Calgary Hitmen announce plans to return, with crowds, to Scotiabank Saddledome

Hitmen goaltender Brayden Peters watches the puck dribble harmlessly to the corner during the team's 2-0 win over the Red Deer Rebels on March 5. The shutout was the first of Peters WHL career.

CALGARY — The Calgary Hitmen expect to open their 2021-22 season with a home-opener in front of fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome following a season away from their regular confines.

The Hitmen are slated to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes for an Oct. 3 matinee.

The WHL team played their 2020-2021 home games at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut'ina Nation, with the players staying within their cohort at a nearby hotel, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The return to the Saddledome will follow a four-game preseason schedule that will include a game at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex against the Edmonton Ice as well as a game against the Red Deer Rebels at the Deerfoot Sportsplex on the Siksika Nation.

Ticket information for the 2020-21 season, as well as training camp dates, is expected to be announced in August.

The Hitmen will only face Eastern Conference opponents during the 68-game season.