Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Friday, April 2 at Medicine Hat
April 2, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
CALGARY HITMEN (5-5-1-0, 11 pts.) at MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (7-3-0-0, 14 pts.)
Friday, April 2, 2021 - 7:00 p.m. MT - Co-op Place
TODAY'S GAME
The Calgary Hitmen open a three-game set with the Tigers tonight in Medicine Hat. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Co-op Place. The Hitmen are coming off last Sunday's 2-1 victory in Edmonton, handing the Oil Kings their first loss of the season. Sean Tschigerl, on a one-time slapshot in the second period and Riley Stotts on a third period breakaway staked the Hitmen to a 2-0 lead. Josh Williams scored the lone goal for Edmonton on a power play with less than 12 minutes remaining but Hitmen goaltender Brayden Peters was perfect the rest of the way making 41 saves in a first-star performance including 15 stops in the final frame. Edmonton outshot Calgary 42-22.
BROADCAST INFORMATION Radio: chat945.com
Webcast: WHL Live at watch.chl.ca
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STREAKS
- Josh Prokop (2a) has points in back-to-back games and in eight (4g, 5a) of his last nine outings.
- Sean Tschigerl (2g) and Riley Stotts (2g) have both scored in back-to-back games.
- Adam Kydd (2g, 2a) and Evan Toth (3a) saw their three-game point streaks end Sunday in Edmonton.
NOTEWORTHY VS. MEDICINE HAT: Tonight is the fourth of six meetings in the 2021 season between the Hitmen and Tigers. Medicine Hat has grabbed two of the first three by a combined score of 14-9. Josh Prokop (2g, 1a) and Jackson van de Leest (2g, 1a) lead the Hitmen in scoring against their Trans-Canada Highway rivals with three points each. Riley Fiddler-Schultz, (2g), Cael Zimmerman (1g, 1a) and Tyson Galloway (2a) all have two. Cole Clayton (4g, 3a) is the top performing Tiger with seven points while Brett Kemp (2g, 4a) and Ryan Chyzowski (1g, 5a) are next with six.
SERIES RECAP March 12/21: MH 6 CGY 2...Brett Kemp (1g, 3a) topped the Tigers with four points. March 13/21: MH 4 CGY 2...Eric Van Impe (1g, 2a) led Medicine Hat with three points. March 14/21: CGY 5 MH 4...Jackson van de Leest (2g) and Cael Zimmerman (1g, 1a) had two points each for Calgary.
INSIDE THE SERIES Shots on Goal: CGY 118 MH 107 Power Plays: CGY 0-9 (0%) MH 8-12 (66.7%)
BROADCAST NEWS: Under AHS COVID-19 protocols, fans are not permitted to enter WHL facilities but are invited to watch games with a subscription to the all-new WHL Live on CHL TV at watch.chl.ca. Tonight's game is also available on the Tigers radio broadcast at chat945.com.
HALF WAY HOME: Tonight is game 12 of 24 in the Hitmen 2021 season, marking the official midway point.
ODDITY: Calgary has scored twice in each of the last two games. In both contests Sean Tschigerl opened the scoring with Riley Stotts adding the second marker. Tschigerl is now tied with Josh Prokop for the team lead in first goals to start a game at two each.
HITMEN STATS PACK: Minus empty net and special teams goals, the Hitmen have outscored their opponents by a combined 31-18....Calgary is 4-1 when scoring first....Josh Prokop tops the team in shots on goal with 40. Riley Fiddler-Schultz is next with 37...Josh Prokop is the team leader in plus/minus at +8....Adam Kydd and Josh Prokop have at least one shot on goal in all 11 games this season....Calgary's power play is a combined 0-38 this season.
DIVERSE ATTACK: Calgary's last 16 goals have been scored by 11 different players in Riley Stotts (3), Sean Tschigerl (2), Luke Prokop, Orca Wiesblatt, Connor Gabruch (2), Josh Prokop, Cael Zimmerman, Zac Funk, Adam Kydd (2), Tyson Galloway and Riley Fiddler-Schultz.
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Tyson Galloway (week-to-week, lower body), Luke Prokop (day-to-day, upper body).
HITMEN HISTORY: The Hitmen are in their 26th WHL season since joining the league as an expansion franchise in the 1995/96 campaign. During that time the team was won the league title twice, once in 1999 and again in 2010. Tonight's game marks a franchise milestone with game number 1,800 in Hitmen regular season history.
HITMEN VS: (EDM 1-2-0-0), (LET 2-1-0-0), (MH 1-2-0-0), (RD 1-0-1-0).
UPCOMING GAMES: The Calgary Hitmen 2021 schedule will end May 5th. Here are the next three games; Saturday, April 3: Medicine Hat Tigers at Calgary Hitmen - 7 p.m. MT Monday, April 5: Calgary Hitmen at Medicine Hat Tigers - 7 p.m. MT Friday, April 9: Calgary Hitmen at Red Deer Rebels - 7 p.m. MT
PROMO CALENDAR
For the remainder of the 2021 season and for home games only, the Hitmen will host an online RE/MAX 50/50 draw.
Tickets go on sale at hitmenhockey.com/50-50 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The first draw is Saturday, April 3. Proceeds support the Calgary Hitmen Foundation.
AGLC License #570101.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
- Rookie defenceman Owen Palfreyman picked up his first career WHL point with an assist in Sunday's win in Edmonton. He is the 10th player from the Yukon to ever play in the Western Hockey League.
Western Hockey League Stories from April 2, 2021
- Bjorklund, Tigers Top Hitmen - Calgary Hitmen
- Special Teams Cost Americans in Loss to Winterhawks - Tri-City Americans
- Alexander Leads ICE to 3-0 Victory over Raiders - Winnipeg Ice
- WHL Announces Changes to Regular Season Games - WHL
- Raiders Shut Out By ICE - Prince Albert Raiders
- Western Hockey League Statement on COVID-19 Testing Results - WHL
- 2021 WHL Bantam Draft Tentatively Rescheduled for December - Red Deer Rebels
- Game Preview: Americans Look for Another Win against Winterhawks - Tri-City Americans
- Raiders Sign Max Hildebrand to WHL Standard Player Agreement - Prince Albert Raiders
- Pre Game Report Presented by Imperial Steel - ICE vs Raiders - April 1, 2021 - Winnipeg Ice
- Tigers Sign Dezainde - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Blades Hunt 8th Straight Win vs. Warriors - Saskatoon Blades
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Friday, April 2 at Medicine Hat - Calgary Hitmen
- Broncos Meet Banged up Raiders Looking for Back-To-Back Wins - Swift Current Broncos
- Hitmen vs Tigers Gameday Preview - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Tauros Helps Seattle by Silvertips, 2-1 - Everett Silvertips
- Wheat Kings Punish Pats 7-2 for Fifth Win in a Row - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Second Period Costs Cougars - Prince George Cougars
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