GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Regina | 01.24.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (23-12-6-1) are back on home ice tonight for the first time in 10 days as they host the Regina Pats (15-22-5-1). Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome in the RE/MAX presents Be a Superhero for Children’s Miracle Network game. Hitmen players will be rocking custom superhero themed jerseys and wear capes during warmup. The Hitmen branded capes themselves will be available for purchase on the concourse following warm-up behind Section 214. Fans are also invited to take advantage of the $6 food and drink Hitmen Happy Hour from when doors open at 6:00 p.m. until the opening face-off. The Hitmen are playing back-to-back after posting a 5-1 win last night in Red Deer. Calgary surrendered the opening goal then rattled off five unanswered off the sticks of Ethan Moore, Andrei Molgachev, Wyatt Pisarczyk, Blake Vanek and Julien Maze. Maze chipped in a pair of assists for a team leading three points while goaltender Aidan Hesse made 35 saves in a first-star performance. The Pats also played last night falling 6-2 in Lethbridge. The game was tied 2-2 until Lethbridge took over in the final 26 minutes. Dayton Deschamps and Caden Brown supplied the Regina goals.
WHERE THEY STAND: The Hitmen sit fourth in the Eastern Conference with 53 points, one point ahead of Saskatoon with two games in hand on the Blades. Regina, at 36 points, is tied with Red Deer for the eighth and final playoff spot, just three points back of seventh place Moose Jaw.
REGINA: Tonight marks just the second of four meetings between the two clubs and their first in well over two months. Regina leads the season series 1-0 after an overtime win on home ice in November. Calgary went 4-0 against the Pats last season, including a pair of January wins at the ‘Dome by a combined score of 9-3. Keaton Jundt (1g, 1a) and Hayden Schollar, who is now with the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons, are Calgary’s top performer against the Pats this season with two points each. Keets Fawcett (2g), Reese Hamilton (2a) and Zachary Lansard (2a) have powered Regina with two points each. Their next meeting is on Saturday, Feb. 7 in the Saskatchewan Capital.
2025-26 SERIES RECAP
Nov. 4/25 in REG: Pats 4 Hitmen 3 OT…Keets Fawcett scored the winner 1:50 into the extra session after Fawcett also tied the game with 2:10 left.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 30 REG 20 Power Plays: CGY 0-5 (0%) REG 0-3 (0%)
STREAKIN’: Axel Hurtig (4a), Andrei Molgachev (2g, 1a), Julien Maze (1g, 4a) and Rylan Ng (2g, 1a) are all riding three-game point streaks. Wyatt Pisarczyk (1g, 2a), Ethan Moore (1g, 1a) and Shaun Hildebrandt (1g, 2a) have points in back-to-back games. Ben MacBeath (2a) saw his two-game point streak end last night in Red Deer.
GAME WORN AND ISSUED JERSEY AUCTION: Fans can bid on today’s Be A Superhero Jerseys until Friday, Jan. 28 at 8:00 p.m. MT at the online auction site:https://fans.winwithdash.com/team/calgaryhitmen There are a total of 27 game worn and game issued jerseys available for purchase with proceeds supporting the Alberta Children’s Hospital.
NHL DRAFT COUNTDOWN: NHL Central Scouting has released its midterm rankings for the 2026 NHL Draft. Three Hitmen are on the list of the top 225 North American skaters. Defenceman Ben MacBeath is #20, forward Landon Amrhein is #85 and forward Andrei Molgachev is #199.
HEADING WEST: Two Hitmen have been named to Team East for the WHL’s inaugural Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Both Defenceman Ben MacBeath and forward Landon Amrhein will play in the contest to be played on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the home of the Vancouver Giants the Langley Events Centre. All 23 WHL Clubs are represented in the event with each roster consisting of 22 players. NHL Central Scouting worked with the WHL to determine player selection.
TRANSACTIONS: On Wednesday the Hitmen recalled 16-year-old prospect Jack Poole and added him to the roster as an affiliate player. He made his WHL debut last night in Red Deer becoming the 34th player to appear in at least one Hitmen game this season. The 16-year-old forward from North Vancouver, BC was selected by Calgary in the fourth-round of the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft. Poole has 24 points (15g, 9a) in 21 games with the North Shore Warriors while playing U18 Prep in the CSSHL. Monday the Hitmen reassigned prospect Walker Filewich back to U18 Prep in the CSSHL with the Calgary International Hockey Academy where the 15-year-old has 12 points (7g, 5a) in 14 games. Filewich made his WHL debut last weekend in B.C., He was a second-round pick of Calgary, 35th overall, in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING: Ahead of the WHL Trade Deadline the Hitmen added Ottawa Senators third-round prospect Blake Vanek from Wenatchee. In return Calgary sent 17-year-old prospect Carter Ernst to the Wild along with a sixth-round pick in the 2029 WHL Prospects Draft. In his first seven games with the Hitmen, Vanek has scored five goals plus a shootout game winner.
BUSY BODIES: Tonight is Calgary’s eighth game in 15 days however they await a full three-day break before another hectic stretch of six games in 11 nights. The last four will be played in just five days, all on the road.
DID YOU KNOW? With his goal last night in Red Deer, Ethan Moore collected his 123rd career point moving him into a tie with Carson Wetsch (123) for 46th spot on the club’s all-time scoring list. Calgary has picked up points in 14 of their last 18 games, posting a record of 11-4-3-0.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play, which has scored at least once in 11 of the last 14 games, has climbed into a tied for third place in the WHL at 29.3%…The Hitmen penalty kill is sixth at 80.2%.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: The Hitmen are 11-7-2-0 on home ice, riding a six-game point streak (5-0-1-0) at the ‘Dome. Regina is 7-13-2-0 on the road where they been outscored by a combined 96-70.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Ty Meunier is one point shy of 50…Eric Tu surpassed 1,000 saves on Tuesday in Medicine Hat.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Harrison Lodewyk (Lower Body, Day-to-Day), Ty Meunier (Lower Body, Day-to-Day).
ALUMNI REPORT: Hitmen alumnus Andrew Ladd has been named to the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. He will be formally inducted on July 11. Ladd played two impactful seasons with the Hitmen from 2003-2005 recording 120 points (49g, 71a) in 136 games.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary returns to home ice on Wednesday, Jan. 28 to host the Edmonton Oil Kings. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. The Hitmen will then play five straight games on the road beginning Friday, Jan. 30 in Lethbridge. Puck drop is 7:00 p.m. at VisitLethbridge.com Arena.
