It didn’t take long for fans of the Calgary Hitmen to get a glimpse of the future on Friday night.
After all, the Hitmen iced a lineup of 10 rookies – including six who were playing their first career Western Hockey League games – in their home opener in front of 7,524 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome against the Kootenay Ice.
One of those wide-eyed rookies making his WHL debut was Murphy Stratton, who scored 13 goals and added 16 assists in 27 games for his hometown Los Angeles Jr. Kings Under-16 team last season.
“I don’t think I could have wrote it up better,” said Stratton in regards to Calgary’s 3-2 shootout win over the Ice.