 straight games, leads the WHL at 32.6%…Of note, Calgary has scored 63 power play goals after scoring 60 goals all of last season with the man advantage. The Hitmen penalty kill is tied for third at 80.6%.
HOME & AWAY COMPARISON: Calgary is 15-8-3-0 at home, with points in 10 of the last 11 games (9-1-2-0) at the ‘Dome. Red Deer is 11-14-1-2 on the road where they have only played once this entire month, a 10-1 defeat in Medicine Hat on Family Day Monday.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Shaun Hildebrandt is in line to play career game 50 this afternoon against the Rebels. Landon Amrhein, Kale Dach and Jakub Seidl all skated in their 50th career games last night against the Blades. Andrei Molgachev is one point shy of 50.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Rylan Ng (Illness, Day-to-Day).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary is back in the ‘Dome on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to host the Moose Jaw Warriors in an 11:00 a.m. start. It’s the TELUS Be Brave #EndBullying game. The Hitmen will then face Medicine Hat in a home-and-home set beginning Friday, Feb. 27 at Scotiabank Saddledome before a return visit to the Gas City Saturday, Feb. 28. Both are 7:00 p.m. starts.
