The Calgary Hitmen have traded 20-year-old goalie Brandon Glover to the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for a third round pick in the 2013 WHL Bantam Daft.

The move reduces the potential number of overage options for the Hitmen to six for the upcoming season while sending Glover into a starting situation.  This deal also means Chris Driedger will take over as the number one goalie in Calgary. 

It's a win-win trade for both teams and players in my mind.

I'll post an interview with GM Kelly Kisio on this deal tomorrow.

The Calgary Hitmen opened the draft by taking a puck moving defenceman with their first round pick, 17th overall, in 6'1" 160 pound Brennan Riddle.  Riddle, who doesn't turn 15 until July, played AA Bantam in Saskatchewan with the Prairie Storm.  The Balgonie product had 17 points (11g 6a) in 22 regular season games adding eight more (3g 5a) in nine post season appearances.

Hitmen Head Scout Dan Bonar on Riddle:  "Brennan has good size and skates well. We expect him to come in and play as a 16 year-old"

Riddle captured the Allstar defenceman award in Regina at the Bantam AA Challenge Tournament in November
                                             Hitmen first round pick Brennan Riddle
        
In the second round the Hitmen turned back to Saskatchewan to select the top scorer from the Saskatchewan Bantam AA League in Terrell Draude.  The just turned 15 year-old had a monster season with the Sask Valley Diamond Pharmacy Vipers racking up 94 points (54g 40a) in only 24 games.  The 6'2" 180 pound centre added another 15 points (9g 6a) in five playoff games.  

                   Terrell Draude Photo Credit:  http://westernelitehockeyprospects.blogspot.ca/

The Hitmen did not have a third round pick, traded to Tri-City in the Chris Driedger trade but had a pair of fourth round selections.  With their first, at 83rd overall, they drafted: Jordan Stallard, a 5'9" 140 pound Centre from Brandon Bantam AAA Div. 1.  Stallard had 37 points (10g 27a) in 30 regular season games to lead the Brandon A & W Wheat Kings in scoring, finishing fifth overall in league scoring.

                              Jordy Stallard Photo Credit:  http://www.hockeymanitoba.ca/

With the 84th overall over pick the Hitmen drafted 5'10" 160 pound right winter Cal Babych from the North Shore Winter Club Winterhawks AAA Bantam.  Cal is the son of former NHLer Dave Babych who played almost 1,200 regular season games.  No stats available.

Calgary had acquired that pick in this October 26th, 20011 Trade: 
-To MJ: 20-year-old Kenton Miller and 19-year-old Justin Kirsch. 
To Calgary: 20 year-old Collin Bowman, 18-year-old Joey Kornelsen and a 4th round pick in the 2012 Bantam Draft.

With the 105th overall selection the Hitmen took 5'10" 159 pound centre Scott Petkau from Steinbach, Manitoba.  He played this past season with the Southeast Blizzards Bantam AA.  He had 11 points (4g 7a) in 11 games at the Hockey Manitoba Bantam AAA Showcase for the Eastman Selects.  However his regular season numbers are not available.

                                                              Scott Petkau

In Round 6, 127th overall the Hitmen took their first goalie of the draft in 5'11" 158 lbs Carson Franks from Red Deer Black Bantam AAA.  His team won only six of 33 regular season games this season with Franks posting a 4.32 goals against average and .873 save percentage.  He turned in a brilliant Alberta Cup posting a 1.99GAA and .909 save percentage in 150 minutes of work.

                                                             Carson Franks

In Round 7, 149th overall, the club took 5'11" 188 pound right defenceman Lochlan Morrison from the Prince Albert Bantam AA Venice House Raiders. He finished fifth in the league in points for a defenceman with 30 (11g 19a).

                                         Lochlan Morrison Photo Credit: PA Herald

In Round 8, 171st overall the Hitmen drafted left defenceman Alex McGovern of Vernon, B.C. who split time between the Notre Dame Bantam AA Hounds and Notre Dame Midget AA Hounds.  On the midget squad McGovern had 11 assists in 31 games.

