Calgary Hitmen

Calgary Hitmen
City Calgary, Alberta
League Western Hockey League
Conference Eastern
Division Central
Founded 1995
Home arena Pengrowth Saddledome
Colours Red, Brown, Black, White
                   
Owner(s) Calgary Flames
General manager Flag of Canada Kelly Kisio
Head coach Flag of Canada Dave Lowry
Website
www.hitmenhockey.com
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), out of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). They play their home games at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Their name is derived from local-born professional wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a founding patron. 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-two former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.

Contents

Franchise 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 Bret Hart, famous for his exploits in the World Wrestling Federation.[2] The Calgary Flames, who had just assumed control of the then 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]

1994–97: Controversial beginnings

The club selected its name and logo as an homage to local wrestler and patron 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 as the second-worst regular season team in the league, finishing with an 18–51–3 record.[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 the month of January 1997, he plead guilty to two counts of sexual assault.[17] Upon James' conviction, and sentencing to 3½ 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 of 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, along with a new colour scheme and updated logo.[2]

1997–98: Western Hockey League Champions

The Hitmen face the Edmonton Oil Kings in the WHL's "Battle of Alberta".

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 finish in the Central Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.[19] During 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 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.[27] Finishing atop the round robin standings, the Hitmen earned 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 1999–2000 season with a strong squad, along with expectations at making another run to 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]

2001 and beyond: New Era for the Hitmen

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 National Hockey League's 2004–05 lockout. As a result, the Hitmen averaged 10,062 fans per game and set a new league attendance record. The season total of 362,227 fans smashed the old record by over 45,000.[37] The Hitmen became the first Canadian Hockey League team to average over 10,000 fans per game, having 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 Western Hockey League for most of the season.[39] Calgary finished with 101 points, their best total since 1999–00, however, finishing two points behind Medicine Hat for the best record in the league.[40] Ironically, 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]

Calgary 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 were subsequently defeated by the Tigers.[42]

The Hitmen entered the 2007–08 season with expectations of being 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 league's single-game attendance record, as an announced crowd of 19,305 watched Calgary defeat Kootenay by a score of 6 goals to 1.[45] In the playoffs, the Hitmen defeated the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos in six games apiece, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the second consecutive season.[46]

Community impact

2005 teddy bear toss

The Hitmen are active within the community, supporting numerous programs and charities. They host an annual teddy bear toss each December. The 13th annual Petro Canada Teddy Bear Toss, held on 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. A few of the bears are personally delivered by the players to the Alberta Children's Hospital, an event highly anticipated by patients attending 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 book in the series, titled Hitmen Triumph, was published in 2007.[50] Copies of the books are distributed to sixth grade students throughout Calgary and southern Albertan schools; with Hitmen and former National Hockey League players helping to encourage students to take an active interest in reading.[49]

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
2008–09 Season in progress; see 2008–09 WHL season

Players

Current roster

Goaltenders
# Player Born Place of Birth Drafted
1 Flag of Canada Michael Snider 1991 De Winton, Alberta Eligible 2009
31 Flag of Canada Martin Jones 1990 North Vancouver, British Columbia Signed by LA
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 Erik Bonsor 1991 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2009
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 2010
6 Flag of Canada Austin Madaisky 1992 Surrey, British Columbia Eligible 2010
7 Flag of Canada Keith Seabrook 1988 Delta, British Columbia Was – 2nd round 2006
28 Flag of Canada Michael Stone 1990 Winnipeg, Manitoba Phx – 3rd round 2008
Forwards
# Player Position Born Place of Birth Drafted
8 Flag of Canada Kyle Bortis C/LW 1988 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Free Agent
9 Flag of Canada Ryan Fox RW 1990 Creighton, Saskatchewan Eligible 2009
10 Flag of Slovenia Bostjan Golicic LW 1989 Kranj, Slovenia Eligible 2009
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 2009
16 Flag of Canada Cody Sylvester C 1992 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2010
18 Flag of Canada Brendan Rowinski C 1990 Winnipeg, Manitoba Eligible 2009
19 Flag of Canada Ian Schultz RW 1990 Calgary, Alberta StL – 3rd round 2008
23 Flag of Canada Tyler Fiddler LW 1990 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Eligible 2009
24 Flag of Canada Jason MacDonald C 1989 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2009
25 Flag of Canada Rigby Burgart LW 1990 Fort St. James, British Columbia Eligible 2009
26 Flag of Canada MacKenzie Royer LW 1992 Spruce Grove, Alberta Eligible 2011


As of October 29, 2008[51]

NHL alumni

Ryan Getzlaf played four seasons with the Hitmen between 2001–05.

