Calgary Hitmen

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Calgary Hitmen
City: Calgary, Alberta
League: Western Hockey League
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central
Founded: 1995
Home Arena: Pengrowth Saddledome
Colours: Black, silver & copper
Head Coach: Kelly Kisio
General Manager: Kelly Kisio
2005 playoff game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes
2005 playoff game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes

The Calgary Hitmen are a Major Junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Their name is derived from Calgary-born wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team to represent Calgary, preceded by the Centennials and Wranglers.

The Hitmen have twice finished with the best record in the WHL, and have qualified for the playoffs every season since 1998. In 1999, they became the first Calgary team to win the President's Cup as league champions, and the first to represent Calgary in the Memorial Cup since the Calgary Canadians won the national junior title in 1926. The Hitmen hold numerous WHL attendance records, and in 2004–05 became the first team in the Canadian Hockey League to average 10,000 fans per game. Twenty-one former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.

Contents

[edit] History

Graham James left his position as coach and general manager of the Swift Current Broncos to found the Hitmen in 1994.[1] James organized a group of eighteen investors in the club, including star National Hockey League players Theoren Fleury and Joe Sakic along with World Wrestling Federation wrestler Bret Hart.[2] The Calgary Flames, who had just assumed control of the Olympic Saddledome (now Pengrowth Saddledome) and were looking to fill extra dates in the building, were receptive to the new team.[3]

Calgary had been without a WHL team since 1987, when the Calgary Wranglers moved south to become the Lethbridge Hurricanes.[4] The league's expansion into Calgary was met with skepticism, as the league had previously avoided Western Canada's largest markets of Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, because all previous teams there repeatedly failed in each market against the NHL.[3]

[edit] Controversial beginnings

The controversial original logo of the Hitmen (left), as well as the alternate they chose to use in their first season (right)
The controversial original logo of the Hitmen (left), as well as the alternate they chose to use in their first season (right)

The club selected its name and logo as an homage to Calgary's Bret "The Hitman" Hart. The team's distinctive pink, grey and black jerseys were also modeled after Hart's ring attire.[5] The logo proved immensely popular and Hitmen merchandise sold well at many local retailers.[6] However, the name and logo were subject to heavy criticism from segments of the public and the business community, who panned both as negative stereotypes of violence within the sport.[7] Among the chief critics of the new logo was the Flames organization, who argued that they had received calls from concerned business people, who agreed the name and logo brought up connotations of violence.[8] Struggling to attract corporate sponsors, the Hitmen chose to scrap the "Jason Voorhees"-style logo in favour of an alternate "starburst" logo just two months after it was unveiled.[9] The club brought the original logo back in 1996.[10]

The Hitmen entered their first season playing in the newly-formed Central Division, and were predicted to finish as high as third in the five-team division.[11] Instead, they finished with the second-worst record in the league with an 18–51–3 record (18 wins, 51 losses and three ties).[12] The Hitmen lost CAD$250,000 in their first season and saw their season ticket base halved to 700 for the 1996–97 season. The losses lead to questions about the viability of the club.[13]

Citing personal reasons, James resigned as coach and general manager on September 5, 1996, stunning the organization.[14][15] Two days later, the Calgary Police Service revealed that James was being investigated on allegations he sexually abused two former players while he was with the Swift Current Broncos.[16] James was eventually charged, and in January 1997, James plead guilty to two counts of sexual assault.[17] Upon James' conviction, and sentencing to 3 1/2 years in prison, the Hitmen attempted to distance themselves from their former coach.[18]

The Hitmen struggled on the ice as well, again missing the playoffs after falling to a record of 15–53–4.[19] The spectre of the Graham James scandal hurt the franchise.[2] The original investors, many of whom played for or were otherwise associated with James, sold the team to the Flames for approximately $1.5 million in June 1997.[20] It was widely speculated that the new owners would change the team name, possibly to the Junior Flames. The Hitmen name was nevertheless retained by the club with a new colour scheme and updated logo.[2]