In Round 9, 193rd overall Calgary selected 5'7" 169lbs left defenceman James Shearer from Brandon AAA Bantam.  He was the captain of the A and W Wheat Kings this season and picked up 29 points (9g 20a) in 30 games.

                                                             James Shearer

In Round 10 at 215th overall the Hitmen drafted 5'9" 145lbs centre Grady McInnes from the Campbell River Bantam A Tyees.  However his regular season numbers are not available.

NHL Central Scouting has released its final rankings leading up to June's NHL Entry Draft.  Four members of the Calgary Hitmen, three players and a goalie, have caught the attention of scouts.

North American Skaters Final Rankings
#64 HELGESEN, KENTON CALGARY WHL 6' 3.0" 186 D
#135 RISSLING, JAYNEN CALGARY WHL 6' 4.0" 223 D
#181 BRASSART, BRADY CALGARY WHL 6' 1.25" 189 RW

North American Goalies Final Rankings
#13 DRIEDGER, CHRIS CALGARY WHL 6' 2.75" 187

The 2012 NHL Entry Draft will be held at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from June 22nd to 23rd

The Calgary Hitmen cleaned out their lockers for another season on Saturday with many of the players saying their final goodbyes and hopping in their cars today for the drive back to their respective hometowns.

Ken Thrower and I had a chance to sit down with Hitmen Head Coach Mike Williamson to get his thoughts on the season and the playoff loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Click here to listen

                                              Photo Credit:  Brad Watson

The 2012 Calgary Hitmen playoff run is over, ending at the hands of the Brandon Wheat Kings Thursday night in Winnipeg.

Paul Ciarelli scored his scored goal of the game at 8:26 of overtime giving the Wheat Kings a 3-2 victory and lifting Brandon to a 4-1 series win.

After a scoreless first period Wheat Kings import Alessio Bertaggia scored the lone goal of the second period, tipping home a point shopping while jumping about a foot off the ice. 

Calgary bounced back with a strong start to the third period getting goals from Alex Gogolev and Chase Clayton 33 second apart to give the Hitmen their first lead of the night at 2-1. 

However the advantage was short lived as Ciarelli notched the tying goal less than three minutes later.

Sorry for the delay in posting this, but I didn't have any internet access until arriving back in Calgary this afternoon.  I'll add some more post series reaction in the days ahead.  But for now upon returning home I had a chance to catch up with the three graduating 20-year-olds, Collin Bowman, Jimmy Bubnick and Brock Sutherland.

Click here to listen to the interview

Calgary Hitmen 2 at Brandon Wheat Kings 3 (OT)Thursday, March 29, 2012 - MTS Centre - Winnipeg, MB

Calgary 0 0 2 0 - 2
Brandon 0 1 1 1 - 3

1st Period
No Scoring.
Penalties-No Penalties

2nd Period
1, Brandon, Bertaggia 3 (Roy, Sundher), 0:36.
Penalties-Kosterman Cal (tripping), 1:50; Cheek Cal (hooking), 11:39.

3rd Period
2, Calgary, Gogolev 3 (Bubnick, Bowman), 1:12.
3, Calgary, Clayton 1 (Macek, Cheek), 1:45.
4, Brandon, Ciarelli 1 (Dziurzynski, Meilleur), 4:14.
Penalties-No Penalties

OT Period
5, Brandon, Ciarelli 2 (Dziurzynski, Meilleur), 8:26.
Penalties-Kosterman Cal (tripping), 4:46.

Shots on Goal-Calgary 14-10-12-8-44. Brandon 9-15-17-2-43.
Power Play Opportunities-Calgary 0 / 0; Brandon 0 / 3.
Goalies-Calgary, Glover 1-1-1-0 (43 shots-40 saves). Brandon, Boes 4-1-0-0 (44 shots-42 saves).
A-4,002
Referees-Brett Montsion (54), Reagan Vetter (79).
Linesmen-Bryden Hutlet (114), Darrell Surminski (37).