Game Preview: Calgary vs Victoria – 11.22.24
HITMEN HEADLINES: Fresh off a five-day break and riding a three-game winning streak, the Calgary Hitmen (10-7-3-1) return to action tonight at home against the Victoria Royals (12-7-2-1). Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Scotiabank Saddledome. Be sure to take advantage of the $6 Hitmen Happy Hour from when doors open at 6:00 p.m. up until the opening faceoff. Items include pizza, burgers, hot dogs, 14-ounce beer, highballs and 6-ounce house wine. The Hitmen have been off since last Saturday’s 4-3 overtime victory in Wenatchee. Maxim Muranov tied the game for Calgary with 10:24 remaining before added the game winner 3:47 into extra time. Carter Yakemchuk and Oliver Tulk also scored in the victory while Ben Kindel added three assists. Victoria is coming off Wednesday’s 5-1 loss in Edmonton where the Oil Kings raced out to a 2-0 lead just over seven minutes into the opening period.
VICTORIA: Tonight is the lone regular season meeting between the two clubs. Last season Calgary made the trip to Vancouver Island on New Year’s Day and dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Royals. Victoria scored twice in the final four minutes to tie it before Justin Kipkie tallied the winner 1:30 into the extra period. The last time Victoria played the Hitmen in Alberta was at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on Tsuut’ina Nation when Calgary skated to a 5-2 victory on Nov. 3, 2022. Riley Fiddler-Schultz (2g) and Oliver Tulk (1g, 1a) both had multi-point games for the Hitmen.
STREAKS: Ben Kindel (3g, 7a) is on a six-game point streak…Oliver Tulk (2g, 2a) and Carter Yakemchuk (2g, 1a) have both scored in back-to-back games…Maxim Muranov (2g, 3a) is on a two-game point streak.
ROAD TRIP REWIND: Tonight marks Calgary’s first home game since Nov. 4, a span of 18 days. The Hitmen left Calgary on Nov. 6 for their U.S. Division road trip which saw the club post a record of 4-1-1 while playing six games in nine nights. In total the team travelled 3,714 kilometers and outscored their opponents by a combined 26-20.
ROSTER MOVES: On Thursday, the Hitmen acquired Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Tanner Howe from the Regina Pats in exchange for Keets Fawcett, Resse Hamilton and two draft picks, a third-round selection in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and a second-round pick in 2027. Howe has been a prolific scorer in the WHL with 240 career points. On Tuesday the Hitmen signed 18-year-old goaltender Anders Miller to a WHL Scholarship and Development Agreement and added him to the roster while reassigning goalie Kason Kobelka to the U18 AAA Calgary Northstars. Miller has spent the season in the AJHL with Lloydminster posting a 1.98GAA and .919SV% in 10 games. On Monday the Hitmen signed defenceman Linden Burrett and added him to the roster. In 15 games with Cowichan Valley of the BCHL this season, Burrett registered nine points (3g, 6a). Last Sunday the Hitmen filled their last 20-year-old spot by acquiring Kalem Parker from the Moose Jaw Warriors in return for 2009-born prospect Nathan Gardiner, a second-round pick in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft and third and seventh round picks in 2026. Parker, a Minnesota Wild prospect, helped the Warriors win the WHL Championship last season.
SPECIAL TEAMS TRACKER: The Hitmen power play is 16th in the WHL at 20.2% while the penalty kill is third at 82.5%. Coming into tonight the Hitmen have killed 27 of their last 29 shorthanded situations.
FAST FACTS: Tonight is Calgary’s only game in a span 13 days…Counting tonight, three of Calgary’s next four games are on home ice …Carson Wetsch is seventh in the WHL with 83 shots on goal.
THE INCREDIBLE TULK: Hitmen 19-year-old centre Oliver Tulk has a remarkable efficiency on faceoffs this season having won 221 of his 336 draws for a winning percentage of 68.8%. Tulk has won 1,977 career faceoffs in 218 career games.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISION: The Hitmen have picked up a point in four of their last five home games having gone 3-1-2 in that span. Overall, they are 4-2-1-1 at Scotiabank Saddledome this season. Victoria is 8-5 on the road.
FAMILIAR FACES: The Victoria coaching staff includes Don MacGillivray who is an assistant coach with the Royals after working in the same capacity with the Hitmen last season. The Royals head coach is former Flames defenceman Jame Patrick who played five years in Calgary from 1993-98. The Hitmen blueline also features a former member of the Royals as Kalem Parker played 157 games during parts of four seasons in Victoria before he was traded to Moose Jaw early last season.
NHL RADAR: Hitmen forward Ben Kindel will play in the 2024 CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota. The two-game series will see the top first-year NHL Draft-eligible prospects from the CHL take on the U.S. National Under-18 team Nov. 26 and 27 in London and Oshawa, Ontario.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH: Carter Yakemchuk is just one point away from 150…Tanner Howe is two goals away from 100…Oliver Tulk is 19th on the clubs’ all-time goal scoring list with 80, one back of Brodie Dupont who scored 81.
ROSTER CONSTRUCTION: There are 23 players on the Hitmen roster with 15 veterans and eight rookies. 20’s (3) – Hvidston, Parker, Muranov, 19’s (7) – Adaszynski, Howe, Moore, Tulk, Hurtig*, Williams, Yakemchuk, 18’s (4) – Burrett*, Miller*, Wetsch, Valliant, 17’s (6) – Mayes, Kindel, Gorzynski, Pisarczyk. Aura*, Svancara*, 16’s (3) – Kosick*, Tu*, Ng* *Denotes rookie
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Robin Svancara (Upper Body – Day-to-Day).
TEDDY BEAR COUNTDOWN: We are nine days away from one of the most popular games of the season for Calgary, the Teddy Bear Toss powered by ENMAX. The annual event is Sunday, Dec. 1 when the Hitmen welcome Moose Jaw to Scotiabank Saddledome. Game time is 4:00 p.m. with doors open at 2:30. Fans are asked to bring a small or medium sized stuffed toy to the game and toss it on the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal. There is a charitable request for 30,000 bears this coming holiday season with second level seating still available.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen will enjoy a five-day break before facing a three-game weekend next week. It all begins on home ice against Edmonton on Friday, Nov. 29 in a 6:00 p.m. start at the ‘Dome. Calgary then heads to Medicine Hat for a date with the Tigers on Saturday, Nov. 30 before returning home on Sunday, Dec. 1 to host Moose Jaw at 4:00 p.m. in the Teddy Bear Toss powered by ENMAX Energy.
