WHL Calgary Hitmen

Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Friday, February 15 vs. Medicine Hat

February 15, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release


CALGARY HITMEN (28-21-4-1, 61 pts.) vs. MEDICINE HAT TIGERS (31-19-3-2, 67 pts.)

Friday, February 15, 2019 - 7:00 p.m. MT - Scotiabank Saddledome

TODAY'S GAME

The Calgary Hitmen, winners of four straight at the Scotiabank Saddledome, host the Medicine Hat Tigers tonight. Game time is 7:00 p.m. for the 13th annual Lunar Celebration presented by A1 Chesney Service Experts. Festivities begin when doors open at 6:00 p.m. with free fortune cookies for the first 3,500 fans. There are 200 prizes to be won inside the fortune cookies. Items can be claimed at the concourse prize table behind section 223. The grand prize is an A1 Cheney Service Experts Healthy Home Package. It consists of a NEST Thermostat, Healthy Climate Filtration System, and a Honeywell Humidifier. Other fortune cookie giveaways to help celebrate the Year of the Pig include:

- Food and Beverage vouchers

- Autographed Hitmen pucks

- Autographed Hitmen sticks

- CrossIron Mills Gift Cards

- Esso Gift Cards

- Calgary Flames Retro Jersey

- Calgary Roughnecks tickets

- Concert tickets

Dragon dancers will also perform during the first intermission and fans will be treated to a post-game fireworks show. Both teams last played on Wednesday with Calgary dropping a 6-2 decision in Lethbridge while Medicine Hat fell 6-3 at home to Saskatoon. BROADCAST INFORMATION

Radio: Sportsnet 960-The Fan

Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com

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STREAKS

- Riley Stotts (4g) is riding a four-game goal scoring streak and has points (4g, 6a) in eight straight games.

- James Malm (3g, 5a) is on a five-game point streak.

- Mark Kastelic (1g, 1a), Ryder Korczak (1g, 1a) and Luke Coleman (2a) all have points in back-to-back games.

NOTEWORTHY

VS. MEDICINE HAT: Tonight is the fourth of six regular season meetings between the Hitmen and Tigers. The home team is 3-0. Calgary has won two of the three games, outscoring Medicine Hat by a combined 15-13. Jake Kryski (2g, 4a) leads the Hitmen in the season series with six points while Mark Kastelic (2g, 2a) and Egor Zamula (1g, 3a) both have four. James Hamblin (5a) is the top performer for the Tigers with five points. The Central Division rivals will meet again tomorrow in Medicine Hat before wrapping up their season series on Wednesday, Mar. 6 in the Gas City.

2018-19 SERIES RECAP

Nov. 2/18 in CGY: CGY 7 MH 5...Mark Kastelic (2g, 1a) and Jake Kryski (1g, 2a) led Calgary with three points.

Nov. 4/18 at MH: MH 5 CGY 4 ...Tigers built period leads of 3-1 and 5-3.

Jan. 5/19 in CGY: CGY 4 MH 3...Egor Zamula led Calgary with a pair of assists.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Shots on Goal: CGY 124 MH 96 Power Plays: CGY 2-7 (28.6%) MH 5-12 (41.7%)

PLAYOFF CHASE: With 14 games to go in the regular season, the Hitmen are six points ahead of the Brandon Wheat Kings for the final Eastern Conference Wildcard spot and two points back of Red Deer for the first Wildcard berth. Inside the Central Division, Calgary is five points behind Lethbridge for third place and trails Medicine Hat by six points for second spot.

HOME AND AWAY: Calgary is 16-9-3-0 at home this season while Medicine Hat is 15-11-1-1 on the road.

FAST FACTS: The Hitmen have outshot their opponents in nine of the last 10 games...Including tonight Calgary has eight road games left in the regular season and six at home...Mark Kastelic has 13 multi-goal games this season...The Hitmen lead the league in average attendance at 6,801 fans per game.

POST-GAME AUTOGRAPHS: Meet forward James Malm after today's game. Malm will be signing autographs at the Hitmen Booster Club table located behind section 212.