[edit] WHL championship

Hitmen in action against the Saskatoon Blades
Hitmen in action against the Saskatoon Blades

Dean Clark took over the club early the previous season as head coach, and led the 1997–98 Hitmen to a remarkable turnaround. The team improved to a 40–28–4 record and first place in the Central Division, and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.[19] In the playoffs, the Hitmen defeated the Saskatoon Blades and Swift Current Broncos to reach the Eastern Conference final before falling to the Brandon Wheat Kings.[21] Clark was awarded the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL Coach of the Year as well as the Canadian Hockey League's Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award.[22] Calgary improved to 51–13–8 in 1998–99, finishing one point ahead of the Kamloops Blazers for the regular season title.[23] Led by Brad Moran, Pavel Brendl and goaltender Alexandre Fomitchev, the Hitmen lost just five games in the playoffs en route to their first President's Cup, at home, before a WHL playoff record crowd of 17,139.[23][24] The Hitmen became the first Calgary-based team to qualify for the Memorial Cup since the Calgary Canadians in 1926.[25]

In the 1999 Memorial Cup, the Hitmen opened their tournament with a 5–3 victory over the Ontario Hockey League's Belleville Bulls, followed by a 4–3 loss to the host Ottawa 67's.[26] The Hitmen followed with a 3–1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.[27] The Hitmen finished atop the round robin standings, earning a bye into the championship game, and a rematch against the 67's.[28] The championship game was a back-and-forth affair. Ottawa held 4–1 and 6–5 leads, while Calgary led 5–4 at one point and tied the game late to send it to overtime.[29] The Hitmen fell short of winning the title however, as Ottawa's Matt Zultek won the game 1:58 into overtime.[30] Brendl and Matt Kinch were named to the Memorial Cup All-Star team.[31]

The Hitmen entered the 1999–00 season with a strong squad, expected to make another run at a Memorial Cup.[29] The club finished the regular season with a record of 58–12–2–2, once again winning the regular season title.[32] The team set franchise records for victories (58) and points (120) which still stand today.[19] After sweeping the Moose Jaw Warriors and Saskatoon Blades, the Hitmen were upset by the Kootenay Ice in the Eastern Conference final, falling four games to one.[32]

[edit] Recent years

Hitmen mascot, Farley the Fox
Hitmen mascot, Farley the Fox

Entering a rebuilding period, the Hitmen finished third or fourth in the Central Division between 2001 and 2004, winning only one playoff series during that time.[33] The Hitmen acquired goaltender Justin Pogge from the Prince George Cougars during the 2004–05 season.[34] Pogge's goaltending, along with the offensive leadership of forward Andrew Ladd,[35] saw the Hitmen win their first playoff series in four years.[19] They could not follow up on their victory over the Lethbridge Hurricanes, however, losing their second round series against the Brandon Wheat Kings in seven games.[36]

The Hitmen were heavily marketed by the Flames during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. As a result, the Hitmen averaged 10,062 fans per game and set a new WHL attendance record. The season total of 362,227 fans smashed the old record by over 45,000.[37] The Hitmen became the first CHL team to average over 10,000 fans per game, and had the highest average attendance of any junior or professional team in North America that year.[38]

The 2005–06 Hitmen battled the Medicine Hat Tigers for the top spot in the WHL for much of the season.[39] Calgary finished with 101 points, their best total since 1999–00, but finished two points behind Medicine Hat for the best record in the league.[40] However, both teams fell to Moose Jaw in the playoffs. The Warriors defeated the Hitmen in the Eastern Conference semi-final before eliminating the Tigers in the next round.[40] Pogge was named both WHL Player of the Year and CHL Goaltender of the Year.[41]

The Hitmen fell to third in the Central division in 2006–07.[19] In the playoffs they upset the Kootenay Ice, who finished 19-points ahead of Calgary in the regular season. The Hitmen then defeated the East Division champion Brandon Wheat Kings to reach the Eastern Conference final for the fourth time in franchise history, where they fell to the Tigers.[42]

