GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Saskatoon | 02.21.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (31-15-6-1) play the first of two weekend home games tonight as they welcome the Saskatoon Blades (28-23-4-2). Note the 6:00 p.m. start time Scotiabank Saddledome. Be sure to take advantage of the $6 food and drink Hitmen Happy Hour from when doors open at 5:00 p.m. up until the opening faceoff while Blake Vanek and Jakub Seidl will be at the post-game autograph table behind Section 212. Fans can also watch the game for FREE on Victory+ with the Hitmen to wear their black jerseys. Calgary is coming off a full four-day break with their last outing, a Family Day Monday 3-1 home ice win over Everett. Goaltending and special teams paved the way as Eric Tu made 42 saves in a first-star performance while all three goals for Calgary were scored on the powerplay with singles from Harrison Lodewyk, Kale Dach and Julien Maze. Hunter Aura added a pair of assists. Saskatoon meanwhile faces their second game in as many days having played last night in Red Deer, skating to a 5-2 win over the Rebels. The Blades started fast, jumping out to a 3-0 lead less than eight minutes into the opening period. Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Laing set up two of those goals.
PLAYOFFS IN SIGHT: The Hitmen magic number to clinch a WHL Playoff spot is just a single point gained against Saskatoon or lost by Moose Jaw tonight at home against Prince George. The Warriors’ 6-2 loss to Prince Albert last night means the Hitmen have clinched a spot in the WHL Playoff Tiebreaker game, which, if necessary, would decide the eighth and final post season berth.
WHERE THEY STAND: Calgary is fourth in the Eastern Conference at 69 points, two points up on fifth place Brandon and eight 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. Saskatoon is sixth in the conference with 62 points, five points behind Brandon although the Wheat Kings have played one less game.
SASKATOON: Tonight marks the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two clubs and the second in just 18 days ago. Calgary leads the season series 2-1 although the road team is 3-0. Kale Dach (5g, 1a) tops the Hitmen with five points while Caine Wilke (1g, 3a) has four against his hometown club. Hunter Laing (2g), Brayden Klimpke (2a) and David Lewandowski (2a) have propelled the Blades with two points each.
2025-26 REGULAR SEASON SERIES RECAP
Nov. 8/25 in SAS: Hitmen 4 Blades 1…Kale Dach scored the second Hitmen hat-trick of the season.
Nov. 14/25 in CGY: Blades 2 Hitmen 1…Evan Gardner made 26 saves in a first-star performance.
Feb. 3/26 in SAS: Hitmen 7 Blades 1…The Hitmen were powered by a five-goal second period and held the Blades to 16 shots.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 87 SAS 60 Power Plays: CGY 5-11 (45.5%) SAS 2-9 (22.2%)
STREAKIN’: Kale Dach (3g,2a) and Hunter Aura (4a) are both on three-game point streaks. Blake Vanek (2g, 1a) and Harrison Lodewyk (1g, 1a) have points in back-to-back games. Goaltender Eric Tu has won his last six starts. Caine Wilke (7a) saw his career high tying five-game point streak end Monday against Everett while a two-game point streak for Ben MacBeath (2a) was also halted.
DID YOU KNOW? Tonight is Game 2 in a five-game homestand for the Hitmen. Forward Kale Dach is in a three-way tie for second in the WHL in game winning goals with eight, sharing that spot with Medicine Hat’s Bryce Pickford and Edmonton’s Miroslav Holinka. Seattle’s Cameron Schmidt leads the way with nine.
MOUNT LODEWYK: Monday against Everett, Harrison Lodewyk eclipsed 500 faceoff wins for the first time in a single season. The 20-year-old is also the club leader in faceoff winning percentage at 63.7%. 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: Hitmen rookie forward Kale Dach scored the game-winner last Monday against Everett to hit the 30-goal mark, joining teammate Julien Maze to reach the milestone this season. Maze has a team leading 31 goals. One season ago Calgary had three 30-goal scorers on their roster. 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.
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 suited up for Team East on Wednesday in the WHL’s inaugural Prospects Game presented by Showpass. Defenceman Ben MacBeath and forward Landon Amrhein helped power Team East to a 5-4 victory with Amrhein scoring a goal and MacBeath serving as an Alternate Captain.
FAST FACTS: Calgary is 11-4-2-0 against the East Division. Ethan Moore has 68 career goals which is tied with Carson Wetsch for 22nd place on the club’s all-time regular season goal scoring list. Moore is just two goals behind Carter Yakemchuk (70) who is 21st. Harrison Lodewyk has tied his career high of 12 goals set last season with Prince Albert.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play, which has scored at least once in nine straight games, leads the WHL at 32.8%…Of note, Calgary has scored 62 power play goals after scoring 60 goals all of last season with the man advantage. The Hitmen penalty kill is ranked third at 80.9%.
HOME & AWAY COMPARISON: Calgary is 15-8-2-0 at home, with points in nine of the last 10 games (9-1-1-0) at the ‘Dome. Saskatoon is 15-11-3-1 on the road where they are 3-1-1-0 in their last five.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Landon Amrhein, Kale Dach and Jakub Seidl are all in line to play their 50th career games tonight against the Blades. Andrei Molgachev is one point shy of 50. Caine Wilke played career game 100 last Monday against Everett while Eric Tu made his 50th career appearance.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Rylan Ng (Illness, Day-to-Day)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary is back at home tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 22 to host the Red Deer Rebels in 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 is 2:00 p.m. at the ‘Dome which is 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.
