Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, November 17 at Spokane
November 17, 2018 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
CALGARY HITMEN (7-12-2-0, 16 pts.) at SPOKANE CHIEFS (11-7-1-2, 25 pts.) Saturday - 8:05 p.m. MT - Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
TODAY'S GAME
The Calgary Hitmen play Game 2 of a season-high seven game road trip tonight in Spokane against the Chiefs. Calgary opened the swing with a 5-0 win over the Kootenay ICE last night. Rookie goaltender Jack McNaughton, in just his 11th career Western Hockey League appearance, made 19 saves to record his first career shutout. Ryder Korczak scored twice for Calgary with Mark Kastelic and Jake Kryski adding a goal and an assist. Dakota Krebs rounded out the scoring for the visitors with Egor Zamula and Cael Zimmerman each chipping in a pair of assists. The Hitmen outshot the ICE 42-19 to pick up their second straight victory while improving to 2-1 against Kootenay this season.
BROADCAST INFORMATION Radio: Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream) Webcast: WHL Live at whl.neulion.com ATTACHMENTS Media Kit
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STREAKS
- Luke Coleman (2g, 2a) is on a four-game point streak.
- Egor Zamula (1g, 3a) has points in three consecutive games.
- Carson Focht (1g, 4a) and Mark Kastelic (2g, 1a) both have points in back-to-back games while goaltender Jack McNaughton has won his last two starts.
- Riley Stotts (2g, 2a) saw his two-game point streak end last night against the ICE.
NOTEWORTHY VS. SPOKANE: Tonight is the first and only meeting this season between the Hitmen and Chiefs. Spokane has won five of the last six games with Calgary, including a 6-4 victory in their only battle last season. The Hitmen last played in Spokane on Nov. 18, 2016 dropping a 5-2 decision. Ethan McIndoe recorded three assists for the Chiefs. Calgary's last win in Spokane came on Feb. 20, 2015 by a score of 4-3. Colby Harmsworth scored the game winner, snapping a 3-3 tie with 7:22 remaining.
2017-18 SERIES RECAP Oct. 24/17 at CGY: SPO 6 CGY 4...Spokane erased a 4-2 third period deficit in the final 13 minutes.
INSIDE THE SERIES Shots on Goal: CGY 34 SPO 38 Power Plays: CGY 2-5 (40%) SPO 3-6 (50%)
HIGHWAY TRACKER: Calgary's tilt in Spokane tonight is the second stop in a stretch of six games in nine nights. Once the journey wraps up and the Hitmen return back to Calgary, they will have covered a grand total of 3,004 kilometers. So far they have gone 688 kilometers.
LONG TIME COMING: Calgary's 5-0 win over the ICE last night was their first shutout victory since March 11, 2016. That night Cody Porter made 29 saves in a 5-0 victory at Rexall Place in Edmonton.
FAST FACTS: Calgary has only been outshot in three of their 21 games this season...Chiefs Assistant General Manager, Hockey Operations Chris Moulton was a traveling scout with the Hitmen until the end of the 2004-05 season... Calgary has clicked for four power play goals in the last two games after scoring three times with the man advantage in the previous seven games.
BOUNCING BACK: Since starting the season 0-5-1-0, the Hitmen have gone 7-7-1-0.
DIVERSITY: Calgary's last 14 goals have been scored by 11 different players.
HOME AND AWAY COMPARISON: The Hitmen are 4-6 on the road this season while Spokane is 5-3-0-1 at home.
TEDDY BEAR TICKETS: Due to overwhelming demand, press-level seating is open for The Brick Teddy Bear Toss. Tickets are available starting at $14.99 for adults and $9.99 for students and kids (plus applicable fees and taxes). Limited second level seating also remains. Fans are encouraged to bring a new small or medium-sized stuffed toy to toss onto the ice when the Calgary Hitmen score their first goal on Sunday, Dec. 9 against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. Game time at the 'Dome is 2:00 p.m.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Bryce Bader is in his first full season in the WHL. Last season, Bader skated in three games as an affiliate player with the Hitmen. He also played 30 games (10g, 15a) in the Alberta Midget Hockey League with the Sherwood Park Kings. His dad Darin played in the WHL spending four seasons with the Saskatoon Blades from 1987 to 1991.
