CALGARY HITMEN NEWS AND NOTESHITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen open a two game road trip Wednesday night in Moose Jaw against the Warriors. The Hitmen are coming off Friday's 3-2 home ice shootout win over the Medicine Hat Tigers. Goaltender Martin Jones turned in a first star performance making 23 saves through regulation, four in overtime plus three more stops in the shootout. Kris Foucault scored the shootout winner for Calgary who has now won eight straight at home. Tyler Fiddler with his team leading 12th goal of the season and Michael Stone with his 10th produced the Hitmen goals in regulation. Overall Calgary is 18-6 on the season. At 36 points they hold a seven point lead over Medicine Hat for first in the Central Division, but trail the Saskatoon Blades by a three points for top spot in the Eastern Conference and number one overall.
VS MOOSE JAW: Wednesday is the third of four meetings with the Warriors. Moose Jaw leads the season series 2-0. (1-0 Home 1-0 Road)
Oct. 4 in Calgary: Warriors 4 Hitmen 3. Moose Jaw overcame a 3-1 third period deficit.
Oct. 10 in Moose Jaw: Warriors 6 Hitmen 3. Jason Bast 3g 1a.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on goal: Calgary 68 Moose Jaw 49 Powerplays: Calgary 3-10 30% Moose Jaw 2-7 28.8%
The Hitmen and Warriors will play their final regular season meeting on Friday, January 22nd in Calgary.
LIFE ON THE ROAD: Wednesday's game in Moose Jaw kicks off a stretch that will see the Hitmen play eight of their next nine games on the road. Once complete, Calgary will have played 21 of their scheduled 36 road games this season.
A THIRD COMPLETE: The Hitmen have played 24 games this season or exactly one third of their regular season schedule. They are on pace to finish the season with the record of 54-18 good for 108 points.
STREAKIN': Chase Schaber (1g 3a) is on a three game point streak. Michael Stone (2g 1a), Joel Broda (3a), Misha Fisenko (1g 1a), Tyler Fiddler (1g 1a) and Matt MacKenzie (1g 1a) all have points in back-to-back games. Brandon Kozun had his career high 16 game point streak (9g+23a31 points) halted Friday against Medicine Hat. Michael Snider has won his last four starts in goal stopping 101 of 107 shots for a.944 save percentage.
"MOVEMBER": Calgary Hitmen together with Canada Safeway are challenging Calgarians to participate in "Movember", a month to fight prostate cancer. The Hitmen are growing mustaches to raise awareness and help raise funds. Go to hitmenhockey.com and click on the "Movember" promotional link to see pictures of the players and donate. During his lifetime, 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with the disease, and this number is expected to rise to 1 in 4 within a decade. Prostate cancer is over 90 per cent curable if detected and treated in its earliest stages.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Hitmen have the number one powerplay in the WHL (37-116) clicking at 31.9%. Meanwhile the penalty kill is fourth at 83.5%.
WHL TOP 10: Brandon Kozun leads the WHL scoring race with 43 points. He also has the most assists with 32. Joel Broda is tied for third in powerplay goals with seven. Michael Snider leads the league in goals against average (2.09) and is tied for top save percentage (.926) while his two shutouts are tied for third. Michael Stone leads the league in goals by a defenceman with 10 while Stone's 21 points are tied for sixth overall in defencemen scoring.
REGULAR SEASON MILESTONES: Martin Jones passed the 2,500 save mark in Friday's win over Medicine Hat. Michael Snider needs 2 saves for 500. Joel Broda needs one assist for 100 while Michael Stone is four assists away from 100.
NAIL BITERS: 11 of Calgary's 24 games this season or 45.8 percent have been decided by a single goal. They Hitmen are 9-2 in those 11 one goal games.
WORLD JUNIOR HOPEFULS: Team WHL will face Team Russia in games five and six of the upcoming 2009 Subway Super Series. Games will be played Wednesday, November 25 in Victoria, BC, and on Thursday, November 26 in Kelowna, BC. Three Hitmen are among the 33 players named to Team WHL. Goaltender Martin Jones will play in both games while Brandon Kozun and Michael Stone will suit up for the game in Kelowna. Team WHL was selected by a special committee of WHL General Managers along with Al Murray, Hockey Canada's Head Scout for the Canadian National Junior Team, as part of the selection process for the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships. Hitmen forward Misha Fisenko will play for Team Russia in Victoria making it the second straight year he's played for his home country in the series.
HITMEN RECORD BOOKS: Brandon Kozun is climbing the Top 10 in franchise scoring. His 206 points tied for eighth on the all time list with Brandon Segal. He now needs seven points to catch Ryan Getzlaf for seventh at 215. Brad Moran leads the way with 450.
DRAFTED PLAYERS: The Hitmen have six NHL prospects... Joel Broda-(5th round Washington 2008), Kris Foucault-(4th round Minnesota 2009), Martin Jones-(FA signing LA Kings '08), Brandon Kozun-(6th round LA 2009), Ian Schultz-(3rd round St. Louis 2008), Michael Stone-(3rd round Phoenix 2008).
HITMEN TEAM LEADERS:
Goals (12) Tyler Fiddler
Points (43) Brandon Kozun
Plus/Minus (+11) Brandon Kozun
Assists (32) Brandon Kozun
PIM (49) Ian Schultz
Wins (10) Martin Jones
HITMEN VS: (Bran 1-0), (Cwk 0-1), (Edm 4-0), (Evt 1-0), (Kam 0-0), (Kel 0-1), (Ktn 2-0), (Leth 0-1), (MH 2-0), (MJ 0-2), (Port 1-0), (PA 0-0), (PG 0-0), (RD 3-0), (Reg 1-0), (Sask 0-1), (Sea 1-0), (Spok 0-0), (SC 1-0), (TC 0-0), (Van 1-0)
HITMEN ALUMNI: Paul Albers who played just over three seasons with the Hitmen (2001/02 to 2003/03) is in the Danish Elite League. The 24-year-old defenceman has 3 assists in 12 games with the Nuermberg Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers.
UP NEXT: The Hitmen wrap up their two game prairie road trip Friday in Brandon. Next Hitmen home game is Sunday, November 22nd against Calgary Flames second round draft pick Mitch Wahl and the Spokane Chiefs. Game time is 5:00 p.m. at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
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