The Calgary Hitmen begin the WHL playoffs this week, opening a best-of-7 series in Red Deer on Friday. The Hitmen will play their first home game at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sunday.
That’s where it gets interesting. Due to the Saddledome hosting the Junos on April 3rd, the Hitmen will be forced to play Game 4 and 6 (if necessary) at the 6,450-seat Stampede Corral.
“With the celebration of Canadian music at the 45th annual Juno Awards, the Scotiabank Saddledome is unavailable beyond our first home date,” said Mike Moore, Hitmen General Manager and Vice President of Business Operations in a press release. “We are excited to celebrate our club’s junior hockey roots by playing in the Stampede Corral, a nostalgic venue with a rich history in our city, once home to the NHL’s Flames and WHL’s Wranglers and Centennials.”
The Hitmen finished third in the Central Division this year with 88 points. They’ll play the Red Deer Rebels, who finished second in the Central with 93 points.
Calgary won the season series against Red Deer this year, winning 4 games to 3.
| Date | Time | Venue | |
| Game 1 | Friday, March 25 | 7:00 p.m. | ENMAX Centrium, Red Deer |
| Game 2 | Saturday, March 26 | 7:00 p.m. | ENMAX Centrium, Red Deer |
| Game 3 | Sunday, March 27 | 4:00 p.m. | Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary |
| Game 4 | Friday, April 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Stampede Corral, Calgary |
| Game 5* | Saturday, April 2 | 7:00 p.m. | ENMAX Centrium, Red Deer |
| Game 6* | Monday, April 4 | 7:00 p.m. | Stampede Corral, Calgary |
| Game 7* | Tuesday, April 6 | 7:00 p.m. | ENMAX Centrium, Red Deer |
*Indicates if necessary
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