Hitmen sweep away Blades, roll to 6-2 victory in Game 4

Blades captain Ben Saunderson (#2) takes part in the handshake line.

Ben Saunderson plans to be watching his Saskatoon Blades proudly as an alumnus.

On Wednesday,  the Blades 20-year-old captain’s WHL career came to an end as his squad fell 6-2 to the visiting Calgary Hitmen in Game 4 of a best-of-seven first round series of the WHL Playoffs. With the win, the Hitmen sweep the set 4-0 and advance to a best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semifinal Series.

Following the game, Saunderson took a skate where he was saluted by the 5,228 spectators in attendance at the SaskTel Centre. Saunderson gave applause back to the Blades faithful.

The Hitmen celebrate their series win on Wednesday.

The Carberry, Man., product joined the Blades on a full-time basis back in the 2020-21 campaign, when Saskatoon club played a shortened 24 game season in a bubble environment at the Brandt Centre in Regina due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that gripped the world. From that beginning, Saunderson helped the Blades advance to WHL’s Eastern Conference Championship Series for two straight years in 2023 and 2024.

A year ago, the Blades entered the playoffs having topped the WHL standings with a 50-13-2-3 mark and were loaded with a lot of star veterans. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship series where they fell 3-2 in overtime in Game 7 at the SaskTel Centre to the eventual WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors.

Ben Saunderson (#2) and Grayden Siepmann hug post-game.

The 2024-25 campaign ended up being a reload season for the Blades, who traded a number of veteran stars before the WHL’s trade deadline back on January 9 acquiring needed draft capital and younger players. Even with those moves, the Blades still comfortably landed in a position to qualify for the WHL Playoffs.

With that knowledge, Saunderson said his squad still wanted to have some success in the post-season. He believes this younger Blades squad took big strides in the 2024-25 campaign.

“It is a really good hockey team over there,” said Saunderson, who had four goals, 32 assists and a plus-15 rating in the plus-minus department in 67 regular season contests in the 2024-25 campaign. “I thought every game we elevated ours.

“Obviously, we didn’t get the result we wanted. Our motto every day this year was just to get better every single day. I’m so proud of our group.

Ben Kindel had a hat trick for the Hitmen.

“Our young guys have stepped up tremendously. There is a very bright future for this team, and it is definitely something I’ll be following.”

The Hitmen entered the series as favourites having finished third overall in the WHL with a 45-17-3-3 record. They were also rated ninth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings that were released on March 25.

The Blades finished sixth overall in the Eastern Conference standings with a 37-23-4-4 mark. They entered the WHL Playoffs with the second youngest roster out of the 16 teams that are playing in the circuit’s post-season with an average age of 17.9 years.

Still, an upset seemed possible. The Blades actually won the season series in the regular season between the two sides recording two regulation wins and one overtime setback in four head-to-head encounters.

Grayden Siepmann (#21) and Ben Kindel (#11) battle for a puck.

The two sides met twice after the trade deadline. The Hitmen posted a 4-1 victory at home on January 10, and the Blades claimed a 6-3 victory at home on February 14.

For the entire series, Calgary was without the services of star overage netminder Daniel Hauser, who holds the WHL record for career regular season goaltending victories at 123. Hauser is out day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Anders Miller, who is an 18-year-old rookie, was solid as Calgary’s starting netminder in the series, and he made 27 saves to pick up the win in goal on Wednesday. In the four games against the Blades, Miller had a 1.50 goals against average and a .933 save percentage. Eric Tu, who is a 16-year-old rookie, is serving as Calgary’s backup netminder.

Tanner Howe had three assists for the Hitmen on Wednesday.

The Blades had a big absence too as they were without 20-year-old left-winger Tanner Scott for a fourth straight post-season game with an upper body injury. Scott last suited up in the Blades final regular season contest when they fell 4-3 to the Raiders in Prince Albert on March 22.

Blades first year head coach Dan DaSilva said his squad faced a big challenge playing the Hitmen because they are a really good hockey team.

“We’re on two different ends of the spectrum, if we’re being honest,” said DaSilva. “They loaded up to go for it, and we sold off to rebuild and then go for it in a couple of years.

