SERIES PREVIEW: (7) Calgary Hitmen vs. (2) Red Deer Rebels
The curtain rises on the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien Friday, March 31, and WHL.ca is previewing each of the eight First Round matchups. We continue by examining the series between the Red Deer Rebels and Calgary Hitmen.
Alberta rivals will collide in the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien when the Red Deer Rebels take on the Calgary Hitmen.
The best-of-seven First Round series begins Friday, March 31 in Red Deer (7:00 p.m. MT, Peavey Mart Centrium).
The two teams are close geographic rivals and frequent foes during the regular season, but this series will mark the first playoff meeting between the two sides in seven years.
The Central Division Champion Rebels shot out of the gate, winning 15 games on the trot to begin the regular season. Red Deer wound up winning the division by 14 points and will begin the WHL Playoffs as one of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference for the first time in 12 years.
Calgary clinched their spot in the post-season on the final weekend of the regular season, finishing two games over .500 after missing out on the WHL Playoffs a year ago. The Hitmen went 7-3-0-0 down the stretch, finishing the season with 18 road wins, a total only bested by the Rebels among Central Division Clubs.
By virtue of their Central Division title, Red Deer earned home-ice advantage in this series and will begin the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien as the number-two seed in the Eastern Conference. The offence is led by 19-year-old forward Kai Uchacz, who was one of only two WHL skaters to score 50 or more goals during the regular season. Rangers prospect Jayden Grubbe led the Club with 49 assists in his third season as Rebels captain, while Vegas Golden Knights signee Christoffer Sedoff was the leading blueline producer, collecting 51 points (5G-46A).
Calgary captain Riley Fiddler-Schultz leads the team on and off the ice, and finished tops among Hitmen skaters in scoring for a second straight season with a 75-point campaign. The youth movement is on full display in the Stampede City, though. 2023 NHL Draft prospect Oliver Tulk finished second in team scoring with 60 points, while Carter Yakemchuk led all WHL defenceman in power-play goals with 15, despite not being eligible for the NHL Draft until 2024.
Rookie Kyle Kelsey earned the most minutes in goal for Red Deer during the regular season, skating in 37 games while leading the Eastern Conference with four shutouts.
The Hitmen have veteran Brayden Peters between the pipes for his final WHL Playoffs journey. The product of Taber, Alta. posted a .909 save percentage over his 41 appearances and enters the post-season as the reigning WHL Goaltender of the Week.
Red Deer had the advantage over the eight-game season series, posting a 6-1-1-0 record though two of the three most recent encounters were won by Calgary. Uchacz was dominant, scoring nine times over the eight games; Anaheim Ducks prospect Sean Tschigerl led Calgary with four goals and six points during the season series.
This series will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the Rebels and Hitmen and first since a five-game Red Deer victory in the First Round of the 2016 WHL Playoffs. The Rebels have won four of the previous six series, with Calgary’s last playoff series win against Red Deer came in the Second Round 10 years ago.
STAT PACK
| Red Deer Rebels | Calgary Hitmen | |
| Record | 43-19-3-3 (1st, Central) | 31-29-5-3 (3rd, Central) |
| Leading Scorers | Kai Uchacz (50-35-85) Jayden Grubbe (18-49-67) Jace Isley (30-26-56) |
Riley Fiddler-Schultz (31-44-75) Oliver Tulk (24-36-60) Sean Tschigerl (27-30-57) |
| Leading Goaltender | Kyle Kelsey (21-11-2-3, 2.64, .907) | Brayden Peters (19-14-3-3, 2.84, .909) |
| Power Play | 26.9% (6th) | 19.4% (16th) |
| Penalty Kill | 81.0% (5th) | 83.7% (1st) |
| 2022 WHL Playoffs | Lost Second Round (Edmonton) | Did not qualify |
| Last WHL Championship | 2001 | 2010 |
2022-23 REGULAR SEASON SERIES
Red Deer (9) at Calgary (0) – March 11, 2023
Calgary (4) at Red Deer (3) OT – March 10, 2023
Red Deer (2) at Calgary (4) – January 22, 2023
Red Deer (5) at Calgary (3) – January 1, 2023
Calgary (1) at Red Deer (4) – December 29, 2022
Red Deer (3) at Calgary (2) OT – November 27, 2022
Calgary (2) at Red Deer (5) – October 19, 2022
Calgary (2) at Red Deer (3) OT – October 8, 2022
GAME BREAKERS
Red Deer Rebels: Of his 50 goals during the regular season, Kai Uchacz lit the lamp nine times against the Calgary Hitmen including hat-tricks December 29 and January 1. The product of De Winton, Alta. has the offensive ability to take games over, and he did so in all situations, scoring 30 times at even strength, 16 times on the power-play and four times while the Rebels were short-handed.