The Hitmen entered the 2007–08 season expected to be strong contenders, voted the pre-season pick to finish atop the Eastern Conference by the league's coaches and general managers.[43] The team lived up to expectations, winning the Central Division, and finishing with the best record in the East for the first time since 2000.[44] During a late season game, Calgary broke the WHL single-game attendance record, as an announced crowd of 19,305 attended a 6–1 victory over the Kootenay Ice.[45] In the playoffs, the Hitmen defeated the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos in six games each to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season.[46]

[edit] Community impact

2005 teddy bear toss
2005 teddy bear toss

The Hitmen are active within the community, supporting numerous programs and charities. They host an annual teddy bear toss game each December. The 13th annual Petro Canada Teddy Bear Toss, held December 2, 2007, saw what the Hitmen claim to be a world record 26,919 bears tossed on to the ice by 17,341 fans.[47] The bears are donated to charities throughout the Calgary area. The players personally deliver some to the Alberta Children's Hospital, an event highly anticipated by the patients at the hospital.[48]

The Hitmen are also partners with the Calgary Board of Education and their Read On! Literacy for Life program. Author Sigmund Brouwer has released numerous young adult oriented mystery novels that centre around the team and fictitious Hitmen players.[49] The eighth such book, Hitmen Triumph, was published in 2007.[50] Copies of the books are distributed to grade six students throughout Calgary and southern Alberta schools, with Hitmen and former National Hockey League players helping to encourage students to take an active interest in reading.[49]

[edit] Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Season GP W L T OTL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
1995–96 72 18 51 3 – 222 359 39 5th Central Out of playoffs
1996–97 72 15 53 4 – 199 360 34 4th Central Out of playoffs
1997–98 72 40 28 4 – 265 232 84 1st Central Lost Eastern Conference final
1998–99 72 51 13 8 – 319 187 110 1st Central Won championship; Memorial Cup finalist
1999–00 72 58 10 2 2 313 182 120 1st Central Lost Eastern Conference final
2000–01 72 37 27 5 3 284 250 82 3rd Central Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2001–02 72 33 33 5 1 271 281 72 3rd Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2002–03 72 27 36 7 2 240 260 63 4th Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2003–04 72 34 24 8 6 220 187 82 3rd Central Lost Eastern Conference quarter-final
2004–05 72 34 23 9 6 200 183 83 3rd Central Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
Season GP W L OTL SOL GF GA Points Finish Playoffs
2005–06 72 47 18 3 4 195 155 101 2nd Central Lost Eastern Conference semi-final
2006–07 72 39 26 3 4 251 205 85 3rd Central Lost Eastern Conference final
2007–08 72 47 20 1 4 259 166 99 1st Central Lost Eastern Conference final

[edit] Players

[edit] Current roster

Goaltenders
# Player Born Place of Birth Drafted
31 Flag of Canada Martin Jones 1990 North Vancouver, British Columbia Eligible 2008
33 Flag of Canada Dan Spence 1988 Langley, British Columbia Free Agent
Defencemen
# Player Born Place of Birth Drafted
2 Flag of Canada Paul Postma 1989 Red Deer, Alberta Atl – 7th round 2007
3 Flag of Canada Dan Mercer 1987 West Vancouver, British Columbia Free Agent
4 Flag of Canada Alex Plante 1989 Brandon, Manitoba Edm – 1st round 2007
5 Flag of Canada Matt MacKenzie 1991 New Westminster, British Columbia Eligible 2009
7 Flag of Canada Keith Seabrook 1988 Delta, British Columbia Was – 2nd round 2006
26 Flag of Canada Ryan Gillen 1987 Golden, British Columbia Free Agent
27 Flag of Canada Karl Alzner 1988 Burnaby, British Columbia Was – 1st round 2007
28 Flag of Canada Michael Stone 1990 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
Forwards
# Player Position Born Place of Birth Drafted
8 Flag of Canada Kyle Bortis C 1988 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2008
9 Flag of Canada T.J. Galiardi LW 1988 Calgary, Alberta Col – 2nd round 2007
10 Flag of Slovenia Bostjan Golicic LW 1989 Kranj, Slovenia Eligible 2008
11 Flag of Canada Chase Schaber C 1991 Red Deer, Alberta Eligible 2009
12 Flag of Canada Brett Sonne C/LW 1989 Maple Ridge, British Columbia Stl – 3rd round 2007
14 Flag of Canada Carson McMillan RW 1988 Brandon, Manitoba Free Agent
15 Flag of Canada Brandon Kozun C 1990 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2008
16 Flag of Canada Brock Nixon C 1987 Russell, Manitoba Free Agent
17 Flag of Canada Ian Duval C 1988 Winnipeg, Manitoba Free Agent
18 Flag of Canada Brendan Rowinski LW/C 1990 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2008
19 Flag of Canada Ian Schultz RW 1990 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2008
25 Flag of Canada Ryan White C 1988 Brandon, Manitoba Mtl – 3rd round 2006
29 Flag of Canada Ryan Fox RW 1990 Creighton, Saskatchewan Eligible 2008


