Hitmen to Play Four Games in Six Days
February 2, 2009 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Calgary Hitmen News Release
Monday, February 2nd
- Practice 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Pengrowth Saddledome.
- Cardel Homes "Hang with the Hitmen" 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at National Sport Development (7475 Flint Road SE). The entire Hitmen team will put two lucky minor hockey teams through a series of off-ice workouts.
Tuesday, February 3rd
- HOME GAME vs. Edmonton Oil Kings. Game time 7:00 p.m. Pengrowth Saddledome. This is the sixth and final regular season meeting between the Hitmen and Oil Kings. Calgary leads the season series 4-1. Internet Broadcast on www.fan960.com start at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, February 4th
- Practice 2:15 to 3:30 p.m. Pengrowth Saddledome.
Thursday, February 5th
- ROAD GAME at Medicine Hat Tigers. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at The Arena. Calgary is 4-0 against Medicine Hat this season. Internet Broadcast on www.fan960.com starts at 7:00 p.m.
Friday, February 6th
- ROAD GAME at Swift Current Broncos. Game time is 6:30 p.m. at Credit Union I-Plex. The Hitmen are 3-0 against Swift Current this season. Radio Broadcast on The Fan 960 and www.fan960.com starts at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 7th
- Practice 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Pengrowth Saddledome.
Sunday, February 8th
- HOME GAME vs. Kootenay Ice. Game time is 5:00 p.m. Pengrowth Saddledome. The Hitmen are 4-2-1-0 against the Ice this season. It's the Coast Plaza Hotel Valentines Day Giveaway. Radio Broadcast on The Fan 960 and www.fan960.com starts at 5:00 p.m.
*Schedule subject to change, all times Mountain Standard Time.
CALGARY HITMEN NEWS AND NOTES
HITMEN HEADLINES: The Calgary Hitmen wrap up a mini two game home stand Tuesday night against the Edmonton Oil Kings. Calgary is coming off Saturday's wild 7-6 overtime loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Hitmen overcame three deficits (1-0, 5-2 and 6-5) to force OT. In the end, special teams would prove to be the Calgary downfall as Brandon went 2-3 on the power play and scored two shorthanded goals. The Wheat Kings OT winner was scored with the man advantage just 49 seconds into the extra session. Paul Postma led the Hitmen offense with a pair of goals while Brandon Kozun, Ian Schultz, Kyle Bortis and Kris Foucault added singles. Carson McMillan and Jason MacDonald each chipped in a pair of assists. Calgary outshot Brandon 42-32.
VS EDMONTON: Tuesday is the sixth and final regular season meeting. The Hitmen lead the season series 4-1 having outscored Edmonton by a combined 25-9.
-Sept. 20th in Edmonton; Oil Kings 4 Hitmen 3. Oil Kings overcame a 3-1 deficit.
-Sept. 24th in Calgary; Hitmen 4 Oil Kings 1. Brett Sonne and Brandon Kozun each with 1g 1a.
-Oct. 19th in Edmonton; Hitmen 7 Oil Kings 2. Michael Stone 2g.
-Dec. 31st in Edmonton; Hitmen 4 Oil Kings 1. The Hitmen scored four goals in the final 6:58.
-Jan. 20th in Calgary; Hitmen 7 Oil Kings 1. Brett Sonne three goals, Keith Seabrook three assists.
INSIDE THE SERIES
Shots on goal: Calgary 167 Edmonton 132. Power plays: Calgary 7-26 26.9% Edmonton 1-24 4.2%
PLAYOFF BOUND: On January 28th the Hitmen mathematically clinched a berth in the 2009 WHL Playoffs. This marks the 12th straight season the Hitmen have qualified for the post season.
SHOOTING GALLERY: In the last three games the Hitmen have fired a total of 142 shots on goal. They had 42 vs. Brandon, 49 in Lethbridge and 51 vs. Regina. Calgary has also recorded at least 30 shots or more in 15 straight games.
RECORD BREAKING SEASON: From Oct. 15/08 to Jan. 16/09 the Hitmen set a new franchise record 18 game home ice winning streak. The previous mark of 14 was set in the 1999/2000 season....On January 25th vs. Regina the Hitmen scored a franchise record six powerplay goals. In that game defenceman Paul Postma tied the franchise mark for power play points by a defenceman with four....On January 18th vs. Chilliwack the Hitmen fired 26 third period shots tying a franchise record for most shots in a single period....The Hitmen currently have 26 home ice wins with seven games remaining. The franchise record is 30, set in the 1999/2000 season.
STREAKIN': Martin Jones is 16-0-2-0 in his last 18 starts. He is also unbeaten in regulation time in his last 18 starts at home 17-0-1-0. Paul Postma (6g 13a) has points in nine straight. His career high is 10 games set earlier this season. Brett Sonne (5g 5a) has points in six straight. He also has 15 goals in his last 15 games. Keith Seabrook (4g 6a) and Kris Foucault (4g 4a) are both on five game streaks. Brandon Kozun (1g 7a) has points in four straight.
WHL TOP GUNS: The Calgary Hitmen have five of the Top 15 scorers in the Western Hockey League. Brandon Kozun is second with 78 points; Brett Sonne is fourth with 70, Kyle Bortis is 12th with 60 while Joel Broda and Paul Postma are tied for 15th with 60 points. The Hitmen also have three of the top scoring defencemen in the WHL. Paul Postma leads all blue liners with 60 points; Michael Stone is sixth with 45 while Keith Seabrook is 10th with 38 points. Martin Jones leads the WHL in wins (32) and is tied for second in shutouts with (5). He has the third best GAA at 2.16.
