An entire week without Oil Kings hockey is a long time, but the wait is close to its end. After opening the season with back-to-back victories against the Red Deer Rebels last week the Edmonton Oil Kings will look to continue their winning ways against the rival Hitmen in Calgary. The Oil Kings took the preseason victory against these Hitmen two weeks ago in Carstairs, and will hope for a similar result in this one.

The Oil Kings looked at the top of their game against Red Deer last week, and were given the #3 spot in the CHL Power Rankings for the opening week, but they are prepared to get even better. Max Curran was returned from the Colorado Avalanche before last Saturday’s home opener but didn’t get into the lineup for that one, expect him to draw in for tonight. Also returning from NHL camps are Blake Fiddler (Seattle) and Adam Jecho (St. Louis), and both of these names should be home and prepared to make their season debut in Calgary. To make room for all of the returning players Jensen Marsh, Kayson Anderson, and Matheas Hejda have all been reassigned to their respective affiliate teams.

Anderson and Hejda did not play at all on opening weekend, and their reassignment does not come as a surprise given the tight competition for defense roster spots. Jensen Marsh had an assist on the 4th goal in both weekend games, but finds that he’ll have to keep working hard in the AJHL while he awaits another chance to return to the Oil Kings roster.

The Oil Kings have opened the season 3-0 five times in the modern era, and the most recent was in the 2021-22 Championship Season. This team hopes to replicate that success on their way to claiming another championship.

On The Throne

Those players that are considered to be trending upwards, on a hot streak, or otherwise impressing will be seen as being On The Throne. 

Dylan Dean - The new number 14 is trying to make the best impression possible on the Oil King faithful, and it appears it may be working. He had the first powerplay goal of the season in Red Deer, and then followed it up with the first goal of the game in Edmonton. He added an assist on Andrew O’Neill’s game-winning powerplay goal to finish the weekend series with 3 points in 2 games. He wasn’t just getting himself on the scoresheet, though, as he was mixing it up and putting himself in the middle of the rough stuff with the Rebels. He was getting under their skin, frustrating them, and drawing post-whistle scrums anytime he was on the ice. Dean is his own player, but I’m sure Oil King fans can appreciate the new number 14 picking up where the old 14 left off.

Parker Snell - Parker unfortunately had his shutout streak to start his WHL career snapped when the Rebels’ Samuel Drancak buried one past him in the first period last saturday, but Snell took it in stride and went right back to what he’s been doing all along. He stopped 20 of 21 shots in the game, and didn’t give the Rebels any chance to claw back into the game the way they did in Red Deer. It’s definitely a much easier night as a goalie when the team in front of you is dominating play as the Oil Kings did for much of Saturday’s game, but Snell was stellar when he was called upon.

Andrew O’Neill - Dylan Dean has been highly entertaining through 2 games, but not to be overshadowed is his linemate in O’Neill. Andrew was held off the scoresheet in Red Deer, but his value was not to be ignored. He was firing on all cylinders and if you were watching that game you could just feel that one was going to go in for him if he kept playing like that. In the Edmonton home opener, that’s just what happened. He started out with the assist on Dean’s first goal, and then scored one of his own on the powerplay. (The first potential Power Saturday winner, sadly was not won). The line of O’Neill with Dean and Joe Iginla continues to be one of the most exciting parts of the game, and will hopefully be kept together even with the return of Curran and Jecho into the lineup.

Off The Throne

Players that are struggling through a rough patch, on a cold streak, or possibly battling the puck at times will be viewed as being Off The Throne. 

The Re-Assigned Players - I know, maybe it’s a cop out to go with the injured players and re-assigned players for this section. It’s early in the season though, we’re 2-0, the team has been dominant in nearly every aspect of the game, and I have no knocks against anyone at this time. Jensen Marsh was playing amazing, and being sent down to the Drumheller Dragons is nothing to do with his play and everything to do with roster space. Anderson and Hejda were already stuck in the bottom of the depth chart and not playing, so better for them to go somewhere they can play hockey and come back to Edmonton if a spot presents itself.

At the Gate

Who is the man standing between the pipes, the soldier standing between the opponent’s hopes and dreams? The man in the mask, and heavy padding, is the man At the Gate. This is our section where we will look at the starting goaltenders. 