Roster as of the end of the 2007–08 WHL season

[edit] NHL alumni

Ryan Getzlaf played four seasons with the Hitmen between 2001 and 2005.
Ryan Getzlaf played four seasons with the Hitmen between 2001 and 2005.

Thirty-four players have been selected from the Hitmen roster at the NHL Entry Draft.[51] Of those, nine players were selected in the first round. The highest drafted players in club history were Pavel Brendl (1999) and Andrew Ladd (2004). Both players were selected fourth overall.[51] Four players were selected in the 2007 draft: Karl Alzner (5th overall to Washington), Alex Plante (15th overall to Edmonton), Brett Sonne (3rd round to St. Louis) and Carson McMillan (7th round to Minnesota).[52]

Twenty-one former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.[53] The first was Ryan Bast, who played two games with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998–99.[54] In 2006, Ladd became the first Hitmen graduate to win the Stanley Cup, doing so with the Hurricanes.[55] The feat duplicated one year later by Ladd's former teammate, Ryan Getzlaf with the Anaheim Ducks.[56] One former player has had his number retired by the Hitmen. Brad Moran, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, had his #20 retired in 2005.[57]

[edit] Head coaches

Dean Clark has been the most successful coach for the Hitmen. Clark coached 333 regular season games from October 1996 until the end of the 2000–01 season.[58] He was the winningest coach in the Western Hockey League during that time, and was named the Canadian Hockey League's Coach of the Year in 1997–98.[59] Clark led the Hitmen to three division titles, two regular season titles, one league championship, and the Memorial Cup final.[60] Kelly Kisio has been the team's head coach since the 2004–05 season, a role he shared with Dean Evason in his first year at the helm of the Hitmen.[61] Kisio has been the team's general manager since 1998–99.[62]


# Name Dates Notes
1 Graham James 1995–96 Resigned prior to 1996–97 season
2 Jim Currie 1996 Interim head coach
3 Dean Clark 1996–01 1998 WHL, CHL Coach of the Year
4 Richard Kromm 2001–04
5 Dean Evason 2004–05 Co-coach with Kelly Kisio
6 Kelly Kisio 2004–present

[edit] Club records

Season
Hitmen "Wall of Fame", hanging above section 104 at the Pengrowth Saddledome
Hitmen "Wall of Fame", hanging above section 104 at the Pengrowth Saddledome

Individual

Team

  • Most wins: 58, 1999–00
  • Most points: 120, 1999–00
  • Most goals for: 319, 1998–99
  • Fewest goals against: 155, 2005–06
Career
  • Most goals: 204, Brad Moran, 1995–00
  • Most assists: 246, Brad Moran, 1995–00
  • Most points: 450, Brad Moran, 1995–00
  • Most penalty minutes: 704, Mike Egener, 2000–04
  • Most games played, individual: 357, Brad Moran, 1995–2000
  • Best goals against average: 1.92, Justin Pogge, 2004–06
  • Most shutouts: 13, Justin Pogge, 2004–06
  • Most games played, goaltender: 141, Dan Spence, 2004–present
  • Most saves, goaltender: 3,117, Dan Spence, 2004–present