“That is the truth, but our guys never shied away for a second. They showed up, (and) they gave everything they had. What else can you ask for as a coach is for guys to just absolutely leave it all on the ice.

Zach Olsen had the Blades first goal on Wednesday.

“Anyone who tries to tell me otherwise is wrong, and I will argue that until the day I die. I’m extremely proud of this group.”

The two sides played through an even opening frame with the Hitmen holding a 14-11 edge in shots on goal. Blades star netminder Evan Gardner and Miller came up big for their respective sides.

The second period was totally the opposite of the opening frame breaking into a 1980s style firewagon type contest. Just 75 seconds into the stanza, the Hitmen jumped ahead 2-0. Gritty veteran centre David Adaszynski scored 38 seconds into the period and star centre Ben Kindel followed with his own tally 37 seconds later.

At the 6:19 mark of the second, Hitmen star defenceman Carter Yakemchuk got the puck at the right point, zipped up the right boards, cut across the front of the Saskatoon net and tucked home a backhander to give the visitors a 3-0 edge.

Hayden Harsanyi had the Blades second goal on Wednesday.

“I give Calgary credit,” said DaSilva. “That is a great example for our guys in a year or two years of what a championship team looks like and how they compete and how they play together and how fast they play and how strong defensively they are.

“It is a great example and a great learning lesson for our guys. I hope we can take something from that.”

The Blades responded with some quick strikes of their own. At the 9:25 mark of the second, rookie right-winger Zach Olsen, who turned 17-years-old in March, fired home a shot from the right faceoff circle in the Calgary zone to cut the Hitmen lead to 3-1. Just 44 seconds after Olsen’s tally, Blades centre Hayden Harsanyi slipped home a shot from in close by the right side of the Calgary net to cut the Hitmen’s advantage to 3-2.

Carter Yakemchuk scored a highlight goal for the Hitmen.

Following Harsanyi’s tally, the crowd at the SaskTel Centre was rocking, but that wouldn’t last long. Just 11 seconds after that marker, Hitmen star right-winger Tanner Howe zipped into the Saskatoon zone on a two-on-one break with Kindel.

Howe passed the puck across the front of the Saskatoon net to Kindel at the right side of the goal. Kindel buried his second of the contest to put the Hitmen up 4-2.

In the third, Hitmen star left-winger Oliver Tulk tallied once during four-versus-four action after offsetting penalties and Kindel completed his hat trick with a short-handed empty-net goal to round out the scoring in the contest.

“Ben (Kindel) is a special talent,” said Hitmen head coach Paul McFarland. “He is one of the best players in this league.

David Adaszynski scored the first goal for the Hitmen.

“I’d love to tell you I was surprised by the hat trick, but that is kind of what we expected out of that player. That top line along with the Adaszynski line I thought for us were the difference in the series.”

Howe finished the contest with three assists. He recorded two goals and seven assists and a plus-six rating in the series.

Evan Gardner turned away 30-of-35 shots to take the setback in net for the Blades.

While the Blades ever held a lead in any of the post-season contest against the Hitmen, Saunderson said he believed his squad put up a good battle on the ice and never gave up when things got tough.

Ben Saunderson played in his final WHL game on Wednesday.

“There was no rollover in the room, on the ice or on the bench,” said Saunderson. “No one was every giving up.

“We fought until the very end every single night. We knew they were a really good team over there, and you’ve got to give credit where credit is due. They are a hell of a hockey team, but we never quit.”

The Hitmen are the first team to win a first round series in this year’s WHL post-season. They now wait to find out who their opponent will be for an Eastern Conference Semifinal Series. McFarland said it will be big for his team to get a lengthy rest period.

“You don’t want to play extra games, obviously, at this time of year,” said McFarland. “It is not easy to sweep anybody.

“We have a tonne of respect for that team and that program. We said it at the start of the series. They have got a winning pedigree over there.

The Blades give their fans a final salute for the 2024-25 campaign.

“We were, obviously, because of that taking this series very serious and not lightly whatsoever. I give our players a lot of credit to get the job done.”

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Hitmen ready to bring on the brooms against Blades

Calgary claims 4-1 victory in Game 3 in Saskatoon

Tanner Howe (#9) skates off after scoring the Hitmen’s second goal.