It could be a coin flip for who Coach Gator decides to start in this game, but there’s one glaring stat that points me in one particular direction over the other. Ethan Simcoe started 4 games against the Hitmen last year, he went 1-4 in those games and allowed at least 3 goals against in each game. Even the game he won, he allowed 4 goals and only won because the team in front put up 8 goals against Calgary.

Parker Snell played the full 60 in the preseason against these Hitmen and took the W with only 2 goals against (and was named the second star in that game). The easy answer based off his preseason and early season play is that Parker Snell should start his second consecutive game for the Oil Kings.

The Roil Ledger

How well do the Oil Kings match up with their opponents? How have they fared against them in recent seasons? Is there a lot of red in that ledger, or have the results been more positive? We’ll take a look at recent history and notable stats between the two teams.

In the 2024-25 season these teams met 8 times, with some tight battles and some absolute blowouts. The Oil Kings took game one in Edmonton 4-1 to start the season series off the right way, but then Calgary took the next 6 matchups in a row including a thrilling 4-3 OT game in Calgary where Hodnett scored the Edmonton Hat Trick, and spoiling Edmonton’s Hockey Hooky day by holding onto a 3-2 win through a high anxiety third period. Edmonton would finish the season series with an 8-4 offensive outburst, but ultimately the Oil Kings lost the season series with a 2-5-1 record.

In the lone preseason game this year, Edmonton took the victory by a 4-2 margin over Calgary. Josh Lee, Joe Iginla, Niko Tsakumis, and Luke Powell each had a goal in the game. Since 2020, Edmonton holds a 17-18-2 record against the Hitmen with Edmonton domination through 2021 & 2022, and Calgary holding the edge in the more recent years since. 

The Threats Beyond the Wall

What awaits the Oil Kings on the other side of the ice? Who should they be keeping an eye on? How has the opponent stacked up around the league? We’ll be looking at the players to watch, those high on prospect draft boards, and the ones already drafted by NHL teams. The team’s place in the standings, win or loss streaks, and other important information to prime everyone to be ready for the opposition.

The first big threat to mention is the one who did the most damage in the preseason matchup between these teams. Luc Trevors was a 2025 Training Camp invitee who managed to impress and signed a WHL scholarship and development agreement as a result. The 2024-25 AJHL Centennial Cup Champion, while a member of the Calgary Canucks, has now advanced to the next level of Calgary hockey and started his career off with 2 assists in the Hitmen’s opening weekend series with Lethbridge. While the team split the series with the Hurricanes, Trevors showed a taste of why he was signed to the team.

The Hitmen are a completely different team than they were one year ago, but that doesn’t mean an easy out. In their first game of the season this year, the Hitmen dressed 13 players making their WHL Debuts. Of those 13, three got their first WHL Goals, and 4 others got their first points. Andrei Molgachev is one of those names, and was the first star of their first game with 2 goals scored only 3:41 apart. The Russian import came across to North America last year and lit up the 16U AAA with 153 points in 63 games. He’s a young star in the making and someone for the Oil Kings to keep an eye on.

Hunter Aura and Wyatt Pisarczyk are both returning players from last year’s Hitmen team, and have been the top pair to open this season. Both are physical players with strong awareness and 2-way play. Their downside is in their size, as both players are listed at around 5’10 and could face some struggles with larger players. They both have a quick pass and can find lanes to thread pucks through, and could pose a problem if they are breaking out passes to the front lines. 

Calgary’s goaltending situation would appear to be running through Anders Miller this year following up on his strong rookie season last year. He finished last season with a 13-4 record, a 2.34 GAA, and a .909 Sv%. In the season opener, he allowed 3 goals on 23 shots but secured the victory. The 18-year-old will be celebrating his 19th birthday next week, but that doesn’t mean the Oil Kings can’t spoil the birthday party before we get there.

The Oil Kings are looking like a powerhouse in the WHL this year, and our next stop rolls through the Saddledome tonight. You can watch the game for free on Victory+, or listen along on iHeartRadio, or if you happen to be making a trip to Calgary this weekend then have a look for tickets and go catch the live game and cheer loud for the Oil Kings inside the Saddledome.The next game will be Wednesday October 1st in Regina as the Oil Kings visit the Pats for the first time this season. 

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