GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Red Deer | 11.30.25
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (12-7-3-1) close out their November schedule this afternoon at home against the Red Deer Rebels (8-12-1-2). Game time is 2:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome on another Sunday Funday presented by Brookfield Residential. Fans can enjoy $6 food and drink deals all game long, $3 sips and snacks, plus Face Painting and the Fun Zone on the West Concourse. Back by popular demand is the Post-Game Family Skate. The entire team will also be on the concourse for a post-game autograph session behind Section 210. The Hitmen are coming off Thursday’s 5-2 home ice loss to Moose Jaw despite firing a season high 46 shots on goal. Ethan Moore and Brandon Gorzynski were the only Hitmen to beat Warriors’ goaltender Chase Wutzke who made 44 saves in a first star performance. Red Deer meanwhile last played on Friday and fell 5-2 to the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings. Ty Coupland and Keith McInnis scored for the Rebels while Max Curran (2g, 1a) and Miroslav Holinka (1g, 2a) powered Edmonton with three points each.
RED DEER: Today marks the third of eight regular season meetings between the two Central Division rivals. The Hitmen lead the season series 2-0 after posting a win in each previous month. Last season Calgary went 2-1-1-0 on home ice against the Rebels. Kale Dach (1g, 1a), Caine Wilke (1g, 1a) and Ethan Moore (2a) lead the Hitmen in the season series with two points each. Samuel Drancak (1g, 1a), Jaxon Fuder (1g, 1a), Keith McInnis (1g, 1a) and Ty Coupland (2a) are the top performers for Red Deer with two points each. Their next head-to-head meeting is on Friday, Dec. 12 when the Hitmen host the Rebels in the start of a home-and-home set.
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.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 56 RD 50 Power Plays: CGY 2-4 (50%) RD 0-6 (0%)
STREAKIN’: Caine Wilke (5a) is on a five-game assist streak…Ben MacBeath (1g, 3a) is a on a three-game point streak…Hunter Aura (2a) has points in back-to-back games… Kale Dach (4a) and Calder Hamilton (2a) saw their two-game point streaks end Thursday against Moose Jaw while a two-game goal scoring streak for Harrison Lodewyk (3g) was snapped the same night.
WHERE THEY STAND: Calgary, 33.8% through their 68-game regular season schedule, is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 28 points, two points behind Saskatoon but with three games in hand on the Blades. At 19 points, Red Deer is tied for ninth with Lethbridge, two points back of Regina, holders of the eighth and playoff spot but with four games in hand on the Pats.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play has scored at least once in eight straight games, going a combined 12-28 (42.9%) during that span.…The Hitmen penalty kill is third in the WHL at 84%.
TEDDY BEAR COUNTDOWN: We are exactly one week away from the 2025 Teddy Bear Toss powered by ENMAX when the Hitmen host Wenatchee on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 4:00 p.m. Press Level seating is now open for the popular holiday season spectacle which will see fans bring a Teddy Bear to the game to toss on the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal. There is a charitable ask for 30,000 bears this coming holiday season.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Brandon Gorzynski and Ethan Moore are tied for the team lead in shots on goal at 70…Calgary has 24 players on their roster including 14 forwards, eight defencemen and two goaltenders. There are only seven returning players from last season with 14 rookies on the club…Calgary is 7-3-2-1 against teams from the Central Division East Division while Red Deer is 3-6-0-1 against their own division.
WHL LEADERBOARD: Eric Tu is eighth in goals against average at 2.68 while his .901 save percentage is tied for seventh. Calgary has four of the WHL’s Top-20 Rookie scorers. Kale Dach is fourth with 25 points (10g, 15a) while Andrei Molgachev (8g, 7a) and Ben MacBeath (5g, 10a) are all tied for 18th with 15 points each. Brandon Gorzynski leads the Hitmen in goals with 11, which ranks tied for 35th overall in the WHL and 14th in the Eastern Conference.
2026 NHL DRAFT: Five Hitmen are on NHL Central Scouting’s list as Preliminary Players to Watch ahead of the 2026 draft. Landon Amrheim and Ben MacBeath are forecast as second or third-round picks. Hunter Aura, Aidan Hesse and Andrei Molgachev are projected to be sixth or seventh-round candidates.
ROSTER MOVE: On Thursday the Hitmen signed affiliate player Cohen Daoust to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. The move comes after the 19-year-old forward from St. Albert, AB played a trio of games for Calgary, recording one assist. Daoust is eligible to play today against the Rebels and departs the AJHL as the Canmore Eagles leading scorer with 29 points (15g, 14a) in 19 games.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: The Hitmen are 5-5-1-0 on home ice this season with their goals for and against split even at 33-33. Red Deer is 4-4-1-2 on the road and have been outscored 41-36.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Harrison Lodewyk is two assists shy of 50.
ALUMNI WATCH: Carson Birnie is playing in the NCAA with the Michigan Tech Huskies and majoring in engineering. The 20-year-old forward has been held pointless in 14 games this season. Birnie joined the Hitmen in a January trade from Red Deer and went on to tally seven points (2g, 5a) in 33 games before adding two assists in 11 playoff games.
PROSPECT WATCH: Kael Scott, Calgary’s third round pick, 64th overall, is playing AAA in the Alberta Elite U18 Hockey League with Lloydminster. The 15-year-old forward has 13 points (5g, 8a) in 15 games with the Lancers.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Parker Schellenberg (Lower Body, Day-to-Day).
HITMEN VS: BDN (1-0), EDM (2-0), EVT (0-0), KAM (0-0), KEL (0-0), LET (2-1-1-0), MH (1-2-1-1), MJ (0-2), PEN (0-0), POR (0-1), PA (1-0), PG (0-0), RD (2-0), REG (0-0-1-0), SAS (1-1), SEA (0-0), SPO (1-0), SC (1-0), TC (0-0), VAN (0-0), VIC (0-0), WEN (0-0).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary will enjoy a full four-day break before they cap this four-game homestand with a visit from the East Division leading Prince Albert Raiders on Friday, Dec. 5. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome for the second meeting of the year between the two clubs. Calgary grabbed the opener in overtime to begin their East Division road trip on Halloween. The Hitmen will then head to Lethbridge the following day for a date with the Hurricanes on Saturday, Dec. 6. at 6:00 p.m.
