Hitmen Report: A weekend split

The Calgary Hitmen headed into this week hoping for some momentum. They ended up largely running in place, splitting a pair of weekend games.

Blueliner Luke Prokop is back from the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in New Brunswick. He had one goal in five games for Canada White, who finished outside of the medals.

The NHL’s Central Scouting Service released an updated Players to Watch listing. Hitmen captain Mark Kastelic and defenseman Jackson van de Leest are both listed as C-rated prospects, meaning they’re projected as later-round picks. Kastelic is in his third year of draft eligibility and has 25 points through 20 games this season. Van de Leest is in his first year of eligibility and has seven points in 19 games.

The Teddy Bear Toss is on Sunday, Dec. 9, when the Hitmen host the Kamloops Blazers. They’ve opened up third-level seating, so act fast if you want to go as the game usually sells out. For the curious, tickets for the Corral Series go on sale on Monday, Nov. 26. The Hitmen will play a trio of games in the Stampede Corral on Friday, Feb. 1 (vs. Brandon), Wednesday, Feb. 6 (vs. Regina) and Friday, Feb. 8 (vs. Prince Albert).

The Hitmen played a pair of weekend games against divisional opponents. They didn’t really make up much ground.

The Hitmen spent the entire game chasing, as the Hurricanes scored first and kept getting timely goals. Hurricanes goalie Reese Klassen made 34 saves for the win, while Calgary starter Carl Stankowski didn’t fare as well, making just 15 saves for the loss. Luke Coleman and Josh Prokop scored for Calgary in the loss.

The Hitmen bounced back on Sunday, trouncing the ICE in a game they never trailed. Carson Focht had four points (one goal, three assists) and Leafs pick Riley Stotts had three points (two goals, one assist) to lead the way, while goalie Jack McNaughton made 29 saves for the win. Kastelic, James Malm, Egor Zamula and Tye Carriere had Calgary’s other goals. Kootenay’s Duncan McGovern made 37 saves in the loss.

The Hitmen have dug themselves out of their early hole somewhat, as they’re 6-12-2 and sit six points out a playoff spot in a rather wide open Eastern Conference. But they’re still tied for second last in the WHL in points percentage. They need to get on a hot streak to catch up to the playoff pack.

The good news is they’ll have a busy week as they kick off a seven-game western road trip. They visit Kootenay on Friday, Spokane on Saturday, Everett on Tuesday and Portland on Wednesday. The latter three games will be a big test, as the Chiefs, Silvertips and Winterhawks are all well above the .500 mark.