Club History
The 2009-10 season will mark the 15th year of operation for the Calgary Hitmen.
Here's a look down memory lane:
2008-09: Regular season record 59-9-3-1 (Home 32-3-1-0, Road 27-6-2-1) first in Central Division, Eastern Conference and WHL with 122 points. Brandon Kozun led the team in scoring with 108 points, while Brett Sonne also hit the century mark with 100 points. It was a record breaking regular season with 22 franchise records either broken or tied. Brett Sonne was named WHL Player of the Year while Kelly Kisio captured WHL Executive of the Year. The 2009 WHL Playoffs saw the Hitmen record back-to-back-to-back four game sweeps of Edmonton, Lethbridge and Brandon before a six game series loss to the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL Final.
2007-08: Regular season record 47-20-1-4 (Home 24-10-1-1, Road 23-10-0-3) first in Central Division and Eastern Conference with 99 points. Kyle Bortis and Ryan White tied for the team scoring lead with 72 points while Karl Alzner was named WHL Player of the Year and Top Defenceman. The 2008 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary win their opening round series, eliminating Moose Jaw in six games. In the second round the Hitmen ousted Swift Current in six games before ultimately falling to Lethbridge in a four game sweep in the Eastern Conference Championship. Forward T.J. Galiardi won the WHL playoff scoring title collecting 24 points (5g 19a) in 16 games
2006-07: Regular season record 39-26-3-4 (Home 22-11-2-1, Road 17-15-1-3) third in Central Division with 85 points. Ryan White led the team in scoring with 89 points (34g55a) while Dan Spence emerged as a number one goalie winning 30 games. The 2007 WHL Playoffs produced a trip to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in seven years. In the opening round Ian Duval scored the series clinching goal, an OT winner in Game 7 against Kootenay. Round 2 saw Derek LeBlanc set a new WHL record for the fastest OT goal, scoring eight seconds into the extra session of Game 5. Calgary went on to win the series in 6 but ultimately fell in five games to Medicine Hat in the Conference Final.
2005-06: Regular season record 47-18-3-4 (Home 24-6-3-3, Road 23-12-0-1) second in Central Division with 101 points. Ryan White and Brodie Dupont tied for the team scoring lead with 53 points while Justin Pogge was named CHL Player of the Year. The 2006 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary win their opening round series, eliminating Lethbridge in six games. The Hitmen then fell in seven games to Moose Jaw in Round 2.
2004-05: Regular season record 34-23-9-6 (Home 19-9-7-1, Road 15-14-2-5) third in Central Division with 83 points. Both Ryan Getzlaf and Andrew Ladd won Gold with Canada at the 2005 World Junior Hockey Championship. The 2005 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary eliminate Lethbridge in five games in the opening round before falling to Brandon in seven games of Round 2.
2003-04: Regular season record 34-24-8-6 (Home 18-10-6-2, Road 16-14-2-4) third in the Central Division with 82 points. Ryan Getzlaf won Gold with Canada at the 2004 World Junior Hockey Championships. The 2004 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary eliminated in seven games by the Red Deer Rebels in Round 1. Kelly Kisio was named WHL Executive of the Year
2002-03 Regular Season record 27-36-7-2 (Home 16-14-5-1, Road 11-22-2-1)fourth in the Central Division with 63 points. Fredrik Sjostrom competed for Team Sweden at the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships. The 2003 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary eliminated in five games by the Red Deer Rebels in Round 1.
2001-02 Regular Season record 33-33-5-1 (Home 21-11-3-1, Road 12-22-2-0) third in the Central Division with 72 points. Fredrik Sjostrom competed for Team Sweden at the 2002 World Junior Hockey Championships. The 2002 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary eliminated in seven games by the Swift Current Broncos in Round 1.
2000-01 Regular Season record 37-27-5-3 (Home 19-11-4-2, Road 18-16-1-1) third in the Central Division with 82 points. Pavel Brendl won Gold with the Czech Republic and Toni Bader played for Germany at the 2001 World Junior championships. The 2001 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary win its opening round series, eliminating Regina in six games. The Hitmen then fell in six games to Red Deer in Round 2.
1999-00 Regular Season record 58-10-2-2 (Home 30-6-0-0, Road 28-4-2-2) first in the Central Division with 120 points and Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy winners for the league's top record. Matt Kinch and Chris Nielsen won Bronze at the 2000 World Junior Hockey championships. Head Coach Dean Clark was an assistant for Team Canada at the World Juniors. The 2001 WHL Playoffs saw Calgary reach the Eastern Conference Final. The Hitmen started the playoffs on a tear sweeping both Moose Jaw in Round 1 and Saskatoon in Round 2. Calgary was then eliminated by Kootenay in five games in the Eastern Conference Final. Brad Moran was named the WHL Player of the Year and was the league's leading scorer with 120 points.
1998-99 Regular Season record 51-12-8-1 (Home 29-5-2-0, Road 22-7-6-1) first in the WHL Central Division with 111 points and Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy winner's for the league's top record. Pavel Brendl was named the WHL's Rookie of the Year and was the league's top scorer with 134 points. The 1999 WHL Playoffs were the most successful in Hitmen history. Calgary was tested early, but came away with the series win in Round 1 ousting Kootenay in seven games. The Hitmen then swept Red Deer in Round 2 and beat Prince Albert in five games to move onto the WHL Final. On May 7th, 1999, the Hitmen captured their first Western Hockey League Championship by beating Kamloops in five games. In four short years the Hitmen went from a struggling expansion team to Champions. The Hitmen then traveled to the Memorial Cup in Ottawa. Calgary finished first in the round robin portion of the tournament and earned a bye into the final. The Hitmen lost a heart-breaker to host Ottawa 7-6 in overtime.
1997-98 Regular Season record 40-25-4-3 (Home 22-7-4-3, Road 18-18-0-0) second in the Central Division with 87 points. Dean Clark was named WHL Coach of the Year. This year marked the first time in franchise history the Hitmen made the WHL Playoffs. Calgary beat Regina in Round 1 in six games, and then came back against Swift Current after trailing the series 3 games to 1 to win Round 2 in seven games. In the Eastern Conference Final Calgary lost in five games to Brandon.
1996-97 Regular Season 15-50-4-3 (Home 9-23-2-2, Road 6-27-2-1) fourth in the Central Division with 37 points. Missed the playoffs.
1995-96 Regular Season record 18-51-3 (Home 15-19-2, Road 3-32-1) fourth in Central Division with 39 points. Missed the playoffs.
The Hitmen were originally owned by 18 private investors, including Bret the "Hitman" Hart, Theoren Fleury and Joe Sakic. In June of 1997 the Calgary Flames Limited partnership purchased the Hitmen. The Flames own and operate the Hitmen hockey club.
The Hitmen play all home games in the Pengrowth Saddledome.
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