Thirty-four players have been selected from the Hitmen roster at the National Hockey League's entry drafts.[52] 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.[52] 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).[53]

Twenty-one former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.[54] The first was Ryan Bast, who played two games with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998–99.[55] In the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, Ladd became the first Hitmen graduate to win the Cup, winning it along with fellow teammates of the Carolina Hurricanes.[56] The feat was repeated one year later by Ladd's former teammate, Ryan Getzlaf, who won it with the Anaheim Ducks.[57] One former player has had his number retired by the Hitmen. Brad Moran, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, had his number 20 retired in 2005.[58]

  • Karl Alzner
  • Ryan Bast
  • Kris Beech
  • Pavel Brendl
  • Barry Brust
  • Owen Fussey
  • Ryan Getzlaf
  • Darcy Hordichuk
  • Jordan Krestanovich
  • Andrew Ladd
  • Brad Moran
  • Chris Nielsen
  • Stephen Peat
  • Matt Pettinger
  • Konstantin Pushkarev
  • Jeff Schultz
  • Ray Schultz
  • Fredrik Sjostrom
  • Jerred Smithson
  • Rastislav Stana
  • Brad Stuart
  • Ryan Tobler

Head coaches

Dean Clark has thus far been the most successful coach for the Calgary Hitmen. Clark coached 333 regular season games from October 1996 until the end of the 2000–01 season.[59] During that time, he was the most successful coach in terms of wins in the Western Hockey League, and was subsequently named the Canadian Hockey League's Coach of the Year in 1997–98.[60] Clark led the Hitmen to three division titles, two regular season titles, one league championship, and coached the Hitmen to their first Memorial Cup final.[61] Kelly Kisio is the team's former head coach from the 2004–05 season to the end of the 2007–08 season, a role he shared with Dean Evason in his first year at the helm of the Hitmen.[62] Kisio stepped down as coach in 2008, naming former assistant Dave Lowry, as head coach for the 2008–09 season.[63] Kisio has been the team's general manager since the beginning of the 1998–99 season.[64]

# 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 2004–2008
7 Dave Lowry 2008–present

Club records

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

Individual

Team

Career

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,[65] while goaltender Justin Pogge was named player and goaltender of the year in 2005–06.[66] Pogge was also named the top goaltender in the nation by the Canadian Hockey League.[41] As a whole, the Hitmen have won the Eastern Division four times,[19] and have twice been the regular season champions of the Western Hockey League.[41]

