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Calgary Hitmen season turned on a dime after ugly loss

Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint exactly when the entire season changed.

Not with this group.

It was Jan. 17.

The Calgary Hitmen had just been badly outworked by the visiting Victoria Royals and the 4-1 loss left them at 23-17-5.

A players-only, closed-door meeting was called and the results couldn't have been more dramatic.

The Hitmen won their next nine in a row and 15 of their next 16, as they roared back to overtake the Medicine Hat Tigers for the WHL Central Division crown.

Hitmen over-ager Connor Rankin said it was a decisive moment.