NHL DRAFT: Mark Kastelic and Jackson van de Leest are both on NHL Central Scouting's November 'Players to Watch' list for the 2019 NHL Draft. They each received a "C rating' which indicates fourth/fifth/sixth round candidate.
HITMEN ALUMNUS: Jakob Stukel, who scored a team-leading 37 goals for the Hitmen last season, is in the ECHL with the Wichita Thunder. The 21-year-old has four points (2g, 2a) in 10 games.
WORLD STAGE: Luke Prokop joined Hockey Canada at the 2018 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. The eight-team tournament saw Prokop and Canada White finish sixth. The Hitmen defenceman recorded one assist in five games. Prokop became the 28th player in franchise history to participate in the tournament joining fellow teammates Jackson van de Leest (2017), Carson Focht (2016), Jake Kryski (2014), Carl Stankowski (2016) and Riley Stotts (2016). Focht won gold with Canada White while van de Leest helped Canada Red capture silver.
CORRAL SERIES: The Hitmen will play a trio of regular season games this season at the historic Stampede Corral. "The Corral Series" presented by Adrenalin Source for Sports, will see the Hitmen host the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday, Feb. 1, the Regina Pats on Wednesday, Feb. 6 and the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday, Feb. 8. All will be 7:00 p.m. starts in the vintage building that first opened on Dec. 15, 1950 and was the original home of the Calgary Flames from 1980-83. Each game will be dedicated to a former elite team who once called the Stampede Corral home by wearing commemorative jerseys of the Calgary Centennials, Calgary Wranglers and Calgary Cowboys. The series will feature a number of exciting events including an opening night pre-game celebration and beer gardens, a luncheon, merchandise and other activities that will make this a week to remember. Tickets go on sale Nov. 26.
ROSTER MOVES: On Oct. 31, the Hitmen acquired forward James Malm and a conditional pick in the 2020 Western Hockey League Bantam Draft from the Vancouver Giants in exchange for forward Tristen Nielsen. On Oct. 30 the Hitmen acquired a sixth-round selection in the 2020 WHL Bantam Draft from the Saskatoon Blades in exchange for forward Zack Huber. On Oct. 6 the Hitmen acquired a fourth-round selection in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2020 from the Tri-City Americans in exchange for defencemen Dom Schmiemann.
HITMEN GO GREEN: On Sept. 26, National Tree Day, the Calgary Hitmen announced their participation in an environmental initiative called One Ticket, One Tree. The Hitmen will begin a pilot project where a tree will be planted for reforestation projects in the province for each game day and group ticket sold to the One Ticket, One Tree game when they host the Oil Kings on Mar. 8 at 7:00 p.m. In addition, Hitmen players will be in the community this season doing their part to reduce their ecological footprint and bring awareness to local environmental issues.
TICKET SPECIALS: The 2018-19 Hitmen Hockey Pass includes 34 tickets to be used anytime, in any combination. Pass holders also receive a $50 Scotiabank Saddledome gift card and a FREE ticket to a select Flames, Roughnecks or Stampeders game. Passes start at less than $7 per ticket for kids and under $15 for adults. Also available is the 10-game Hitmen Flex Pack to be used for any game, in any combination. Students and kids tickets are $10 per game, adults and seniors $20. Applicable fees and taxes apply. Visit HitmenHockey.com to score yours today!
IN THE COMMUNITY: On Monday the entire Hitmen team attended the 2nd Annual Hockey Calgary Leadership Day. The one-day workshop brought together over 1,000 minor hockey players from all Hockey Calgary associations with an emphasis on teamwork, sportsmanship, respect and fun. Each Hitmen player was assigned a group of minor hockey players where they served as team mentors.