‼️ 50 ‼️
Kai Uchacz hits the half-century mark with AUTHORITY!@rebelshockey | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/NjAWDfh6yR
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 25, 2023
Calgary Hitmen: Anaheim Ducks prospect Sean Tschigerl willed the Hitmen into the WHL Playoffs, finishing the regular season on a five-game point streak that included four goals. Tschigerl, from Whitecourt, Alta., is a multi-faceted player and short-handed threat; his five short-handed goals were tops in the WHL during the 2021-22 season. His 27 goals during the 2022-23 regular season stood second-best among Hitmen skaters.
Just can't sit, gotta get Tschiggy with it.@WHLHitmen | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/23nuiWT0D4
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 5, 2023
GOALTENDING
Red Deer Rebels: Kyle Kelsey won all four of his starts against Calgary during the regular season, surrendering only six goals and posting a .953 save percentage along the way. He’s likely to be joined by veteran Chase Coward in Red Deer’s goaltending tandem, as Coward returned to the fold late in the regular season after being sidelined in September.
Kyle Kelsey comes up HUGE in overtime! pic.twitter.com/ebr2zP6IVG
— Red Deer Rebels (@Rebelshockey) November 19, 2022
Calgary Hitmen: Brayden Peters will be leaned upon in goal for the Hitmen, but the 20-year-old has proven more than capable over the course of his WHL career. A former baseball player, Peters has a terrific glove hand and is a tenacious presence in the Calgary crease.
BRAYDEN.
PETERS.
WOW. 🤯@WHLHitmen pic.twitter.com/6axKvns5T5
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 16, 2023
X-FACTORS
Red Deer Rebels: He was limited to only 30 games during the regular season, but Anaheim Ducks prospect Ben King still managed to score 17 times for Red Deer after leading the League with 52 tallies a season ago. The product of Vernon, B.C. scored 12 of his 17 goals on the power-play and gives the Rebels another high-quality offensive option heading into the post-season.
Burger King recently updated their tagline from 'Have it Your Way' to 'You Rule.'
Ben King does indeed rule. @Rebelshockey | @AnaheimDucks pic.twitter.com/v0RFeACG6Q
— The WHL (@TheWHL) February 8, 2023
Calgary Hitmen: Carter Yakemchuk’s game has taken off in 2023 and is trending toward the stratosphere ahead of his first WHL Playoffs campaign. The 17-year-old defenceman scored 19 times for his hometown Hitmen, with 15 of those tallies coming in the last two months of the regular season. Opposing teams have certainly taken notice of the 2024 NHL Draft prospect; Yakemchuk was named a Central Division Second Team All-Star earlier this week.
WE STAN CARTER YAKEMCHUK.@WHLHitmen pic.twitter.com/N9K4sHTmKz
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 25, 2023
SERIES SCHEDULE
| Game | Date | Away | Home | Time | |
| 1 | March 31, 2023 | Calgary | Red Deer | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
| 2 | April 1, 2023 | Calgary | Red Deer | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
| 3 | April 3, 2023 | Red Deer | Calgary | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
| 4 | April 5, 2023 | Red Deer | Calgary | 7:00 p.m. MT | |
| 5 | April 7, 2023 | Calgary | Red Deer | 7:00 p.m. MT | * |
| 6 | April 9, 2023 | Red Deer | Calgary | 2:00 p.m. MT | * |
| 7 | April 11, 2023 | Calgary | Red Deer | 7:00 p.m. MT | * |
* – if necessary
Through WHL Live on CHL TV, fans can enjoy every single scheduled game throughout the 2023 WHL Playoffs presented by Nutrien with the purchase of a WHL All-Access Pass at the low price of $59.99 plus applicable taxes and fees.
WHL Live – 2023 WHL Playoffs Packages
All-Access: $59.99
Round-by-Round: $19.99 per round
24-Hour Access: $9.99
* all prices in Canadian dollars
+ does not include applicable taxes and fees
WHL Live on CHL TV is available to fans anywhere in the world, providing high-quality streaming of WHL games on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV platforms, via mobile with iOS and Android, and on web using Safari or Google Chrome web browsers. Visit WHLLive.com for complete details.
