Calgary Hitmen

Calgary Hitmen
Calgary Hitmen logo.svg
City Calgary, Alberta
League Western Hockey League
Conference Eastern
Division Central
Founded 1995 (1995)
Home arena Pengrowth Saddledome
Colours Red, brown, black, white
                   
Owner(s) Calgary Flames
General manager Canada Kelly Kisio
Head coach Canada Mike Williamson
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). They play their home games at the Pengrowth Saddledome. Their name is derived from local-born professional wrestler Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a founding owner. 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 had the best record in the WHL four times, 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. Thirty-two former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League. The Hitmen are the defending league champions, winning their second title in 2009–10.

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]

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 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 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]

First championship

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 stood until the 2008–09 year.[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]

2000s

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] The team again disappointed in the playoffs, falling to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Eastern Conference semi-final.[40] Pogge's performance during the season earned him honours as both the 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]

Second championship

The team celebrates its 2010 title

Following the graduation of several players, including Karl Alzner, who was named both WHL player of the year and CHL defenceman of the year, the 2008–09 Hitmen were expected to enter a rebuilding period. Instead, they captured the franchise's third Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the regular season champion, earning the top seed in the playoffs.[47] The team tied or broke 21 franchise records during the regular season, including wins (59), points (122) and goals for (334). Joel Broda led the league with 53 goals, while Brandon Kozun and Brett Sonne finished 2nd and 3rd in league scoring with 108 and 100 points respectively; it was only the second time in franchise history that two players topped the 100-point mark in the same season.[48] In the playoffs, the Hitmen won 12 straight games, sweeping the Oil Kings, Hurricanes and Wheat Kings to reach the WHL finals for the first time since 1999. In the finals, they were stunned by the Kelowna Rockets, losing the first three games of the series before winning the next two to extend the series to a sixth game.[49] The Hitmen lost game six in overtime, and the series 4–2, to end their season.[50] Sonne was named WHL Player of the Year, while General Manager Kelly Kisio was named Executive of the Year for the second time in recognition of the Hitmen's season.[51]

Calgary again finished with the best record in the regular season with 107 points on the strength of Kozun's CHL leading 107 points and the goaltending of Martin Jones, who was named goaltender of the year in the WHL.[52][53] The Hitmen's playoffs nearly ended quickly as they lost three of the first four games in their opening round playoff series against the Warriors before winning three consecutive games to take the series in seven.[54] They then beat the Tigers and Wheat Kings in six and five games respectively to reach the WHL championship series for the second consecutive year.[55] Entering the final against the Tri-City Americans, the 11 players who returned from the 2009 finals lost vowed not to suffer a repeat of their disappointing finish to the previous season.[56] Named the playoff MVP, Jones allowed only seven goals against in the final as the Hitmen defeated the Americans in five games to win their second Ed Chynoweth Cup in franchise history.[57] The victory, in front of a home crowd of over 15,000 fans, earned the Hitmen a berth in the 2010 Memorial Cup tournament.

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.[58] 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.[59]

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.[60] The ninth book in the series, titled Hitmen Star, was published in 2008.[61] 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.[60]

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; Lost Memorial Cup final
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 72 59 9 3 1 330 159 122 1st Central Lost final
2009–10 72 52 17 1 2 269 177 107 1st Central Won Championship; Lost Memorial Cup semifinal

