Game Preview – CGY vs EVT – 11.03.23
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen (6-7-2-0), riding a season high four-game winning streak, play host to the Everett Silvertips (8-5-1-0) tonight. 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 all for $6 each. The Hitmen have been idle since last Sunday’s 7-4 home ice victory over Portland. Goaltender Ethan Buenaventura made a career-high 58 saves while Sean Tschigerl scored a pair of shorthanded goals. The Silvertips, winners of two in a row, are on their Central Division road trip which opened on Wednesday with a 5-1 victory in Lethbridge. Dominik Rymon paved the way for the ‘Tips with three points, scoring once and adding two assists.
EVERETT: Tonight marks the only regular season meeting between the two clubs and their first in Alberta since Dec. 8, 2019, when the Silvertips skated to a 6-3 victory. The ‘Tips stormed back from a 3-1 second period deficit while Riley Stotts scored twice in the loss. Flames prospect Dustin Wolf picked up the win making 32 saves. Last season Calgary captured their lone meeting on the road in Everett.
2022-23 SERIES RECAP
Nov. 13/22 at EVT: Hitmen 6 Silvertips 3…Zac Funk led the Hitmen with two goals and one assist.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CGY 46 EVT 27 Power Plays: CGY 1-5 (20%) EVT 1-5 (20%)
STREAKS: Sean Tschigerl (3g, 9a) and Carter Yakemchuk (2g, 6a) are both riding season high six-game point streaks…Oliver Tulk (6g, 3a) has scored in five consecutive games while Carter MacAdams (3g, 1a) is on a three-game goal scoring streak…David Adaszynski (2g, 2a) has goals in back-to-back games…Tyson Galloway (1g, 3a) and Dax Williams (4a) have points in back-to-back games…Ethan Buenaventura has won his last three starts while posting a .923 save percentage…Ben Kindel (1g, 6a) saw his three-game point streak end Sunday against Portland while two-game streaks for Reese Hamilton (2g) and Chase Valliant (2a) were also snapped against the ‘Hawks.
WELCOME BACK: Hitmen rookie defenceman Aleksey Chichkin is eligible to return to the lineup tonight after serving his WHL imposed one-game suspension for a checking from behind major assessed last Saturday against Red Deer.
FRONT OFFICE NEWS: On Thursday the Hitmen announced Garry Davidson as the sixth General Manager in franchise history. This is the 29th season of Hitmen Hockey and Davidson, now in his third year with the club, has held previous roles as Director of Player Personnel and Director of Hockey Operations.
OCTOBER REWIND: Calgary went 6-4-2 during their 12-game schedule last month. Sean Tschigerl led all players with 18 points (5g, 13a) in 12 games. Carter Yakemchuk (4g, 10a) was next with 14 while Oliver Tulk (9g, 4a) tallied 13. Ben Kindel (2g, 8a) and Reese Hamilton (4g, 3a) rounded out the top five. David Adaszynski powered the plus/minus department at +5 while 10 Hitmen scored two or more goals.
DID YOU KNOW? The Hitmen are on a six-game point streak (4-0-2-0)…Tonight kicks off Calgary’s nine-game November schedule which will see the club play five games at home and four on the road. Those nine contests will played in a span of 27 days for an average of one game every three days…Hitmen General Manager Garry Davidson spent nine seasons with Everett, helping guide the Silvertips to five first-place finishes in the U.S. Division…Ben Kindel is eighth in WHL Rookie Scoring with 12 points (3g, 9a).
SCOUTS EYE: NHL Central Scouting has released its ‘Preliminary Players to Watch’ list for the 2024 NHL Draft. Hitmen defenceman Carter Yakemchuk gained recognition as an ‘A’ ranked skater, projecting as a first-round candidate while forward Carson Wetsch is a ‘B’ ranked skater forecasting as a second or third-round candidate. A total of 63 WHLers are on the list including six potential first-round picks.
CANADA CALLS: Hitmen defenceman Reese Hamilton is 1-0 with Team Canada Red at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The 10-day event happening in Charlottetown and Summerside, Prince Edward Island continues until November 10 with Canada Red on the ice tonight against Canada White. Hamilton was drafted in the first-round (4th overall) by the Hitmen in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. He is currently fifth in team scoring (4g, 4a) with eight points.
TEDDY BEAR TALLY: More than 13,700 seats have been sold for the Sunday, Dec. 3 ENMAX Teddy Bear Toss against the Prince Albert Raiders. Fans can secure their seat to one of the most anticipated games of the season at HitmenHockey.com. Game time is 4:00 p.m.
FAST FACTS: The Hitmen have recorded 30 or more shots in 13 consecutive games.…Calgary is one of the youngest teams in the WHL with an average age of 17.86…David Adaszynski (36) is the only Hitmen skater with at least one shot on goal in all 15 games this season.
POST-GAME AUTOGRAPHS: Meet defenceman Dax Williams and forward Tyson Greenway after tonight’s game against Everett. Both players will be signing autographs at the Hitmen Booster Club table located behind section 212.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
WHL MILESTONES: Head Coach Steve Hamilton recorded his 250th career regular season win last Sunday against Portland. Carter MacAdams is three games away from 150 while Tyson Galloway is four games shy of 200.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen homestand continues Sunday, Nov. 5 when they welcome the Moose Jaw Warriors to the ‘Dome for a 6:00 p.m. start. It’s another Sunday Funday presented by Brookfield Residential. In addition to $3 sips and snacks specials all game long, look for family fun entertainment on the concourse. There are also $6 Hitmen Happy Hour food and drink deals throughout the day.
