Calgary Hitmen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Calgary Hitmen
City	Calgary, Alberta
League	Western Hockey League
Conference	Eastern
Division	Central
Founded	1994 (1994)
Home arena	Scotiabank Saddledome
Colours	Black, Red, Copper, White
Owner(s)	Calgary Sports and Entertainment
General manager	Garry Davidson
Head coach	Paul McFarland
Championships	Ed Chynoweth Cup 2 (1999, 2010) Conference Championships 3 (1998–99, 2008–09, 2009–10)

The Calgary Hitmen are a Canadian junior ice hockey team from Calgary, Alberta. They play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Their home games are held at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Bret "Hitman" Hart, a famous professional wrestler from Calgary, helped start the team. He also inspired the team's name. The Hitmen began in 1994. Since 1997, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club. They are the third WHL team to be based in Calgary. Before them were the Centennials and Wranglers.

The Hitmen have won four regular season titles. They made it to the playoffs for 13 years in a row, from 1998 to 2010. In 1999, they were the first Calgary team to win the President's Cup. This made them league champions. They were also the first Calgary team to play in the Memorial Cup since 1926. The team won a second league championship in 2010.

The Hitmen hold many WHL attendance records. In the 2004–05 season, they were the first team in Canadian Hockey League history to average 10,000 fans per game. Many former Hitmen players have gone on to play in the National Hockey League.

Team History

How the Team Started

Graham James helped start the Hitmen in 1994. He brought together 18 investors for the club. These included former star players like Theoren Fleury and Joe Sakic. Bret Hart was also an investor. The Calgary Flames team welcomed the new hockey club. The Flames had just taken over the Saddledome arena. They wanted to fill more dates in the building. When the Saddledome was busy, the Hitmen used the Stampede Corral. They played their first seven games there.

Calgary had not had a WHL team since 1987. That's when the Wranglers moved to become the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Some people were unsure if a new team would do well in Calgary. The WHL had sometimes struggled in big cities like Calgary.

In their first season, the Hitmen were in the new Central Division. They were expected to finish well. However, they ended up as the second-worst team in the league. They had 18 wins, 51 losses, and 3 ties. The team lost money in its first year. The number of season ticket holders also dropped.

In September 1996, James resigned as coach and general manager. The team struggled on the ice again. They missed the playoffs with a record of 15 wins, 53 losses, and 4 ties. The original investors sold the team to the Flames in June 1997. The Flames paid about $1.5 million. Many thought the team name would change. But the new owners decided to keep the "Hitmen" name.

Winning Their First Championship

Dean Clark became the head coach after James left. He helped the team turn things around in the 1997–98. The team improved to 40 wins, 28 losses, and 4 ties. They finished first in the Central Division. This was their first time making the playoffs. They beat the Saskatoon Blades and Swift Current Broncos. They reached the Eastern Conference final. There, they lost to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Clark won awards for being the top coach in the WHL and CHL.

In the 1998–99, Calgary got even better. They had 51 wins, 13 losses, and 8 ties. They finished with the best regular season record. The team was led by Brad Moran, Pavel Brendl, and goalie Alexandre Fomitchev. The Hitmen lost only five games in the playoffs. They won their first President's Cup. They won the title at home in front of a record crowd of 17,139 fans. They were the first Calgary team to play in the Memorial Cup since 1926.

At the 1999 Memorial Cup, the Hitmen won their first game. They beat the Ontario Hockey League's Belleville Bulls 5–3. They then lost to the host Ottawa 67's 4–3. Next, they beat the Acadie-Bathurst Titan 3–1. The Hitmen finished first in the round robin. This gave them a direct spot in the championship game. They faced the 67's again. The final game was very close. Ottawa led 4–1 and 6–5 at different times. Calgary tied the game late to force overtime. Ottawa scored in overtime to win the championship.

The Hitmen had high hopes for the 1999–2000. They wanted to make another Memorial Cup run. The team finished the regular season with 58 wins, 10 losses, 2 ties, and 2 overtime losses. They won the regular season title again. They set team records for wins (58) and points (120). These records stood until 2008–09. After sweeping two playoff series, the Hitmen were upset. They lost to the Kootenay Ice in the Eastern Conference final.

Early 2000s and Fan Support

Hitmen mascot, Farley the Fox.

The Hitmen went through a rebuilding phase from 2001 to 2004. They finished third or fourth in their division. They won only one playoff series during this time. In the 2004–05, the Hitmen got goalie Justin Pogge. His strong play and the scoring of Andrew Ladd helped the team. They won their first playoff series in four years. They beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes. But they lost their next series to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The Flames promoted the Hitmen a lot during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. This helped the Hitmen attract many fans. They averaged 10,062 fans per game. This set a new league attendance record. Their total season attendance was 362,227 fans. This was over 45,000 more than the old record. The Hitmen became the first Canadian Hockey League team to average over 10,000 fans per game. They had the highest average attendance of any hockey team in North America that year.

In the 2005–06, the Hitmen were one of the best teams. They finished with 101 points. This was their best total since 1999–2000. However, they lost in the playoffs. Goalie Justin Pogge won awards for his great performance. In 2006–07, Calgary reached the Eastern Conference final. They were defeated by the Medicine Hat Tigers.

The Hitmen were expected to be top contenders in the 2007–08. They won their division. They also had the best record in the East since 2000. During a game late in the season, Calgary set a new league record. A crowd of 19,305 watched them win. In the playoffs, they reached the Eastern Conference finals again.

Winning a Second Championship

The team celebrates its 2010 title.