Tanner Howe landed a couple of counter punches the Saskatoon Blades couldn’t recover from.

On Tuesday, Howe and his Calgary Hitmen found themselves locked in a 1-1 draw in the second period with the host Saskatoon Blades in Game 3 of a best-of-seven first round series in the WHL Playoffs. At the midway point of the frame, the Blades had a glorious chance to take the lead.

Blades 16-year-old associate player call up right-winger Kohen Lodge received a backdoor pass at the right side of the Calgary net. Lodge fired a puck to what appeared to be an empty cage only to be robbed by Hitmen netminder Anders Miller, who slid across the crease to deflect the puck away with his left skate.

Tanner Howe had one goal and one assist for the Hitmen.

Lodge had been playing with his hometown Red Deer Chiefs under-18 AAA team before joining the Blades for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. Had he scored on that backdoor opportunity, he would have given the Blades their first lead in any game to date of their current post-season series with the Hitmen.

Just moments later with 8:38 remaining in the second, the Hitmen jumped ahead 2-1, when Howe, who is the Hitmen’s start 19-year-old right-winger, put a backhand shot home from the front of the Saskatoon net.

Only 85 seconds later, Hitmen import defenceman Axel Hurtig passed the puck from the left corner in his own zone up the left wing boards to Howe, who was position right before the red-line. 

David Adaszynski scored the Hitmen’s first goal on Tuesday.

Howe proceeded to redirect puck across the ice to Hitmen 17-year-old centre Ben Kindel, who was jetting into the Saskatoon zone along the right wing. Kindel zipped past the Blades defence on the outside, cut across the front of the Saskatoon net and put home a backhand shot to give Calgary a 3-1 advantage.

The Hitmen would cruise from that point to claim a 4-1 victory to disappoint most of the 5,206 spectators in attendance at the SaskTel Centre. With the win, Calgary takes a 3-0 lead in the series.

The Hitmen will try to close the series out in Game 4 slated for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the SaskTel Centre.

The odds are very long that the Blades will be able to make a comeback winning four straight games. Since the WHL started in 1966-67, only three teams have rallied back from a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series to claim the set.

Anders Miller made 20 saves for the Hitmen on Tuesday.

The Spokane Chiefs, who were guided by Mike Babcock as head coach, trailed the Portland Winterhawks 3-0 before rallying to take a first round series 4-3 in 1996. The Kelowna Rockets fell behind the Seattle Thunderbirds 3-0 in 2013 before rallying back to claim that first round series 4-3. The Blades fell behind the Red Deer Rebels 3-0 in an Eastern Conference semifinal series in 2023 and stormed back to take that series 4-3.

Out of the three games the Blades and Hitmen have collided in during the 2025 post-season, Tuesday’s contest was the best effort that was turned in by the Saskatoon side in the set.

The teams played through a fairly even opening frame with the Hitmen finishing the stanza with a lot of late pressure. With 53.2 seconds remaining in the frame, gritty Hitmen centre David Adaszynski tipped home a shot from captain Carson Wetsch to put the visitors up 1-0. Calgary had a 10-5 edge in shots on goal after 20 minutes thanks to their late offensive pressure.

David Lewandowski scored the Blades lone goal on Tuesday.

The Blades came out with some jump in the second period. Just 2:31 into the frame, import rookie left-winger David Lewandowski, who turned 18-years-old in February, blew home a power-play goal from the right faceoff dot to even the score at 1-1.

Following Lewandowski’s goal, Blades star right-winger Tyler Parr, who turned 20-years-old in January, was denied in close by Miller. That set the stage for the robbery Miller made on Lodge and the Hitmen goals that followed from Howe and Kindel that gave the visitors a 3-1 advantage.

The Blades outshot the Hitmen 10-8 in the second period, while Calgary had the edge in total shots on goal 18-15 after 40 minutes.

Tyler Parr was denied on a key second period scoring chance.

The third period was controlled by the Hitmen, who held a 12-6 edge in shots on goal for the frame.