Players

Current roster

Goaltenders
# Player Born Hometown Drafted
1 Canada Michael Snider 1991 De Winton, Alberta Eligible 2010
31 Canada Martin Jones 1990 North Vancouver, British Columbia Signed by LA
33 Canada Chase Komistek 1992 Medicine Hat, Alberta Eligible 2010
Defencemen
# Player Born Place of birth Drafted
2 Canada Ben Wilson 1991 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2010
3 Canada Erik Bonsor 1991 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2010
4 Canada Ryan Kerr 1989 Lions Bay, British Columbia Free Agent
5 Canada Matt MacKenzie 1991 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2010
6 Canada Austin Madaisky 1992 Surrey, British Columbia Eligible 2010
7 Canada Peter Kosterman 1993 Calgary, Alberta Eligible 2011
9 Canada Jaynen Rissling 1993 Edmonton, Alberta Eligible 2011
27 Canada Kyle Aschim 1990 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Eligible 2010
28 Canada Michael Stone 1990 Winnipeg, Manitoba PHX – 3rd round 2008
Forwards
# Player Position Born Place of birth Drafted
8 Canada Cody Gross LW 1989 Winnipeg, Manitoba Free Agent
10 Russia Misha Fisenko C 1990 Magnitogorsk, Russia Eligible 2010
11 Canada Chase Schaber C 1991 Red Deer, Alberta Eligible 2010
12 Canada Justin Kirsch LW 1992 Chilliwack, British Columbia Eligible 2010
14 Canada Jessi Hilton RW 1991 Sherwood Park, Alberta Eligible 2010
15 Canada Brandon Kozun C 1990 Calgary, Alberta LA - 6th round 2009
16 Canada Cody Sylvester C 1992 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2010
18 Canada Kris Foucault W 1990 Calgary, Alberta MIN - 4th round 2009
19 Canada Ian Schultz RW 1990 Calgary, Alberta STL – 3rd round 2008
21 Canada John Lawrence LW 1992 Newdale, Manitoba Eligible 2010
22 Canada MacKenzie Royer LW 1992 Spruce Grove, Alberta Eligible 2011
23 Canada Tyler Fiddler LW 1990 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan Eligible 2010
24 Canada Jason MacDonald C 1989 Calgary, Alberta Free Agent
25 Canada Rigby Burgart LW 1990 Fort St. James, British Columbia Eligible 2010
26 Canada Joel Broda C 1989 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan WAS – 5th round 2008
32 Canada Cody Beach RW 1992 Kelowna, British Columbia Eligible 2010


NHL alumni

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

Thirty-six players have been selected from the Hitmen roster at the National Hockey League's entry drafts.[62] 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.[62] 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).[63]

Thirty-two former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.[64] The first was Ryan Bast, who played two games with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998–99.[65] 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.[66] The feat was repeated one year later by Ladd's former teammate, Ryan Getzlaf, who won it with the Anaheim Ducks.[67] 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.[68]

  • Karl Alzner
  • Ryan Bast
  • Kris Beech
  • Johnny Boychuk
  • Pavel Brendl
  • Barry Brust
  • Brett Carson
  • Justin Falk
  • Owen Fussey
  • T. J. Galiardi
  • Ryan Getzlaf
  • Darcy Hordichuk
  • Dustin Kohn
  • Brent Krahn
  • Jordan Krestanovich
  • Andrew Ladd
  • Brad Moran
  • Chris Nielsen
  • Stephen Peat
  • Matt Pettinger
  • Alex Plante
  • Justin Pogge
  • Konstantin Pushkarev
  • Brandon Segal
  • Jeff Schultz
  • Ray Schultz
  • Fredrik Sjostrom
  • Jerred Smithson
  • Rastislav Stana
  • Brad Stuart
  • Ryan Tobler
  • Ryan White

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.[69] 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.[70] 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.[71] 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.[72] Kisio stepped down as coach in 2008, naming former assistant Dave Lowry, as head coach for the 2008–09 season.[73] Lowry was promoted to an assistant with the Calgary Flames after leading the Hitmen to a 122-point season in his rookie year. He was replaced by Mike Williamson, formerly the coach of the Portland Winterhawks.[74] Kisio has been the team's general manager since the beginning of the 1998–99 season.[75]

# 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 2008–09
8 Mike Williamson 2009–present

Club records

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

Individual

Team

Career

Awards and honours

Carson McMillan and Kyle Bortis accept the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as the 2008–09 regular season champions.

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,[76] while goaltender Justin Pogge was named player and goaltender of the year in 2005–06.[77] Pogge was also named the top goaltender in the nation by the Canadian Hockey League.[41] As a whole, the Hitmen have won the Central Division six times,[19] and four times have been the regular season champions.[41]

Ed Chynoweth Cup
Western Hockey League champion

  • 1998–99, 2009–10

Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy
Regular season champion

  • 1998–99, 1999–00, 2008–09, 2009–10

Central Division titles

  • 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10

Four Broncos Memorial Trophy
Player of the year

  • Brad Moran: 1999–00
  • Justin Pogge: 2005–06
  • Karl Alzner: 2007–08
  • Brett Sonne: 2008–09

