Calgary Flames and drafting Calgary Hitmen players

[curves2000]

Hi all,

So I was going to start a thread like this a few days ago but never got around to it. I never got a chance to watch the 1st and 2nd periods of the San Jose game and caught the last few seconds of Eric Francis talking about something similar.

The WHL Calgary Hitmen have been one of the most consistent teams in the WHL for years and have been under the leadership of Kelly Kisio while in Calgary, I am wondering why more players from here haven't been drafted by Calgary?

I believe the Flames have only ever drafted 3 or 4 Calgary Hitmen but the WHL franchise has put out some solid NHL caliber players over the years.

I will admit I don't follow Major Jr. hockey a lot but I do know that the Hitmen are a very respectable franchise and sometimes the hidden gems might be under your nose.

Anybody have any insight??

[JiriHrdina]

I think they assess the Hitmen players exactly like they do all players. The fact they play for the Hitmen is simply a non factor

[Superfraggle]

My guess would be that the biggest factor is there are 60 teams in the CHL alone, and only 7 draft picks per team each year.

[TheScorpion]

^ I agree. Look at guys like Virtanen, Jones, Sonne, Bubnick, Sylvester, Alzner... they weren't drafted by the Flames.

[FireGilbert]

Scared off by Brent Krahn.

[smiggy77]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

I think they assess the Hitmen players exactly like they do all players. The fact they play for the Hitmen is simply a non factor

Exactly. This ties into the BPA thread going on here also. If it happens that the BPA is a hitmen, then sure, otherwise they don't look at it.


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[Canada 02]

How many Hitmen have gone on to have successful NHL careers. I'm guessing I won't need all the fingers on my hand to count

[AC]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

How many Hitmen have gone on to have successful NHL careers. I'm guessing I won't need all the fingers on my hand to count

Karl Alzner
Kris Beech (198 GP)
Johnny Boychuk
Justin Falk (167 GP so far)
TJ Galiardi (321 GP)
Ryan Getzlaf
Darcy Hordichuk (542 GP)
Martin Jones
Andrew Ladd
Stephen Peat (130 GP)
Matt Pettinger (422 GP)
Paul Postma (109 GP)
Victor Rask
Brandon Segal (103 GP)
Jeff Schultz (409 GP)
Fredrik Sjostrom (489 GP)
Jerred Smithson (606 GP)
Michael Stone (270 GP)
Brad Stuart
Jake Virtanen
Ryan White (231 GP)

[Scornfire]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

How many Hitmen have gone on to have successful NHL careers. I'm guessing I won't need all the fingers on my hand to count

http://hitmenhockey.com/page/hitmen-in-the-nhl

Ya, prolly only 5 I'd consider significant nhlers so far

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Martin Jones, Brad Stuart, Andrew Ladd, Jeff Schultz, Paul Postma, Ryan White?

That's off the top of my head.

[Da_Chief]

Ryan Getzlaf
Karl Alzner
Jared Smithson
Victor Rask
Martin Jones
Andrew Ladd
Brad Stuart
Johnny Boychuk
Fredrik Sjostrom
Jeff Schultz
Ryan White
Michael Stone
T.J. Galiardi

To be decided
Travis Sanheim
Jake Bean
Jake Virtanen
...

Those are the ones I can remember off top of my head...Not sure how it compares to other Junior clubs. So can't say if it good or bad. But some very solid players have come out of Hitmen; Getzlaf, Ladd, Alzner, Boychuk, Stone, Rask, Stuart, Jones etc.

A quick comparison, the Oil Kings had some dominant teams recently. That produced Lazar, Reinhart, Pysyk, Jarry, Brossoit, Pollock. Most of these guys are busting. So who knows.

[corporatejay]

No love for Brendl?

[Calgary4LIfe]

One advantage that I would assume Calgary scouts get is more honest and forthcoming answers from the coaching staff/management on the Hitmen. Character is one of the identified attributes that Calgary looks for, so I would assume it would help get a better grasp on the individual character traits on the team.

[Hockey Fan #751]

The Oilers draft (or trade for) Oil Kings all the time. How's that worked out for them?

Moroz - Bust (early 2nd round)
Musil - Bust (early 2nd round)
Abney - Bust (3rd round!!!)
Ewanyk - Bust
Brossoit - Likely backup
Reinhart - Busting (traded a 1st and a 2nd)
Gernat - Bust
Pelss - Passed away unfortunately after splitting his first pro season between AHL and ECHL

You should do what the Flames do, and that's treat the Hitmen like any other junior team. The one time they didn't it blew up in their face (taking Krahn way too high).

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Hockey Fan #751

The Oilers draft (or trade for) Oil Kings all the time. How's that worked out for them?

Moroz - Bust (early 2nd round)
Musil - Bust (early 2nd round)
Abney - Bust (3rd round!!!)
Ewanyk - Bust
Brossoit - Likely backup
Reinhart - Busting (traded a 1st and a 2nd)
Gernat - Bust
Pelss - Passed away unfortunately after splitting his first pro season between AHL and ECHL

You should do what the Flames do, and that's treat the Hitmen like any other junior team. The one time they didn't it blew up in their face (taking Krahn way too high).

Whatever are you talking about? Why should the Oilers draft from anywhere else when they have a junior team in their own backyard that they can select the best players from? They only need to scout the Oil Kings home games + one copy they photocopy of the Hockey News.

They are on the right path. They are building something pretty darn special up there - all the media-heads keep telling me so incessantly every time I watch the Oilers or hear news about them.

[Freeway]

Proximity may mean the Flames see too much of the Hitmen players, could over-analyze them compared to players from other teams.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

No love for Brendl?

Nope! Brendl didn't understand the basic concept of NHL hockey. No forechecking, no backchecking, equals no paycheck!

[getbak]

I just ran the numbers: The Hitmen have existed for 20 drafts. In that time, the Flames have made 162 draft picks. They have drafted more than one player from 36 different programs, and one player from 72 different programs.


They have drafted at least 3 players from 12 different teams...

6 Players

• Kootenay Ice [WHL]

4 Players

• Kamloops Blazers [WHL]
• Moose Jaw Warriors [WHL]
• Windsor Spitfires [OHL]

3 Players

• Barrie Colts [OHL]
• Brandon Wheat Kings [WHL]
• Calgary Hitmen [WHL]
• Farjestads BK Karlstad [SEL]
• Oshawa Generals [OHL]
• Peterborough Petes [OHL]
• Swift Current Broncos [WHL]
• Vancouver Giants [WHL]

When you look at it that way, the Hitmen are actually high on the list. Only four teams have had more players chosen by the Flames.

[Madrox]

I mean, we did draft one just last year. Also, by my count, there have been 50 Hitmen drafted by NHL teams, and the Flames have drafted 3 of them, so they've drafted more than an average number.

[SeeGeeWhy]

Some tool was giving steinberg the gears on OT about how the flames don't draft enough hitmen becuase that's "the Calgary thing to do". What a moron