Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Monday, February 8 at Kamloops
February 8, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
CALGARY HITMEN (31-19-1-2, 65 pts.) at KAMLOOPS BLAZERS (23-22-5-3, 54 pts.)
Monday, Feb. 8, 2016 - 3:00 p.m. MT - Sandman Centre
TODAY'S GAME
The Calgary Hitmen wrap up a four-game BC road trip this afternoon against the Kamloops Blazers. The Hitmen are 1-1-0-1 on the swing and coming off Saturday's 3-2 shootout loss in Kelowna. Justin Kirkland netted the lone goal of the shootout after the Rockets Tyson Baillie forced overtime scoring with 50.4 seconds left in regulation. Jake Bean and Keegan Kanzig replied for Calgary. Both teams went 0-4 on the powerplay. The Hitmen, at 65 points, are third in the WHL's Central Division, six points behind the Red Deer Rebels. Kamloops is fourth in the BC Division with 54 points, three points ahead of the Tri-City Americans for the final Western Conference Wildcard spot.
HITMEN BROADCAST INFORMATION
Radio: Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)
Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com
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STREAKS
- Colby Harmsworth (2a) has points in back-to-back games.
- Travis Sanheim (2g, 18a) had his career-high 14-game point streak end Saturday in Kelowna. However during that time he set a new league mark recording assists in 14 consecutive games, the longest in the WHL this season.
- Jackson Houck (5g, 1a) also saw his three-game goal scoring streak end Saturday against the Rockets. Houck has eight goals in his last six games.
NOTEWORTHY
VS. KAMLOOPS: Today is the second and final regular season meeting between the two teams this season. It's also the second visit to Kamloops for the Hitmen as the Blazers won't make a return trip to the Scotiabank Saddledome. Over the last five seasons, the Hitmen are 7-1-0-1 against the Blazers including a 5-0 record in Kamloops.
2015-16 SERIES RECAP
Oct. 23/15 at KAM: CAL 4 KAM 2...Radel Fazleev, Beck Malenstyn and Jordy Stallard all had 1g, 1a.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on Goal: CAL 21 KAM 25 Power Plays: CAL 0-3 (0%) KAM 1-4 (25%)
SHOT CLOCK: The Hitmen have outshot their opponents in 16 of their last 17 games and have fired at least 29 shots on goal in all 17 contests.
NHL DRAFT WATCH: Six Hitmen are among the top players available for the 2016 NHL Draft. The midterm rankings list is compiled by NHL Central Scouting Service and splits prospects into both North American (NA) and International categories. There are five Hitmen among North American skaters, including Jake Bean who is the top-ranked Western Hockey League prospect at number 13. Teammates Jordy Stallard (84th), Carsen Twarynski (95th), Jakob Stukel (113th) and Beck Malenstyn (124th) round out the skaters list. Cody Porter also earned a spot in the rankings among North American goalies at number 18. The 2016 NHL Draft will be held at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York on June 24-25.
WHAT'S LEFT: Including today, of Calgary's 19 remaining regular season games 11 are at home and eight are on the road.
TEAM ATTACK: Nine Hitmen have scored 10 or more goals this season while 10 Hitmen have picked up 20 or more points.
DID YOU KNOW? Hitmen forward Jakob Stukel is in a three-way tie for second in the WHL in powerplay goals with 12.
SET UP MAN: Travis Sanheim enters today's game with 108 career assists, tied for 13th spot on the clubs all-time regular season assist list with Boris Protsenko. The franchise leader is Brad Moran who had 246 helpers.
ROAD WARRIORS: Calgary is tied for the fewest games played on home ice in the WHL at 25. On the flip side, today is game 29 away from home which ties Moose Jaw for the league lead.
BUSY FEBRUARY: The Hitmen play 13 games this month. Those 13 contests are spread out over 25 days
OLYMPIC OPPORTUNITY: Hitmen prospect Tristen Nielsen, a 2015 first-round WHL Bantam Draft pick, will represent Canada in ice hockey at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games, set for February 12-21 in Lillehammer, Norway. He is one of nine forwards and 17 players named to the team.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Calgary's powerplay is seventh in the WHL at 21.5%. Only the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 60 have scored more powerplay goals than Calgary's 53 this season. The Hitmen penalty kill, which has surrendered 41 goals, is fifth in the league at 82.8%.