President's Cup
Western Hockey League champion

  • 1998–99

Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy
Regular season champion

  • 1998–99, 1999–00

Central Division titles

  • 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2007–08

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
Player of the year

  • Brad Moran: 1999–00
  • Justin Pogge: 2005–06
  • Karl Alzner: 2007–08

Bob Clarke Trophy
Top scorer

  • Pavel Brendl: 1998–99
  • Brad Moran: 1999–00

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

  • Chris Nielsen: 1998–99, 1999–00

Brad Hornung Trophy
Most sportsmanlike player

  • Matt Kinch: 1998–99, 2000–01

Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy
Defenceman of the year

  • Brad Stuart: 1998–99
  • Karl Alzner: 2007–08

CHL Defenceman of the Year

  • Brad Stuart: 1998–99
  • Karl Alzner: 2007–08

Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
Rookie of the year

  • Pavel Brendl: 1998–99

CHL Top Draft Prospect Award

  • Pavel Brendl: 1998–99

Del Wilson Trophy
Goaltender of the year

  • Justin Pogge: 2005–06

CHL Goaltender of the Year

  • Justin Pogge: 2005–06

Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy
Coach of the year

  • Dean Clark: 1997–98

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

  • Dean Clark: 1997–98

Lloyd Saunders Memorial Trophy
Executive of the year

  • Kelly Kisio: 2003–04

Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
Humanitarian of the year

  • Chris Nielsen: 1999–00

WHL Playoff MVP

  • Brad Moran: 1999

WHL Plus-Minus Award
Top plus-minus

  • Pavel Brendl: 1998–99
  • Kenton Smith: 1999–00
  • Andrew Ladd: 2003–04

St. Clair Group Trophy
Top marketing/public relations department

  • Mark Stiles: 2003–04
  • Kip Reghenas: 2007–08


Notes

  1. ↑ Tucker, Larry (1995-10-24). "Ice dreams", Calgary Sun. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Board, Mike (1997-06-14). "Flames take a shot at owning Hitmen", Calgary Herald, p. E1-E2. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tucker, Larry (1994-06-24). "Method to this madness", Calgary Sun, p. 62. 
  4. ↑ Francis, Eric (1995-10-07). "Hitmen home run", Calgary Sun. 
  5. ↑ Francis, Eric (1994-11-30). "It's the Hitmen!", Calgary Sun, p. 41. 
  6. ↑ Francis, Eric (1995-01-11). "Fans can't get enough of Hitmen", Calgary Sun, p. 37. 
  7. ↑ Johnson, George (1994-12-13). "Hitmen under fire", Calgary Sun, p. 40. 
  8. ↑ Tucker, Larry (1995-01-14). "'Hit' put on Hitmen", Calgary Sun, p. S3. 
  9. ↑ Francis, Eric (1995-01-16). "Hitmen logo nixed", Calgary Sun, 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 (1995-10-07). "And they're off…", Calgary Sun, p. 61. 
  12. ↑ Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 158. 
  13. ↑ Keyser, Tom (1996-09-21). "Growing pains", Calgary Herald, p. D3. 
  14. ↑ Francis, Eric (1996-09-07). "Shocking departure", Calgary Sun, p. S6. 
  15. ↑ "City police investigating former coach", Calgary Sun (1996-09-07), p. 4. 
  16. ↑ Wilton, Suzanne and Francis, Eric (1996-09-07). "City police investigating former coach", Calgary Sun, p. 4. 
  17. ↑ "Ex-Coach Pleads Guilty", The New York Times (1997-01-04). Retrieved on 2008-03-21. 
  18. ↑ Deacon, James (1997-01-13). "Hockey Coach Guilty of Sexual Assault", Macleans Magazine(via The Canadian Encyclopedia). Retrieved on 2008-03-21. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 40–41. 
  20. ↑ Miller, Mark (1997-06-14). "Hitmen finally go up in Flames", Calgary Sun, p. S5. 
  21. ↑ Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 156. 
  22. ↑ "WHL Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy". Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 155. 
  24. ↑ "WHL team playoff records". Western Hockey League. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  25. ↑ Sportak, Randy (1999-05-08). "Memorial Drive", Calgary Sun, p. S2. 
  26. ↑ "Memorial Cup notes – May 19, 1999". Canadian Hockey League (1999-05-19). Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  27. ↑ Sportak, Randy (1999-05-20). "Pavel show!", Calgary Sun, p. H3. 
  28. ↑ Sportak, Randy (1999-05-23). "Chance of a lifetime", Calgary Sun, p. H3. 
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Sportak, Randy (1999-05-24). "'I'm in shock'", Calgary Sun, p. S2. 
  30. ↑ Taylor, Jim (1999-05-24). "Sting won't last", Calgary Sun, p. S3. 
  31. ↑ Sportak, Randy (1999-05-24). "Losing hardest hit of all", Calgary Sun, p. S3. 
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 154. 
  33. ↑ Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 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. ↑ Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 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. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 148. 
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 41.3 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 189–193. 
  42. ↑ Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 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. ↑ 49.0 49.1 "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. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen roster". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-10-29.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed.. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. pp. 41. 
  53. ↑ "Four Calgary Hitmen selected in 2007 NHL Entry Draft". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2007-06-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  54. ↑ Reghenas, Kip and Curle, Brad, ed. (2007–08). The Zone. 4 (10 ed.). Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. pp. 40. 
  55. ↑ "Ryan Bast player profile". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.
  56. ↑ 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.
  57. ↑ "Getzlaf ready to take Stanley Cup home". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2007-07-23). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  58. ↑ "Hitmen honour all-time leading point scorer Brad Moran on February 25th". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2005-02-08). Retrieved on 2008-02-24.
  59. ↑ "Hitmen Make Coaching Change". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2001-06-07). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  60. ↑ "Dean Clark named Brandon Wheat Kings' new head coach". canoe.ca (2001-07-17). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  61. ↑ "Dean Clark profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  62. ↑ "Kelly Kisio and Dean Evason Take Over Coaching Duties". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2004-05-18). Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  63. ↑ "Hitmen name Lowry coach, Kisio general manager". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2008-06-24). Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
  64. ↑ "Staff – Kelly Kisio". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. Retrieved on 2008-04-15.
  65. ↑ Spencer, Donna. "Karl Alzner named WHL player of year". SLAM sports. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  66. ↑ "WHL Announces 2005–06 Award Winners". Western Hockey League (2006-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.

References

See also

External links