Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Sunday, May 2 vs. Red Deer
May 2, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
CALGARY HITMEN (9-8-2-0, 20 pts.) vs. RED DEER REBELS (3-15-3-0, 9 pts.)
Sunday, May 2, 2021 - 4:00 p.m. MT - Seven Chiefs Sportsplex
TODAY'S GAME
The Calgary Hitmen host the Red Deer Rebels this afternoon in their final home game of the 2021 season. It's a 4:00 p.m. start at Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on Tsuut'ina Nation and the beginning of a home-and-home set between the two clubs. Both teams are coming off home games against Edmonton. The Hitmen fell 8-3 to the Oil Kings on Friday while the Rebels beat the Central Division leaders 4-2 last night.
BROADCAST INFORMATION Radio: Sportsnet 960-The Fan
Webcast: WHL Live at watch.chl.ca
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STREAKS
- Sean Tschigerl (9g, 6a) is riding a career high 10 game point streak. It's the longest run by any Hitmen player this season and longest since former captain Mark Kastelic (14g, 7a) rattled off a 13-game point streak last season from Feb. 9 - Mar. 6, 2020.
- Goalie Jack McNaughton has won his last three starts, posting a 2.86 goals against average and .907 save percentage.
- Riley Stotts (2g, 4a) has points in five of his last six games while Adam Kydd (3g, 3a) has points in four of his last five contests.
NOTEWORTHY VS. RED DEER: Today marks the fourth of five meetings in the 2021 season between the Hitmen and Rebels. Calgary is 2-0-1-0 against their Alberta rivals with two of their three games needing overtime to produce a winner. Sean Tschigerl (2g, 1a), Josh Prokop (1g, 2a) and Riley Stotts (3a) share the team lead in scoring against Red Deer with three points each. Chris Douglas (2g, 1a) is the top performing Rebel with three points.
SERIES RECAP March 5/21 vs. RD: CGY 2 RD 0...Brayden Peters made 27 saves for the shutout. March 6/21 at RD: RD 3 CGY 2 OT...Arshdeep Bains scored the winner 4:06 into extra time. April 29/21 vs. RD: CGY 4 RD 3 OT...Cael Zimmerman netted the game winner 4:19 into the extra session.
INSIDE THE SERIES Shots on Goal: CGY 94 RD 96 Power Plays: CGY 0-7 (0%) RD 1-12 (8.3%)
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. Today's game is also available on the home of Hitmen Hockey, Sportsnet 960-The Fan beginning with a 60 minute pre-game show at 3:00 p.m.
STATS PACK: Today is Calgary's third game in four days and their sixth in nine days....The Hitmen are 4-2 in their last six games and 4-4-1-0 on home ice this season ....The Hitmen have been to overtime more than any other team in the Central Division at five times.....Josh Prokop tops the Hitmen in shots on goal with 64. Riley Fiddler-Schultz is next with 58...Josh Prokop leads the team lead in plus/minus at +12. Riley Stotts is next at +11....As a team, Calgary is 53.3 percent in the face-off circle....Riley Fiddler-Schultz is third in the Central Division in face-off wins with 231 trailing only Edmonton's Kaid Oliver (276) and Medicine Hat's Ryan Chyzowski (274).
MAYFAIR DIAGNOSTICS INJURY REPORT: None.
SITTING OUT: Forward Riley Fiddler-Schultz serves his one game WHL imposed suspension today against the Rebels. Fiddler-Schultz received the discipline for his cross checking major and game misconduct assessed Friday against Edmonton.
NHL DEBUT: Two former Hitmen defencemen have made their NHL debut this season, Egor Zamula with the Philadelphia Flyers and Ben Thomas with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Zamula, appeared in 120 games during parts of three seasons in Calgary from 2017-18 to 2019-20 while Thomas skated in 153 games from 2012-13 to 2015-16. They are the 47th and 48th Hitmen grads to play at least one game in the National Hockey League.
ALUMNI WATCH: Jett Woo, who played last season with the Hitmen, is in the AHL with the Utica Comets. The 20-year-old defenceman has three points (1g, 2a) in 20 games. Counting today against Syracuse, the Comets have nine games left in their season. Woo, a Vancouver Canucks prospect, tallied 46 points (7g, 39a) in 64 games with Calgary in 2019-20
THE STOTTS WATCH: Forward Riley Stotts has 177 career points with Calgary which is tied for 17th best in franchise history with Greg Chase, four points behind Michael Stone. On the goal scoring front, Riley's 66 goals share 18th place in the Hitmen record books with Jordan Krestanovich. Brodie Dupont is 17th with 81 goals.
THE POWER OF THREE: The Hitmen are 6-1-1-0 when holding the opposition to three goals or less. Conversely, Calgary is 3-7-1-0 when giving up four or more goals.
HITMEN VS: (EDM 1-3-0-0), (LET 4-2-0-0), (MH 2-3-1-0), (RD 2-0-1-0).
HOW THE HITMEN WERE BUILT (21): WHL Bantam Draft (13): Fiddler-Schultz, Funk*, Galloway, Neill*, Peters, L. Prokop, Siepmann*, Toth, Tschigerl, van de Leest, Whynott* Zandee*, Zimmerman Listed (4); Kydd, McNaughton, Palfreyman* Trade (5): Allan, Gabruch, Mitchell, J. Prokop, Stotts *Denotes rookie
UPCOMING GAMES: Following today, the Calgary Hitmen have just one game remaining in their 2021 schedule; Tuesday, May 4: Calgary Hitmen at Red Deer Rebels - 7 p.m. MT
HALF IS BEST
TODAY is the last time the Hitmen will host an online RE/MAX 50/50 draw in the 2021 season.
Tickets go on sale at hitmenhockey.com/50-50 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Proceeds support the Calgary Hitmen Foundation. AGLC License #570101.
CAREER MILESTONE WATCH
- Riley Stotts needs four points to reach 200.
- Brayden Peters is one game shy of 50.
- Luke Prokop reached 150 games played on Friday against Edmonton.
- Jack McNaughton eclipsed 2,000 career saves on Thursday in Red Deer.
Western Hockey League Stories from May 2, 2021
- Rebels Win Second in Succession on OT Goal by Tarzwell - Red Deer Rebels
- Rebels Edge Hitmen in OT - Calgary Hitmen
- Game Day Hub: May 2 - Portland Winterhawks
- Calgary Hitmen Game Preview - Sunday, May 2 vs. Red Deer - Calgary Hitmen
- Silvertips Clinch Eighth U.S. Division Title and Fourth in Five Seasons - Everett Silvertips
- Rockets Fall In Overtime - Kelowna Rockets
- Giants Grab 10th Victory, a 5-4 Shootout Triumph over Victoria - Vancouver Giants
- Tigers Fall to Canes - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Rebels Knock off Oil Kings to Snap Lengthy Losing Streak - Red Deer Rebels
- Royals Come up Short in Shootout Loss to Giants - Victoria Royals
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