UPCOMING GAMES All times in MT. Schedule subject to change. DATE
OPPONENT TIME BROADCAST
Nov. 20 at Everett 8:05 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan
Nov. 21 at Portland 8:00 p.m. Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)
Nov. 23 at Seattle 8:35 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan
Nov. 24 at Tri-City 8:05 p.m. Sportsnet 960-The Fan
Nov. 30 at Red Deer 7:00 p.m. Sportsnet.ca/960 (Alt Stream)
PROMO CALENDAR
Upcoming home game highlights include: - The Brick Teddy Bear Toss on Dec. 9 vs. KAM
- Carols for Christmas on Dec. 14 vs. KEL
- Novice Jamboree on Dec. 16 vs. LET
- Soccer Day on Dec. 30 vs. VAN
- Airdrie Day on Jan. 1 vs. VIC
- Wizarding Day on Jan. 5 vs. MH
- CBE Night on Jan. 25 vs. PG
- Dodge Skate with the Hitmen on Jan. 27 vs. KTN - The Corral Series - Presented by Adrenalin Source for Sports on Feb.1 vs. BDN, Feb. 6 vs. REG and Feb. 8 vs. PA. Tickets on sale starting Nov. 26 - Family Game on Feb. 10 vs. MJ
- Lunar Celebration/Calgary Catholic on Feb. 15 vs. MH - TELUS BE BRAVE 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 on Mar. 3 vs. KTN - One Ticket, One Tree on Mar. 8 vs. EDM - Fan Appreciation on Mar. 17 vs. EDM
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
- Jake Kryski is one game shy of 300.
- Luke Coleman played in game 250 last night against the ICE. Coleman is also two goals away from 50.
- Dakota Krebs played career game 200 Nov. 11 against Kootenay while James Malm reached 50 goals that same day.
- Goaltender Carl Stankowski passed 1,000 career minutes played on Nov. 9 in Lethbridge.
Western Hockey League Stories from November 17, 2018
- Blades Score Three Late Unanswered Goals to Defeat Americans 5-3 - Tri-City Americans
- Raiders Blank Wheat Kings on Home Ice - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Blades Keep Rolling, Win Fourth Straight over Americans - Saskatoon Blades
- Special Teams Propel Raiders to Road Win - Prince Albert Raiders
- Tigers Shutout Broncos 2-0 - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Preview: Blades Host Americans for Hockey Night in Saskatoon - Saskatoon Blades
- Oil Kings Add Russell to Roster - Edmonton Oil Kings
- Winterhawks Game Day Preview: Portland at Seattle - Game #22 - Portland Winterhawks
- ICE Continue Busy Weekend in Red Deer - Kootenay Ice
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Saturday, November 17 at Spokane - Calgary Hitmen
- Game 24 at Swift Current - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Game Day Preview: Pats Look to Bounce Back Saturday in Victoria - Regina Pats
- Wheat Kings Dominate Tigers - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Portland Tops Tips, 5-2 - Everett Silvertips
- Giants Wrap up Home Stand with a 10-4 Win over Regina - Vancouver Giants
- Chiefs Turn Away T-Birds for Third-Straight Win - Spokane Chiefs
- ICE Blanked by Hitmen 5-0 - Kootenay Ice
- Hawks Torch the 'Tips at Home - Portland Winterhawks
- Rebels Roar Past Rockets in First Home Game in Three Weeks - Red Deer Rebels
- Henry's Big Night Not Nearly Enough to Offset Porous Defense - Regina Pats
- Ams Fall 3-1 in Battle against the Number One Ranked Raiders - Tri-City Americans
- Tigers Stumble 4-1 to Wheat Kings - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Chiefs Double up T-Birds - Seattle Thunderbirds
- Scott Scores In Win Over Americans - Prince Albert Raiders
- McNaughton and Hitmen Whitewash Kootenay - Calgary Hitmen
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