Bob Clarke Trophy
Top scorer

  • Pavel Brendl: 1998–99
  • Brad Moran: 1999–00
  • Brandon Kozun: 2009–10

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
  • Martin Jones: 2009–10

CHL Goaltender of the Year

  • Justin Pogge: 2005–06

Hap Emms Memorial Trophy
Top goaltender at the Memorial Cup

  • Martin Jones: 2010

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, 2008–09

Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
Humanitarian of the year

  • Chris Nielsen: 1999–00

WHL Playoff MVP

  • Brad Moran: 1999
  • Martin Jones: 2010

WHL Plus-Minus Award
Top plus-minus

  • Pavel Brendl: 1998–99
  • Kenton Smith: 1999–00
  • Andrew Ladd: 2003–04
  • Paul Postma: 2008–09

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). http://web.archive.org/web/20070510232710/http://www.brethart.com/column/april30-2004.asp. Retrieved 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. p. 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. ↑ Wildon, Suzanne; Francis, Eric (1996-09-07). "City police investigating former coach". Calgary Sun: 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. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E3D61439F937A35752C0A961958260. Retrieved 2008-03-21. 
  18. ↑ Deacon, James (1997-01-13). "Hockey Coach Guilty of Sexual Assault". Macleans Magazine(via The Canadian Encyclopedia). http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0011058. Retrieved 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. p. 156. 
  22. ↑ "WHL Coach of the Year - Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on August 10, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20070810170347/http%3A//www.whl.ca/records/%3Fid%3D57. Retrieved 2008-03-21. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. p. 155. 
  24. ↑ "WHL team playoff records". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080418051907/http%3A//www.whl.ca/records/%3Fid%3D43. Retrieved 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. http://www.canoe.ca/CHLMemorialCup99/may19_notes.html. Retrieved 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. p. 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. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000000229. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
  35. ↑ Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club (2005-04-05). "Ladd named player of the week". Press release. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000000239. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
  36. ↑ Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. p. 149. 
  37. ↑ "WHL season records". Western Hockey League. Archived from the original on April 18, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080418051902/http%3A//www.whl.ca/records/%3Fid%3D42. Retrieved 2008-04-10. 
  38. ↑ Francis, Eric (2005-03-19). "Kisio on the hot seat". Calgary Sun. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2005/03/19/966358-sun.html. Retrieved 2008-04-08. 
  39. ↑ Watts, Jesse (2006-01-19). "WHL This Week - News Edition (Issue #16)". Western Hockey League. http://www.canoe.ca/WHLNews0506/0119.html. Retrieved 2008-04-10. 
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed. 2007–08 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. p. 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. p. 133. 
  43. ↑ "2007–08 WHL Eastern Conference Preview". Western Hockey League. 2007-09-20. http://whl.ca/news/?id=7471. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
  44. ↑ Down, John (2008-03-16). "Hitmen shutout clinches first pennants since 2000". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000001365. Retrieved 2008-04-10. 
  45. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen set new WHL Attendance Record". Western Hockey League. 2008-03-17. http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=9074&showToc=1&. Retrieved 2008-04-10. 
  46. ↑ "Hitmen double Broncos 8-4 to advance to Eastern Conference finals". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2008-04-12. Archived from the original on April 14, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080414164624/http%3A//www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi%3Ftype%3Dnewsroom%26file_num%3D0000001429. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 
  47. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen capture Scotty Monro Memorial Trophy as WHL Regular Season Champions". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2009-03-15. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000001763. Retrieved 2009-03-15. 
  48. ↑ Down, John (2009-03-16). "Hitmen rewrite record book". Calgary Herald. http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/calgary-flames/Hitmen+rewrite+record+book/1393371/story.html. Retrieved 2009-03-16. 
  49. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen force game 6 in WHL final". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2009-05-08. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2009/05/08/sp-whl-final.html. Retrieved 2009-09-19. 
  50. ↑ "Hitmen playoff run ends". Calgary Flames Hockey Club. 2009-05-10. http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=454629. Retrieved 2009-09-19. 
  51. ↑ "WHL announces 2008–09 awards winners". Western Hockey League. 2009-04-29. http://www.whl.ca/whl-announces-2008-09-awards-winners-p128253. Retrieved 2009-09-19. 