HITMEN VS: (BDN 3-1), (EDM 2-2), (EVT 1-0), (KAM 1-0), (KEL 0-1-0-1), (KTN 5-0), (LET 1-2), (MH 1-2), (MJ 0-4), (POR 0-0), (PA 3-1), (PG 1-2), (RD 2-0-0-1), (REG 3-0-1-0), (SAS 3-0), (SEA 1-0), (SPO 0-1), (SC 2-1), (TC 1-0), (VAN 1-1), (VIC 0-1).
DYNAMIC DUO: Calgary has two of the top 10 scoring defencemen in the WHL in Jake Bean and Travis Sanheim. Bean (19g, 27a) has 46 points to sit tied for fourth among defenceman while Sanheim's (8g, 34a) 42 points place him ninth. Bean's career-high 19 goals lead the league while his eight power play goals share the lead among all blueliners.
TEETER TOTTER: Calgary has been in a series off several runs this season. They started the 2015-16 schedule 5-1-0-1 before going 4-9-0-0 in their next 13 games. They then went on a major roll, posting a mark of 16-3-1-0 followed by a 2-5-0-0 stretch but are 4-1-0-1 since.
RACE FOR THE TOP: It would appear the Hitmen team scoring title will go down to the wire this season as four players are within seven points of each other; Radel Fazleev 49pts, Jake Bean 46pts, Jakob Stukel 44pts and Travis Sanheim 42pts.
FRANCHISE HISTORY: The Hitmen are in their 21st season in the WHL. During that time 329 players have worn the Hitmen jersey.
ALUMNI WATCH: Michael Stone, who played four seasons with the Hitmen (2006-07 to 2009-10), is in the NHL with Arizona. The 25-year-old defenceman has 20 points (3g, 17a) in 52 games with the Coyotes. Stone played 264 career regular season games in Calgary recording 181 points (52g, 129a) and was co-captain of the 2010 WHL Champion Hitmen.
PROMO CALENDAR
Hitmen single game tickets are on sale now. Upcoming home game highlights include:
- Lunar Celebration with post-game fireworks on Friday, Feb. 12 versus Red Deer
- Co-op Family Day on Sunday, Feb. 14 against Lethbridge
- Hometown Heroes on Saturday, Feb. 20 against Lethbridge
- Multicultural Night on Sunday, Mar. 6 against Red Deer
- Fan Appreciation Day, including a pre-game on-ice player awards ceremony, on Sunday, Mar. 20 versus Kootenay
MILESTONES
- Micheal Zipp and Carsen Twarynski are both one point away from 50.
- Taylor Sanheim is five games shy of 100.
- Keegan Kanzig played his 300th career game Saturday in Kelowna.
- Jake Bean hit the century mark in games played Feb. 3 in Victoria.
Western Hockey League Stories from February 8, 2016
- Ingram Makes 36 Saves, Blazers Win 3-2 - Kamloops Blazers
- Royals Drop Silvertips - Victoria Royals
- Rockets Blast Past T-Birds - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Oil Kings Blanked 1-0 in Vancouver - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Rockets Unlease Offense and Beat Seattle 7-4 - Kelowna Rockets
- Kubic Blanks Oil Kings - Vancouver Giants
- Kamloops, Ingram Edge Hitmen 3-2 - Calgary Hitmen
- Lewington Shining in Hershey - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Canes Chatter - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Raiders Set to Celebrate Dave Manson Weekend - Prince Albert Raiders
- Provorov Named WHL Player of the Week - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Portland Winterhawks this Week - Portland Winterhawks
- Wheat Kings' Provorov Named WHL Player of the Week - WHL
- Tigers Drop Tough Game in Brandon - Medicine Hat Tigers
- JBF Kids, Inc. Announces the Launch of Club Rockets - Kelowna Rockets
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Monday, February 8 at Kamloops - Calgary Hitmen
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