Hitmen star 20-year-old right-winger Connor Hvidston put to bed the competitive part of Tuesday’s contest scoring with 8:27 remaining in the third to push the Calgary lead out to 4-1. Hvidston had the puck in close in front of the Saskatoon net and put a shot past a Blades defenceman to the top left corner of the goal for his first of the post-season.

Evan Gardner turned away 26 shots to take the setback in net for the Blades. Miller stopped 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Hitmen.

The Blades were without 20-year-old left-winger Tanner Scott for a third straight post-season game with an upper body injury. 

Ben Kindel scored the third Hitmen goal on Tuesday.

Scott last suited up in the Blades last regular season contest when they fell 4-3 to the Raiders in Prince Albert on March 22.

For the first three games of the post-season, Calgary has been without the services of star overage netminder Daniel Hauser, who holds the WHL record for career regular season goaltending victories at 123. Hauser is out day-to-day with a lower body injury.

Eric Tu, who is a 16-year-old rookie, is serving as Calgary’s backup netminder.

The Hitmen entered the series having finished third overall in the WHL with a 45-17-3-3 record. They were also rated ninth in the final CHL Top 10 rankings that were released on March 25.

The Hitmen celebrate a goal from Connor Hvidston (#21).

The Blades finished sixth overall in the Eastern Conference standings with a 37-23-4-4 mark. They enter the WHL Playoffs with the second youngest roster out of the 16 teams that are playing in the circuit’s post-season with an average age of 17.9 years on their roster.

A year ago, the Blades entered the playoffs having topped the WHL standings with a 50-13-2-3 mark and were loaded with a lot of star veterans. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship series where they fell 3-2 in overtime in Game 7 at the SaskTel Centre to the eventual WHL champion Moose Jaw Warriors.

The 2024-25 campaign ended up being a reload season for the Blades, who traded a number of veteran stars before the WHL’s trade deadline back on January 9 acquiring needed draft capital and younger players. Even with those moves, the Blades still comfortably landed in a position to qualify for the WHL Playoffs.

The Hitmen enjoy their win on Tuesday.

Now, they will need a major effort on Wednesday in order to continue to be part of the WHL post-season.

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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Raiders grit and perseverance delivers 4-3 victory

Fortin’s 39 saves holds off Hitmen

Niall Crocker, left, enjoys his winning goal with Aiden Oiring.

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Head coach Jeff Truitt appreciated the battle of his Prince Albert Raiders.

On Friday night playing before 2,432 spectators at the Art Hauser Centre, the Raiders built a 3-0 lead on the visiting Calgary Hitmen and carried a 3-1 advantage into the third period. The Hitmen evened the score at 3-3 in the third, but the Raiders ensured the Calgary comeback was not to be.

With 4:08 remaining in the third period, Raiders 20-year-old standout right-winger Niall Crocker came up with one is his specialties. He banged home a gritty power-play goal from the front of the Calgary net on a four-on-three advantage to ultimately deliver the Raiders to a 4-3 victory.

“I really liked our compete,” said Truitt. “I thought that we skated real well.

Justice Christensen had the Raiders first goal on Friday.

“I thought that we were on pucks. I thought that we carried the speed quite a bit. I like a lot about our game and our physicality from time to time.

“We’re not going to get pushed around, and we showed that here tonight. It was kind of a team effort that way. We had to grind her out under some weird conditions in the third period and got her done.”

Raiders captain Justice Christensen opened the game’s scoring firing home a shot from the left point at the 9:56 mark of the opening frame. With Friday’s contest being the Raiders Toque and Teddy Bear Toss night, stuffed animals and mitts rained down on to the Art Hauser Centre’s ice surface after Christensen’s tally.

The players and off-ice staffers along with the game’s linesmen made sure the clean up was completed in rapid order.

The Raiders celebrate a Teddy Bear goal from Justice Christensen.

The Hitmen got into penalty trouble inside the final 92 seconds of the opening frame. First, they got unsettled after 19-year-old star offensive-defenceman Carter Yakemchuk was hit by Raiders 19-year-old centre Harrison Lodewyk in the right corner of the Calgary zone.