  52. ↑ Fisher, Scott (2010-03-15). "All four won scoring title". Calgary Sun. http://www.calgarysun.com/sports/hockey/2010/03/15/13229881.html. Retrieved 2010-03-15. 
  53. ↑ "Seguin, Eberle named top league players". National Post. 2010-04-28. http://www.nationalpost.com/sports/cbc/story.html?id=2000362875. Retrieved 2010-04-28. 
  54. ↑ Myers, Sean (2010-03-30). "Hitmen vanquish Warriors in game 7". Calgary Herald. http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Hitmen+vanquish+Warriors+Game/2741294/story.html. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  55. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen beat Brandon Wheat Kings 6-1 to advance to WHL final". National Hockey League. 2010-04-24. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=526866. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  56. ↑ "Hitmen motivated by last year's loss, want title to go with a winning season". National Hockey League. 2010-04-29. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=527607. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  57. ↑ Myers, Sean (2010-05-08). "Jones wins MVP honours for rock-solid goaltending". Calgary Herald. http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/Hitmen+goalie+Martin+Jones+wins+honours/3003537/story.html. Retrieved 2010-05-08. 
  58. ↑ "Hitmen set World Record in Sunday's 6–2 win at the Petro-Canada Teddy Bear Toss". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2007-12-02. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000001213. Retrieved 2008-02-25. 
  59. ↑ Curle, Brad (2007-12-03). "Calgary Hitmen spread Christmas Cheer with hospital visit". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000001214. Retrieved 2008-02-25. 
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 "Calgary Hitmen player and Hall of Famer score points for literacy with CBE students". Calgary Board of Education. 2008-02-20. http://www.cbe.ab.ca/new/hitmen08.asp. Retrieved 2008-02-25. 
  61. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen hockey players score points for literacy with CBE students". Calgary Board of Education. 2009-02-09. http://www.cbe.ab.ca/new/hitmenstar.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-15. 
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 Flett, Cory and Watts, Jessie, ed. 2008–09 WHL Guide. Western Hockey League. p. 42. 
  63. ↑ "Four Calgary Hitmen selected in 2007 NHL Entry Draft". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2007-06-23. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000000998. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 
  64. ↑ Reghenas, Kip and Curle, Brad, ed (2007–08). The Zone. 4 (10 ed.). Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. p. 40. 
  65. ↑ "Ryan Bast player profile". The Internet Hockey Database. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=23553. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  66. ↑ Brownlee, Robin (2006-06-20). "Andrew Ladd becomes first Hitmen alumni to win the Stanley Cup". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000000428. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 
  67. ↑ "Getzlaf ready to take Stanley Cup home". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2007-07-23. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000001014. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 
  68. ↑ "Hitmen honour all-time leading point scorer Brad Moran on February 25th". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2005-02-08. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000000232. Retrieved 2008-02-24. 
  69. ↑ "Hitmen Make Coaching Change". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2001-06-07. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000000046. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  70. ↑ "Dean Clark named Brandon Wheat Kings' new head coach". canoe.ca. 2001-07-17. http://www.canoe.ca/WHLNews0102/jul17_clark.html. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  71. ↑ "Dean Clark profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12278. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  72. ↑ "Kelly Kisio and Dean Evason Take Over Coaching Duties". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2004-05-18. Archived from the original on December 14, 2006. http://web.archive.org/web/20061214045404/http%3A//www.hitmenhockey.com/mediareleases/MEDIA_REL/comments.cgi%3Fdiscussion_no%3D1%26subject_no%3D193. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  73. ↑ "Hitmen name Lowry coach, Kisio general manager". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. 2008-06-24. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/cgi-bin/news/comments.cgi?type=newsroom&file_num=0000001496. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
  74. ↑ "Calgary Hitmen name Mike Williamson as head coach". Western Hockey League. 2009-07-22. http://www.whl.ca/calgary-hitmen-name-mike-williamson-as-head-coach-p128652. Retrieved 2009-12-22. 
  75. ↑ "Staff – Kelly Kisio". Calgary Hitmen Hockey Club. http://www.hitmenhockey.com/team/staff.html#kisio. Retrieved 2008-04-15. 
  76. ↑ Spencer, Donna. "Karl Alzner named WHL player of year". SLAM sports. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/Junior/2008/04/30/5432456-cp.html. Retrieved 2008-05-13. 
  77. ↑ "WHL Announces 2005–06 Award Winners". Western Hockey League. 2006-05-03. http://whl.ca/news/index.php?id=4391&showToc=1&. Retrieved 2008-04-13. 

See also

References

External links