DID YOU KNOW? The seven goals surrendered by the Hitmen Saturday against Brandon tied a season high. Calgary also allowed seven goals in a November 28th 9-7 win over Swift Current....Calgary has scored four or more goals in a game 37 times this season....Calgary defencemen have scored 56 combined goals this season or 23.5 percent of the 238 total goals scored by the Hitmen....Brandon Kozun is ranked 149th among North American Skaters by NHL Central Scouting. It's their midterm rankings for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft....For the second week in a row the Hitmen are ranked #2 in the CHL Mosaik MasterCard Top 10 Rankings. Three Hitmen have been named Boston Pizza Player of the Week in the WHL this season; Brett Sonne, Brandon Kozun and Keith Seabrook. Joel Broda also did it twice with the Moose Jaw Warriors.
IRON MEN: Only Brandon Kozun and Jason MacDonald have played in every Hitmen game this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS INFO: The Hitmen failed to score a power play goal against Brandon Saturday ending a hot streak (12-30 40%) of at least one power play goal in five straight games. The penalty kill has allowed at least one goal in four straight games (14-22 63.6%).
POSTMA'S STAMP: Paul Postma (60 points) is the highest scoring Hitmen defenceman since the 2000/01 season when Matt Kinch (18g 66a) had 84 points.
2008-09 HITMEN STANDINGS: Record (43-7-3-1). Home (26-2-1-0). Road (17-5-2-1). Central Division (1st). Conference (1st). Western Hockey League (2nd).
HITMEN TEAM LEADERS:
Goals (39) Joel Broda Points (78) Brandon Kozun Plus/Minus (+42) Paul Postma
Assists (49) Brandon Kozun PIM (117) Alex Plante Wins (32) Martin Jones
CAREER WATCH: Carson McMillan and Brandon Kozun both need one goal for 50. Martin Jones is 51 minutes played shy of 5,000. Only three other goalies in franchise history have hit that mark; Dan Spence 8342, Brent Krahn 6778 and Alexandre Fomitchev 6758.
CAREER YEAR: 13 Calgary Hitmen are having career years in the Western Hockey League; Joel Broda 60 points (53) Bostjan Golicic 34 points (30), Kris Foucault 9 points (3), Brandon Kozun 78 points (53), Jason MacDonald 15 points (7), Matt Mackenzie 12 points (8), Carson McMillan 53 points (42), Paul Postma 60 points (42), Chase Schaber 18 points (4), Ian Schultz 38 points (30), Keith Seabrook 38 points (17), Brett Sonne 70 points (30), Michael Stone 45 points (35)
*Previous career high in brackets
WHAT'S LEFT: Including tonight against Edmonton the Hitmen have 18 regular season games remaining; Seven at home and 11 on the road as the Hitmen won't play a regular season home game in March because of the Tim Hortons Brier at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
TRADE WINDS: The Hitmen made a pair of deals on January 8th. The first saw Calgary acquire Kris Foucault from the Kootenay Ice in exchange for Ryan Fox. Later in the day the Hitmen picked up Joel Broda and Tomas Karpov from the Moose Jaw Warriors in exchange for Brendan Rowinski along with second and seventh round picks in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft.
DRAFTED PLAYERS: The Hitmen have nine NHL prospects ...Joel Broda-(5th round Washington 2008), Carson McMillan-(7th round Minnesota 2007), Alex Plante-(1st round Edmonton 2007), Paul Postma-(7th round Atlanta 2007), Ian Schultz-(3rd round St. Louis 2008), Keith Seabrook-(2nd round Washington 2006), Brett Sonne-(3rd round St. Louis 2007) and Michael Stone-(3rd round Phoenix 2008). Martin Jones-(Los Angeles Kings-Signed â08).
THE ROSTER: Calgary is carrying 24 players; (15 forwards, 7 defencemen and 2 goalies)
-Break down....3 (20 year-olds), 7 (19 year-olds), 7 (18 year-olds), 4 (17 year-olds), and 3 (16 year-olds).
HITMEN ALUMNI: Brent Krahn who played parts of four seasons in Calgary (1999/2000 to 2002/03) is playing in the American Hockey League with the Chicago Wolves. The 26-year-old goaltender is 4-3-0-0 with a 2.28 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
HITMEN VS: (Bran 2-0-1-0), (Cwk 1-1), (Edm 4-1), (Evt 1-0), (Kam 1-0), (Kel 1-0), (Ktn 4-2-1-0), (Leth 5-0), (MH 4-0), (MJ 3-0), (Port 1-0), (PA 3-0-1-0), (PG 1-0), (RD 4-0), (Reg 2-0), (Sask 1-2), (Sea 1-0), (Spok 0-0-0-1), (SC 3-0), (TC 0-1), (Van 1-0)
PROMOTIONS: Sunday, February 8th the Hitmen host the Kootenay Ice. It's the Coast Plaza Hotel Valentines Day Giveaway.
UPCOMING GAMES: The Hitmen are on the road this week for stops in Medicine Hat Thursday and Swift Current Friday. Calgary is then back home Sunday to host the Kootenay Ice. Game time is 5:00 p.m. at the Pengrowth Saddledome.
Western Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2009
- Regina Pats Weekly - Regina Pats
- Hurricanes Weekly - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Blades Weekly - Saskatoon Blades
- Memorial Cup Executive Unveiled - Brandon Wheat Kings
- Hitmen to Play Four Games in Six Days - Calgary Hitmen
- Guess who's back? - Lethbridge Hurricanes
- Tip Top Award Goes To Lowry - Brandon Wheat Kings
- 2009 World Junior Memories - Kelowna Rockets
- Chiefs' Drayson Bowman named Boston Pizza WHL Player of the Week - WHL
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