Wheat Kings, Hitmen share rich playoff history
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The Calgary Hitmen entered the Western Hockey League for the 1995-96 season, and they have met the Brandon Wheat Kings seven times in the playoffs, including five times in an eight-year stretch.
Here’s a quick look at the seven series.
2014-15
Calgary Hitmen forward Riley Merkley tries to get a shot on Wheat Kings goalie Tyler Plante during Game 4 of the second round of the Western Hockey League playoffs at the Saddledome on April 13, 2005. Calgary won the game 4-2 but Brandon took the series 4-3. (Dean Bicknell/Calgary Herald)
Brandon wins 4-1
In the Eastern Conference final from April 24 to May 1, 2015, John Quenneville had five points as Brandon opened with a 9-4 victory in Game 1 at home.
It was much closer in Game 2, with Tyler Coulter scoring 51 seconds into overtime in a 3-2 decision.
The Hitmen had an overtime goal of their own in Game 3 when Adam Tambellini scored his second of the game 3:07 into extra time in a 2-1 victory.
The Wheat Kings closed the series out with a pair of dominant victories. In Game 4 they won 8-3 as Morgan Klimchuk and Peter Quenneville both had a goal and two assists, and in Game 5, Jayce Hawryluk had two goals and two assists in an 8-2 win.
The Kelowna Rockets then swept Brandon in the final.
2011-12
Brandon wins 4-1
In the Eastern Conference quarterfinal from March 22 to 29, 2012, the Wheat Kings went up 2-0, the Hitmen tied it and Brandon scored the final four goals in a 6-2 victory, with Darian Dziurzynski sniping twice in Game 1 in Calgary.
Brandon Glover stopped all 20 shots he faced in a 4-0 Hitmen victory to tie the series in Game 2.
In Winnipeg for the next three games, Kevin Sundher had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win and Ryan Pulock and Mark Stone each had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory in Game 4 to put the Wheat Kings up 3-1 in the series.
In Game 5, Paul Ciarelli scored his second goal of the game 8:26 into overtime for a 3-2 Brandon victory and series win.
Brandon then fell to the Edmonton Oil Kings in the conference semifinals.
2009-10
Calgary wins 4-1
In the Eastern Conference final from April 16 to 23, 2010, Travis Hamonic and Brayden Schenn both had a goal and an assist as the Wheat Kings won 4-2 in Game 1 in Calgary.
In Game 2, the Hitmen went up 2-0, Brandon tied it but Ian Schultz potted the overtime winner 2:23 into extra time. Back in Brandon, Calgary earned 6-3 and 4-3 victories to go up 3-1 in the series.
At the Saddledome in Game 5, the Hitmen went up 4-0 in a 6-1 win.
That was famously the year the Wheat Kings beat the Hitmen in overtime in the Memorial Cup semifinal in Brandon to gain some revenge.
2008-09
Calgary wins 4-0
In the Eastern Conference final from April 17 to 22, 2009, Alex Plante of Brandon kicked off the scoring in Game 1 as they built a 7-0 lead in a 9-3 victory in Calgary.
In Game 2, Brandon built 2-0 and 3-1 leads but Calgary scored twice in a four-minute span midway through the third period for a 5-4 win.
Back in Brandon, the Wheat Kings built another 2-0 but were trailing 3-2 when Matt Calvert tied the game in the third period. But the Hitmen took a 3-0 series lead when Ian Schultz scored 64 seconds into overtime.
The series was over quickly in Game 4 as Calgary took a 5-0 lead in the first 28 minutes and hung on for a 6-4 victory.
2006-07
Calgary wins 4-2
In the Eastern Conference semifinal from April 6 to 15, 2007, Brandon opened with a 4-3 overtime victory on a goal by Tyler Dittmer, which was third of the game. The Wheat Kings then took Game 2 by a score of 3-2, with Codey Burki potting the winner
The Hitmen took the series over when it returned to Calgary, winning 8-1 and 5-1.
In the pivotal Game 5, current Brandon assistant coach Mark Derlago tied it 4-4 late in the third period, but Derek LeBlanc of Virden burned his former club by scoring eight seconds into overtime.
The Westman contingent of Brodie Dupont of St. Lazare, LeBlanc and Carson McMillan of Brandon all had goals in the clinching Game 6, a 4-1 Hitmen victory.
2004-05
Brandon wins 4-3
In the Eastern Conference semifinal from April 8 to 20, 2005, the series started with a thud for Brandon when they took a 10-1 beating at home, with Brodie Dupont scoring twice and adding two assists.
Incredibly, Brandon rebounded to earn 5-1 victory the next night, with Lance Monych scoring twice and adding an assist in a 5-1 win.
Back at the Saddledome, Calgary put Brandon on the ropes with 3-1 and 4-2 victories, but in Game 5, Derek LeBlanc scored twice in a 6-4 Brandon win.
In Game 6 in Calgary, Tyler Plante stopped 32 shots in a 3-1 victory, sending the series back to Brandon for Game 7.
In the deciding game, Plante made 29 saves and Ryan Stone posted the winner in another 3-1 win.
After later beating Prince Albert in an epic seven-game conference final, Brandon fell to the Kelowna Rockets in the final.
1997-98
Brandon wins 4-1
The teams met in the Eastern Conference final between April 11-17, 1998.
In Game 1 in Calgary, Cory Cyrenne scored 2:17 into overtime after Ukrainian star Boris Protsenko tied the game with 55 seconds left. In Game 2, Kirby Law scored twice for Brandon and current Hitmen assistant coach Brad Moran sniped for Calgary in another 5-4 Wheat Kings win.
The series returned to Brandon for Game 3 and Calgary drew back within a game with an overtime goal by Protsenko 15:50 into overtime for a 3-2 victory.
In Game 4, Stefan Cherneski scored twice and had an assist in a 4-1 Wheat Kings win, and back in Calgary for Game 5 in front of a crowd of 16,916, Stefan Cherneski had a natural hat trick and an assist in another 4-1 win.
Brandon ended up getting swept in the league final by Marian Hossa and the Portland Winterhawks.
pbergson@brandonsun.com