GAME PREVIEW: Calgary vs Tri-City | 01.14.26
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (21-10-5-1) wrap up a three-game homestand tonight as they welcome the Tri-City Americans (21-15-3-0) to Scotiabank Saddledome. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Fans are 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 enter play on a three-game winning streak and coming off Sunday’s 5-1 victory over Lethbridge. Ethan Moore scored a pair of goals for Calgary while Caine Wilke notched a goal and an assist. The Hitmen were outshot 31-26 but goaltender Aidan Hesse made a career-high 32 saves in a second star performance. Tri-City has been idle since their Saturday night 7-3 home ice thumping of Moose Jaw. Cruz Pavao (1g, 3a) led the Americans with four points while Jakub Vanecek (2g, 1a) tallied three.
WHERE THEY STAND: Both clubs have nearly mirror results in the last 10 games with Calgary posting a 7-1-2 record and the Americans a 7-2-1 mark. Overall, the Hitmen are fourth in the Eastern Conference with 48 points, three ahead of both Saskatoon and Brandon but with three games in hand on the Wheat Kings and two on the Blades. Tri-City is tied with Kelowna for fourth in the Western Conference at 45 points, three points behind third place Prince George.
TRI-CITY: Tonight is the lone regular season meeting between the two clubs and their first in just over 14 months. Last season they met on Nov. 11, 2024, in Kennewick, Washington, with the Americans skating to a 6-5 overtime victory. The Hitmen started well, building first period leads of 3-1 and 4-2 before Jake Gudelj scored the OT winner 51 seconds into the extra session. Ben Kindel (1g, 2a) and Oliver Tulk (1g, 2a) paced the Hitmen with three points each. The last time Calgary hosted Tri-City was on Jan. 14, 2024, when the Hitmen fired 51 shots on goal in a 6-4 triumph. Keets Fawcett (1g, 2a) led the way with three points while Ehtan Moore scored twice.
STREAKIN’: Kale Dach (3g, 8a) is on a five-game point streak…Julien Maze (2g, 2a), Ethan Moore (4g) and Wyatt Pisarczyk (3a) are all riding three-game point streaks…Calder Hamilton (1g, 1a) and Ben MacBeath (2a) have points in back-to-back games… Eric Tu has won his last three starts in goal posting a 2.00 goals against average and .923 save percentage. Hunter Aura (4a) and Andrei Molgachev (2g, 2a) both saw their three-game point streaks end Sunday against Lethbridge
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.
GAME WORN AND ISSUED JERSEY AUCTION: On Sunday against Lethbridge the Hitmen wore Nickelodeon Paw Patrol jerseys with today the final day for fans to bid in the online auction at:https://fans.winwithdash.com/team/calgaryhitmen Bidding closes tonight, Jan. 14 at 8:00 p.m. MT. There is a total of 30 items available for purchase. Among them is a Paw Patrol Stick and Puck Bundle where the winning bid may choose which current Hitmen player they would like to autograph their mini stick and puck. Proceeds from this auction will benefit the Calgary Hitmen Foundation.
TRADE DEADLINE REWIND: Calgary made several transactions last week ahead of the WHL Trade Deadline. The Hitmen added Ottawa Senators third-round prospect Blake Vanek from Wenatchee. The 18-year-old rookie had 18 points (8g, 10a) in 37 games before the deal. 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. The Hitmen also made a swap with Everett, acquiring 18-year-old import defenceman Jakub Seidl in return for a second-round pick in the 2026 CHL Import Draft. The product of Czechia is in his rookie season and had eight points (1g, 7a) in 32 games with the ‘Tips along with a plus/minus rating of +11. One other transaction saw the Hitmen reassign forward Hayden Schollar to the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. The 18-year-old rookie had tallied six points (2g, 4a) in 22 games.
RUNNING HOT: Calgary has picked up points in 11 of their last 13 games, posting a record of 9-2-2-0.
RAMPING UP: Today is the third contest in a stretch of hockey that sees the Hitmen play 10 games in 21 days to close out their January schedule. Counting tonight, there are three remaining games at home (TC, REG, EDM) and five on the road (KEL, PEN, MH, RD, LET).
DID YOU KNOW? With his two goals Sunday against Lethbridge, Ethan Moore has 121 career points moving him into sole possession of 47th place on the club’s all-time scoring list ahead of Andrew Ladd (120). Moore is now two points back of Carson Wetsch (123) for 46th spot with Matteo Gennaro (124), Adam Tambellini (125) and Paul Postma (126) all within striking distance.
SPECIAL TEAMS NOTEBOOK: The Hitmen power play, which has scored at least once in eight of the last nine games, has climbed into fourth place in the WHL at 29.9%…The Hitmen penalty kill ranks third at 81.6%.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: The Hitmen are 10-7-2-0 on home ice and riding a five-game point streak (4-0-1-0) at the ‘Dome. Tri-City is 7-9-2-0 on the road where they have been outscored 70-47.
WHL REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Ty Meunier is one point shy of 50…Julien Maze hit the 100-point mark on Sunday against Lethbridge while Hunter Aura played career game 100 the same day.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Kale Dach (Upper Body, Day-to-Day).
OLYMPIC INVITE: Hitmen graduate Travis Sanheim has been named to Team Canada’s Men’s Hockey Roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The 29-year-old defenceman is in his ninth NHL season with Philadelphia and has 19 points (5g, 14a) in 44 games with the Flyers. Sanheim appeared in 132 career games with the Hitmen from 2013-2016 recording 162 points (35g, 127a).
HITMEN VS: BDN (1-0-1-0), EDM (2-0), EVT (0-0), KAM (0-1), KEL (0-0), LET (4-1-1-0), MH (1-2-1-1), MJ (0-2), PEN (0-0), POR (0-1), PA (2-0), PG (1-0), RD (4-1), REG (0-0-1-0), SAS (1-1), SEA (1-0), SPO (1-0), SC (2-0), TC (0-0), VAN (1-0), VIC (0-0-1-0), WEN (0-1).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Calgary departs tomorrow for a mini two-game B.C. Road trip which opens against the 2026 Memorial Cup host Kelowna Rockets on Friday, Jan. 16. Game time is 7:05 PST/8:05 MST. The journey concludes the following night on Saturday, Jan. 17 in Penticton against the expansion Vees. Game time is 6:05 PST/7:05 MST. The Hitmen then have Alberta road games in Medicine Hat (Jan. 20) and Red Deer (Jan. 23) before their next home game on Saturday, Jan. 24 against the Regina Pats. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome in the RE/MAX presents Be a Superhero for Chrildren’s Miracle Network game.