[edit] Awards and honours

The Calgary Hitmen have captured numerous awards during the franchise's history.[41] Hitmen players have been named the WHL's most outstanding player twice in the past three seasons. Defenceman Karl Alzner won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in 2007–08 along with being named the defenceman of the year,[63] while goaltender Justin Pogge was named player and goaltender of the year in 2005–06.[64] Pogge was also named the top goaltender in the nation by the Canadian Hockey League.[41] As a team, the Hitmen have won the Eastern Division four times,[19] and have twice been the regular season champion of the WHL.[41]

President's Cup
Western Hockey League champion

Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy
Regular season champion

Central Division titles

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
Player of the year

Bob Clarke Trophy
Top scorer

Daryl K. (Doc) Seaman Trophy
Scholastic player of the year

Brad Hornung Trophy
Most sportsmanlike player

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy
Defenceman of the year

CHL Defenceman of the Year

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
Rookie of the year

CHL Top Draft Prospect Award

Del Wilson Trophy
Goaltender of the year

CHL Goaltender of the Year

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy
Coach of the year

Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award
CHL coach of the year

Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy
Executive of the year

Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
Humanitarian of the year

WHL Playoff MVP

WHL Plus-Minus Award
Top plus-minus

St. Clair Group Trophy
Top marketing/public relations department


[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Standings and team records – in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 40–41. 
  • Roster – Players. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  1. ^ Tucker, Larry. "Ice dreams", Calgary Sun, 1995-10-24. 
  2. ^ a b c Board, Mike. "Flames take a shot at owning Hitmen", Calgary Herald, 1997-06-14, p. E1-E2. 
  3. ^ a b Tucker, Larry. "Method to this madness", Calgary Sun, 1994-06-24, p. 62. 
  4. ^ Francis, Eric. "Hitmen home run", Calgary Sun, 1995-10-07. 
  5. ^ Francis, Eric. "It's the Hitmen!", Calgary Sun, 1994-11-30, p. 41. 
  6. ^ Francis, Eric. "Fans can't get enough of Hitmen", Calgary Sun, 1995-01-11, p. 37. 
  7. ^ Johnson, George. "Hitmen under fire", Calgary Sun, 1994-12-13, p. 40. 
  8. ^ Tucker, Larry. "'Hit' put on Hitmen", Calgary Sun, 1995-01-14, p. S3. 
  9. ^ Francis, Eric. "Hitmen logo nixed", Calgary Sun, 1995-01-16, p. 51. 
  10. ^ Hart, Bret (2004-04-30). Bret Hart's Calgary Sun column for April 30, 2004. Calgary Sun (via brethart.com). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  11. ^ Francis, Eric. "And they're off…", Calgary Sun, 1995-10-07, p. 61. 
  12. ^ in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 158. 
  13. ^ Keyser, Tom. "Growing pains", Calgary Herald, 1996-09-21, p. D3. 
  14. ^ Francis, Eric. "Shocking departure", Calgary Sun, 1996-09-07, p. S6. 
  15. ^ "City police investigating former coach", Calgary Sun, 1996-09-07, p. 4. 
  16. ^ Wilton, Suzanne and Francis, Eric. "City police investigating former coach", Calgary Sun, 1996-09-07, p. 4. 
  17. ^ "Ex-Coach Pleads Guilty", The New York Times, 1997-01-04. Retrieved on 2008-03-21. 
  18. ^ Deacon, James. "Hockey Coach Guilty of Sexual Assault", Macleans Magazine(via The Canadian Encyclopedia), 1997-01-13. Retrieved on 2008-03-21. 
  19. ^ a b c d e f in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 40–41. 
  20. ^ Miller, Mark. "Hitmen finally go up in Flames", Calgary Sun, 1997-06-14, p. S5. 
  21. ^ in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 156. 
  22. ^ WHL Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy. Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  23. ^ a b in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 155. 
  24. ^ WHL team playoff records. Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  25. ^ Sportak, Randy. "Memorial Drive", Calgary Sun, 1999-05-08, p. S2. 
  26. ^ Memorial Cup notes – May 19, 1999. Canadian Hockey League (1999-05-19). Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  27. ^ Sportak, Randy. "Pavel show!", Calgary Sun, 1999-05-20, p. H3. 
  28. ^ Sportak, Randy. "Chance of a lifetime", Calgary Sun, 1999-05-23, p. H3. 