The Hitmen coaching staff argued loudly from the bench with the officials for a penalty for hitting from behind, and no infraction was called. Just 18 seconds later, Hitmen 20-year-old import left-winger Max Muranov forearm hit Raiders 16-year-old rookie defenceman Daxon Rudolph in the Calgary zone starting a big scrum. The Raiders came away with a power play with Muranov being given an interference minor making the difference in how the penalties were sorted out.

The Raiders show off some of the stuffed animals that were collected.

With 23.2 seconds remaining in the first, Hitmen star 20-year-old defenceman Kalem Parker was given a roughing minor to give the Raiders a two-man advantage for 69 seconds.

Just 33 seconds into second working that two-man advantage, Raiders star offensive-defenceman Lukas Dragicevic wired home a power-play goal from the left point to push the host side’s edge out to 2-0. For Dragicevic, that was his first goal since he tallied once in a 6-4 loss to the Royals in Victoria back on October 18.

His tally on Friday came on a Raiders power play that entered the day’s action leading the WHL with a 28.3 per cent success rate.

The Raiders and Hitmen engage in a first period scrum.

“It feels good,” said Dragicevic, who has two goals and 26 assists in 22 games with the Raiders this season. “Obviously, the power play has been really good this year.

“It just fits that I got it on the power play. I play with good players on that line. They set me up pretty good, and I just had to do the rest.”

At the 4:07 mark of the second, the Hitmen gave the puck away to Raiders 20-year-old right-winger Niall Crocker. Crocker got the puck to import left-winger Krzysztof Macias, who wired home a mid-range shot to give Prince Albert a 3-0 advantage.

Lukas Dragicevic scored the Raiders second goal on Friday.

The Hitmen stopped the bleeding at the 7:20 mark of the second when 19-year-old centre David Adaszynski sent home a mid-range off-speed shot through a screen for a goal to cut the Raiders lead to 3-1.

With 10:02 remaining in the second working on a power play, Hitmen star 19-year-old left-winger Tanner Howe thought he scored a goal during a mad scramble. The officials first called the play a goal, proceeded to have a conference over the call and waved the tally off on the ice.

The Hitmen thought they had another goal with 3:53 remaining in the second with a shot coming off the stick of captain Carson Wetsch. That goal was waved off as Hitmen 17-year-old centre Ben Kindel was given a minor penalty for goaltender interference.

Krzysztof Macias, left, enjoys scoring the Raiders third goal.

Just 62 seconds into the third, Hitmen 20-year-old star centre Connor Hvidston snuck a turnaround shot past Raiders 18-year-old netminder Dimitri Fortin to further trim the host side’s edge to 3-2.

The Hitmen evened the score a 3-3 with 5:21 remaining in third on a power-play goal from star 19-year-old right-winger Oliver Tulk. 

Tulk tipped home a puck from the front of the Prince Albert net that came from a pass by Wetsch.

That set the scene for Crocker to come through with the winning tally.

Dimitri Fortin made 39 saves in goal for the Raiders.

“We don’t give up,” said Dragicevic. “Maybe at the start of the year that is something that would have done, but we’ve grown as a team.

“We’ve grown as individuals. We knew we were going to get one on that power play. Our power play is too good to get stopped there.

“Crocks (Crocker) obviously banged that one home. It was a couple of passes before that one that led to that, and it was a nice goal.”

Fortin stopped 39 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders (12-9-3). Anders Miller turned away 27 shots to take the setback in net for the Hitmen (13-9-3-1).

Tomas Mrsic had a pair of assists for the Raiders.

Star 18-year-old left-winger Tomas Mrsic had a pair of assists for the Raiders.

Truitt has been pleased with how solid Fortin has been for the Raiders after joining the club in a trade with the Moose Jaw Warriors on November 27.

“Since he has come in, he has been calm and cool,” said Truitt. “He has just done his job.

“He has made some key saves, but he hasn’t had to make many circus saves here. He has been pretty good. The guys in front of him have been good as well, but he has been solid.”

The Hitmen return to action on Saturday when they travel to Saskatoon to take on the 17-6-1-2 Blades (7 p.m., SaskTel Centre).

The Raiders salute their faithful after Friday’s win.

The Raiders get back at it on Saturday when they travel to Brandon to battle the 13-8-3-1 Wheat Kings (7 p.m. local time, Westoba Place).

If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.

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