JERSEY AUCTION: During the "Corral Series" presented by Adrenalin Source for Sports, the Hitmen honoured teams from the past by wearing three different sets of jerseys. All were put up for bid with net proceeds supporting the Hitmen Education Fund. The Calgary Centennials auction is over but two others continue. The Calgary Cowboys auction is happening at https://elevateauctions.com/CorralSeriesCowboysJerseys2019 and closes on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8:00 p.m. while the Calgary Wranglers auction doesn't close until Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 8:00 p.m. It can be found at https://elevateauctions.com/CorralSeriesCentennialsJerseys2019

ROSTER MOVES: On Monday the Hitmen reassigned 15-year-old prospects Tyson Galloway and Sean Tschigerl to their midget teams ahead of the Canada Winter Games. Galloway returns to the BCMML's Thompson Blazers and Tschigerl to OHA Edmonton in the CSSHL. Also on Monday, Calgary recalled a pair of 18-year-old affiliate players in defenceman Andrew Viggars and forward Orca Wiesblatt. Viggars has spent this season in the BCHL with the West Kelowna Warriors. In 41 games he has 10 points (1g, 9a). Viggars appeared in 39 games with the Hitmen last season registering five assists. Wiesblatt returns to Calgary from the MJHL's Portage Terriers. It's his second recall this season after appearing in four games in late January. Both Viggars and Wiesblatt played Wednesday in Lethbridge.

WHL TOP 15: Mark Kastelic is third in the WHL in goals with 38 while his 19 power play markers lead the league. Egor Zamula is ninth in defencemen scoring with 41 points. Dakota Krebs is eighth in plus/minus among defenceman at +25.

HITMEN MONTH-BY-MONTH: September (0-3-1-0), October (4-6-1-0), November (6-5-0-1), December (6-2-1-0), January (9-3-0-0), February (3-2-1-0).

CANADA WINTER GAMES: Three Hitmen prospects have been named to play in the 2019 Canada Winter Games. Forward Sean Tschigerl will suit up for Team Alberta with defenceman Tyson Galloway on Team British Columbia and defenceman Rory Neill on Manitoba. Tschigerl has been named captain of Team Alberta. The tournament begins tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 16 in Red Deer.

MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: Jake Kryski (indefinite, upper body). Hunter Campbell (indefinite, lower body), Egor Zamula (day-to-day, upper body), Dakota Krebs (day-to-day, upper body) and Jack McNaughton (day-to-day, upper body).

HITMEN VS: (BDN 1-0-1-0), (EDM 1-3-1-0), (EVT 0-1), (KAM 1-0), (KEL 1-0), (KTN 3-1), (LET 1-4), (MH 2-1), (MJ 4-0), (POR 1-0), (PA 0-4), (PG 1-0), (RD 2-5-1-0), (REG 2-0-1-0), (SAS 2-2), (SEA 1-0), (SPO 1-0), (SC 2-0), (TC 0-0-0-1), (VAN 1-0), (VIC 1-0).

HITMEN ALUMNUS: Matteo Gennaro, who scored 63 goals in parts of three seasons with the Hitmen from 2015-16 to 2017-18, is in the AHL with the Tucson Roadrunners. The 21-year-old has nine points (6g, 3a) in 42 games.

PROSPECT WATCH: Luc Benedictson, Calgary's eighth-round pick in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft, is in the Manitoba Midget Hockey League with the Winnipeg Wild. The 16-year-old forward has 30 points (13g, 17a) in 42 games.

UPCOMING GAMES

All times in MT. Schedule subject to change.

DATE OPPONENT TIME BROADCAST

Feb. 16 at Medicine Hat 7:30 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

Feb. 20 at Brandon 6:00 p.m. Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)

Feb. 22 at Regina 6:00 p.m. Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)

Feb. 23 at Swift Current 6:00 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

Feb. 27 vs. Swift Current 11:00 a.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan

PROMO CALENDAR

Upcoming home game highlights include:

- TODAY vs. MH, Lunar Celebration presented by A1 Chesney Service Experts. Festivities include fortune cookie prizes and a post-game fireworks show

- TELUS BE BRAVE Anti-Bullying Game on Feb. 27 vs. SC

- Multicultural Night on Mar. 1 vs. BDN

- WHL Suits up with Don Cherry to Promote Organ Donation - Presented by RE/MAX and Sunday Funday presented by Ricky's All Day Grill on Mar. 3 vs. KTN

- One Ticket, One Tree on Mar. 8 vs. EDM

- Fan Appreciation and Sunday Funday presented by Ricky's All Day Grill on Mar. 17 vs. EDM

CAREER MILESTONE WATCH

- Jackson van de Leest is four games shy of 100.

- Mark Kastelic played game 250 last Sunday against Moose Jaw. Carson Focht also reached 50 assists that same day.

- Three Hitmen reached significant milestones Feb. 6 against Regina with Kaden Elder playing game 300, Riley Stotts hitting 100 points and Kastelic reaching 150 points.

Check out the Calgary Hitmen Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2019


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