Calgary Hitmen announce leadership group, name Pens prospect Sanderson captain
Calgary, AB –The Calgary Hitmen have named Carter Sanderson the 34th captain in franchise history. The forward from South Dakota is the first American Captain since Mark Kastelic served from 2018 to 2020.
Rounding out the club’s leadership group are Wyatt Pisarczyk, Hunter Aura, and Brennan Brown, who have each been appointed as alternate captains for the 2026-27 season.
“Carter has led by example from his first day in Calgary. He’s been a driver both on and off the ice for our group, always working to get better,” said Head Coach Dustin Friesen. “He has experience as a leader, he’s won a junior championship, and he’s a team-first player that his teammates can trust and rely on. He’s hard to play against on both sides of the puck, which is contagious for our group.”
Sanderson joined the Hitmen after spending the past two seasons with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, where he served as captain during the 2025-26 season. The Pierre, South Dakota native is off to an impressive start in his first WHL season, recording 10 points (7g,3a) through five games. The 6-foot-2, 196-pound power forward is committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2027-28 season and was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round (169th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft.
“I’m super honoured to be able to lead this team this year. We’re a younger group with a lot of different personalities throughout the room. We are connected, bought in, and willing to compete for as long as it takes to be successful,” said Sanderson.
The leadership group is completed by Wyatt Pisarczyk, Hunter Aura and Brennan Brown.
“I am very excited about the depth of leadership on our team this season,” continued Friesen. “It’s special to have quality returning players like Aura and Pisarczyk, along with new additions like Brown, who all embody the intangibles that are important to our Hitmen standard and identity.”
The Hitmen continue the campaign tonight at home welcoming the Lethbridge Hurricanes to the Scotiabank Saddledome for a 7:00 p.m. start, before facing off with the Red Deer Rebels Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Tickets are available at HitmenHockey.com/Tickets.