  29. ^ a b Sportak, Randy. "'I'm in shock'", Calgary Sun, 1999-05-24, p. S2. 
  30. ^ Taylor, Jim. "Sting won't last", Calgary Sun, 1999-05-24, p. S3. 
  31. ^ Sportak, Randy. "Losing hardest hit of all", Calgary Sun, 1999-05-24, p. S3. 
  32. ^ a b in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 154. 
  33. ^ in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 150–153. 
  34. ^ Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2005-01-10). "Hitmen acquire goaltender Pogge in big trade with Cougars". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
  35. ^ Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2005-04-05). "Ladd named player of the week". Press release. Retrieved on 2008-04-17.
  36. ^ in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 149. 
  37. ^ WHL season records. Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
  38. ^ Francis, Eric (2005-03-19). Kisio on the hot seat. Calgary Sun. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
  39. ^ Watts, Jesse (2006-01-19). WHL This Week - News Edition (Issue #16). Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
  40. ^ a b in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 148. 
  41. ^ a b c d in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 189–193. 
  42. ^ in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 133. 
  43. ^ 2007–08 WHL Eastern Conference Preview. Western Hockey League (2007-09-20). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  44. ^ Down, John (2008-03-16). Hitmen shutout clinches first pennants since 2000. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
  45. ^ Calgary Hitmen set new WHL Attendance Record. Western Hockey League (2008-03-17). Retrieved on 2008-04-10.
  46. ^ Hitmen double Broncos 8-4 to advance to Eastern Conference finals. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2008-04-12). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  47. ^ Hitmen set World Record in Sunday's 6-2 win at the Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2007-12-02). Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  48. ^ Curle, Brad (2007-12-03). Calgary Hitmen spread Christmas Cheer with hospital visit. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  49. ^ a b Calgary Hitmen player and Hall of Famer score points for literacy with CBE students. Calgary Board of Education (2008-02-20). Retrieved on 2008-02-25.
  50. ^ Brouwer, Sigmund (2007). Hitmen Triumph. Orca Book Publishers. ISBN 978–1551438733. 
  51. ^ a b in Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie: 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League, 41. 
  52. ^ Four Calgary Hitmen selected in 2007 NHL Entry Draft. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2007-06-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  53. ^ (2007–08) in Reghenas, Kip and Curle, Brad: The Zone, 10, 4, Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club, 40. 
  54. ^ Ryan Bast player profile. The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  55. ^ Brownlee, Robin (2006-06-20). Andrew Ladd becomes first Hitmen alumni to win the Stanley Cup. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  56. ^ Getzlaf ready to take Stanley Cup home. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2007-07-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  57. ^ Hitmen honour all-time leading point scorer Brad Moran on February 25th. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2005-02-08). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  58. ^ Hitmen Make Coaching Change. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2001-06-07). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  59. ^ Dean Clark named Brandon Wheat Kings' new head coach. canoe.ca (2001-07-17). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  60. ^ Dean Clark profile. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  61. ^ Kelly Kisio and Dean Evason Take Over Coaching Duties. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2004-05-18). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  62. ^ Staff – Kelly Kisio. Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  63. ^ Spencer, Donna. Karl Alzner named WHL player of year. SLAM sports. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  64. ^ WHL Announces 2005–06 Award Winners. Western Hockey League (2006-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.

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