After some key players left, the 2008–09 Hitmen were expected to rebuild. But they surprised everyone. They won their third Scotty Munro Trophy. This meant they had the best regular season record. The team broke or tied 21 franchise records. These included wins (59), points (122), and goals scored (330). Joel Broda led the league with 53 goals. Brandon Kozun and Brett Sonne also had over 100 points. This was only the second time two players reached 100 points in one season.

In the playoffs, the Hitmen won 12 games in a row. They swept the Edmonton Oil Kings, Lethbridge Hurricanes, and Brandon Wheat Kings. They reached the WHL finals for the first time since 1999. In the finals, they faced the Kelowna Rockets. The Rockets won the first three games. The Hitmen won the next two to keep the series going. But they lost game six in overtime. Sonne was named WHL Player of the Year. General Manager Kelly Kisio was named Executive of the Year.

The next season, Calgary again had the best regular season record. They had 107 points. Brandon Kozun led the CHL with 107 points. Goalie Martin Jones was named WHL Goaltender of the Year. The Hitmen's playoffs almost ended early. They lost three of their first four games in the first round. But they won the next three games to win the series. They then beat the Tigers and Wheat Kings. This sent them to the WHL championship series again.

In the final, they played the Tri-City Americans. The players who lost the 2009 finals were determined to win. Jones was named playoff MVP. He allowed only seven goals in the final series. The Hitmen beat the Americans in five games. They won their second Ed Chynoweth Cup. This victory happened in front of over 15,000 home fans. It earned the Hitmen a spot in the 2010 Memorial Cup tournament. At the tournament, Calgary won two of three round robin games. But they lost the semi-final in overtime.

After many top scorers left, the Hitmen finished last in the WHL in 2010–11. They even lost 12 games in a row at one point. As part of the 2011 Heritage Classic, the Hitmen played an outdoor game. It was against the Regina Pats at McMahon Stadium on February 21, 2011. Regina won 3–2. The game had 20,888 fans. This set new WHL and CHL attendance records.

In 2019, the Hitmen hosted the Corral Series. This was a three-game series. It honored old teams that used to play in the Corral arena.

Team Look: Logos and Jerseys

The original logo of the Hitmen (left) and the alternate they chose to use in their first season (right) after the original was deemed controversial.

The team chose its name and logo to honor Bret "Hitman" Hart. The first jerseys were pink, grey, and black. They looked like Hart's wrestling outfits. The logo was popular, and merchandise sold well. However, some people thought the name and logo promoted violence in hockey. The Flames organization also received calls from concerned people. Because of this, the Hitmen changed their logo. They used an alternate "starburst" logo. This happened just two months after the first one was shown. The club went back to the original logo in 1996.

When the Calgary Flames bought the team in 1997, they changed the colors. They also updated the logo.

Helping the Community

2005 teddy bear toss at the Saddledome.

The Hitmen support many programs and charities. They host an annual teddy bear toss in December. In 2007, fans threw 26,919 bears onto the ice. This was a world record. The bears are given to charities in the Calgary area. Players also personally deliver some bears to the Alberta Children's Hospital. This is a special event for the patients.

The Hitmen also work with the Calgary Board of Education. They support the Read On! Literacy for Life program. Author Sigmund Brouwer has written mystery novels about the team. Copies of these books are given to sixth-grade students. Hitmen players help encourage students to read.

Season Records

The Calgary Hitmen have had many successful seasons. Here are some of their best and worst team records:

Championships and Awards

Team Championships

The Calgary Hitmen have won several important championships:

• Ed Chynoweth Cup (WHL Champions): 1999, 2010
• Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy (Best Regular Season Record): 1999, 2000, 2009, 2010
• Conference Championships: 1999, 2009, 2010
• Division Titles: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015

WHL Championship Finals

• 1999: Won, 4–1 vs Kamloops Blazers
• 2009: Lost, 2–4 vs Kelowna Rockets
• 2010: Won, 4–1 vs Tri-City Americans

Memorial Cup Finals

• 1999: Lost, 6–7 (OT) vs Ottawa 67's

NHL Alumni

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

Many Hitmen players have been chosen in the NHL Entry Draft. Nine players were picked in the first round. The highest drafted players were Pavel Brendl (1999) and Andrew Ladd (2004). Both were picked fourth overall.

Forty-four former Hitmen players have played in the National Hockey League. Ryan Bast was the first, playing for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1998–99. Andrew Ladd has won two Stanley Cup championships. He won with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. His former Hitmen teammate, Ryan Getzlaf, won the Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. Johnny Boychuk won with the Boston Bruins in 2011.

List of NHL Alumni

Player and Coach Awards

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

The Calgary Hitmen have won many awards. Hitmen players have been named the WHL's most outstanding player four times. Karl Alzner won the Four Broncos Memorial Trophy in 2007–08. He was also named the best defenseman. Brett Sonne won the player of the year award in 2008–09. Goalie Martin Jones won many awards in 2009–10. He was named the top goalie at the Memorial Cup. Brandon Kozun led the entire Canadian Hockey League in scoring that year.

Brad Moran is the team's all-time leading scorer. His jersey number 20 was retired in 2005. He was the first player to receive this honor. In 2015, the team started a new program. It's called "Forever a Hitmen." Ryan Getzlaf was the first player honored in this program.

Here are some of the awards won by Hitmen players and staff:

Images for kids

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  2005 playoff game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes at the Saddledome.

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

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  Jaynen Rissling scored Calgary's first goal in the Hitmen's outdoor game; the Regina Pats ultimately won 3–2.

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