2014-2015 WHL Thread

[DOOM]

The Hitmen are playing in their season opener tonight.

Last time I checked it was 1-0 Hitmen, Padakin with the goal.

[Montana Moe]

The Winterhawks are probably going to go through some growing pains as they adjust to a new coach this season.

They're already 0-2, but they'll get reinforcements when their players return from NHL camps. I'm sure they'll be at or near the top of the West come playoff time.

[Resolute 14]

Hitmen players scored three goals, but the team lost 4-1. Not an auspicious start. But given they opened the 20th anniversary season with a roster that rather resembled the first season, not entirely unexpected. We should get some bodies back from NHL camps by the next game.

Rebels sure got their skating legs after the first though. Pretty impressive final 40 minutes.

[Flickered Flame]

I wish the dub would start a week later. Most teams are missing their top players to NHL camps and the result is just ugly, sloppy hockey, just like last night.

More concerning than the loss is the health of Hitmen goalie Mack Shields who left the game with what they were hoping was just a cramp.

[Drury18]

Hitmen have traded F Mike Winther to Kamloops for 2 picks to try to alleviate the amount of overagers on the team. If all players returned from camp (highly likely) they would have had 5. Now it's down to 4 but they will need to cut it down to 3 by October 15th. Same issue with foriegn players, they will have 3 if Fazleev returns (he will) so someone out of Padakin, Fazleev or Karnaukhov will need to be moved out by Oct 15th. Pretty sure Padakin will be sent packing.

http://hitmenhockey.com/article/hitm...-from-kamloops

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by DOOM

The Hitmen are playing in their season opener tonight.

Last time I checked it was 1-0 Hitmen, Padakin with the goal.

How did that end up........


BTW, thanks for starting this thread. Since moving up to Central Alberta, I have started following/going to more WHL games. It really is good hockey.

[Drury18]

Game final was 4-1 Red Deer. They made the Hitmen look like fools. It was painful to watch.

[DOOM]

Mike Winther to Kamloops for a 2015 4th and a 2017 6th.

http://www.hitmenhockey.com/article/...-from-kamloops


Pavlo Padakin to Regina for a 2017 3rd.

http://www.hitmenhockey.com/article/...de-with-regina

[Drury18]

Yep, called it. Wanted him to be the one staying but saw no way that he could be.

[DOOM]

Saskatoon also traded Scherbak (MTL 2014 1st rounder) to Everett for a 2015 1st, 2016 2nd and Nik Amundrud.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jr...184251552.html

[Flickered Flame]

There was no question it was going to Padakin as he is both an overager and a Euro.

[DOOM]

Hitmen make another trade.

Linden Penner to Moose Jaw for a conditional 6th in the 2016 draft.

http://www.hitmenhockey.com/article/...with-moose-jaw

[Drury18]

Zane Jones on the move again. Was shipped from Calgary to Everett just before last years trade deadline. Now he's going to Lethbridge.

http://www.whl.ca/article/hurricanes...rom-silvertips

Zane is the nephew of Lanny MacDonald.

[Resolute 14]

And Jones was the only player who really looked like anything much for the Canes yesterday - even if he was cherry picking like a mofo by the end of the game. Pretty good odds he gets moved again to a playoff team by the deadline.

Nice to see Calgary get that first W, but sad to see that the Canes are still a hot mess. It's only one game, and the Canes' second inside 24-hours, but based on yesterday, I'm not sure Lethbridge will improve at all over last year. But perhaps it will finally force the league to make a change with that organization.

From a Hitmen perspective, I'm not impressed with the new coach's style. So far they seem to be avoiding contact, aren't very fast on the rush, and there seems to be a reliance on fancy passing and looking for the perfect play. It looks like the coaches have the players trying to do too much.

[Resolute 14]

God is Lethbridge ever a disaster. Two more players demand out, Canes trade them to Brandon for a paltry return. On the same day, the team's AGM reveals that they ran a deficit of nearly $400,000 last season and has lost $1.65 million over the last five years. The only good news is that the board resolved to hold a vote next year on whether to sell the team.

Honestly, Ron Robison shouldn't wait for it. He should be making it clear that they need to sell now.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ownersh...190945213.html

[scottish_flame]

I have my tickets for tonight's game. I don't know why I pump money into a joke of an organization. Just an excuse to drink some beers somewhere else than a pub. They need to be sold ASAP

[Red John]

And then Lethbridge beats Calgary.

Too funny.

[Resolute 14]

The Hitmen, bluntly, have been a joke so far this year. Giving up 37 shots to that sad sack franchise - and from what I heard, a great many breakways and odd man rushes - just continues to point to both a lack of speed and a system that simply does not work. Though it is a new coach and players continue to return, so hopefully the latter is fixable.

That being said, gotta tip your hat to any goalie who makes 50 saves.

[Drury18]

The Hitmen aren't done with the trades. Cal Babych on the way out.

@WHLHitmen: BREAKING: The #WHLHitmen have acquired a 7th round pick from the @PGCougars in exchange for forward Cal Babych ~ http://t.co/ehSehyUniA

[DOOM]

Originally Posted by Drury18

The Hitmen aren't done with the trades. Cal Babych on the way out.

Wait...why?

17 years old, played one game this year and had 3 assists....

Didn't have that impressive of numbers last year, but that was his 16 year old season.