Canes to get good measuring stick on trip

By Lethbridge Herald on December 9, 2025.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Hurricanes begin a three-game-in-four-night stretch through the East Division tonight and this tough swing will be a  measuring stick for the club.

The Hurricanes are in Brandon tonight to take on the Wheat Kings,  then play the Saskatoon Blades on Friday and end the trip at the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday will all games starting at 6 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.

“Not an easy road trip,” said Ryan Aasman, Canes assistant coach.

“I think it’s gonna be a great measuring stick for our group in terms of where we’re at. It’s a time now, post-Wormald trade, that guys get to step up. But it’s not an easy thing to do going into Brandon on a Wednesday night versus a team that wants to play opportunistic off the rush and has some size and the rink is hard to play in.”

Showing competitiveness will be key for the Canes success on this trip.

“I think it’s been an inconsistent thing,” said Aasman.

“I think that’s what gets us the most frustrated with our group is we know mistakes (are) gonna happen, mistakes happen all the time, but can you be engaged and play enthusiastic, and play the game the right way and I think our group has to learn how to do that all the time.”

The Canes prepared for the road trip by being under pressure more in practice.

“I think for the rest of the year, you’re gonna see a lot of teams that wanna come down on us hard on the wall, and  forecheck us hard and try to turn that into a key of the game because they’re gonna try to put our puck touches under some pressure,” said Aasman.

“I think for us, that’s the biggest thing with our group is learning that pressure’s gonna come and then how do we flip the ice and get  pressure on them.”

The Canes will look to establish a forecheck and make the most out of their chances that they hope the opposition will make for them in hopes to find results.

“Just play a real simple, heavy game,” said defenceman Matteo Fabrizi.

The Canes with be facing teams with skill and ones that can fill the net.

“We just gotta be real discipline,” said Fabrizi.

“ (We) can’t give them powerplays, they’re very potent, and we gotta …  play our structure and not give them chances off our breakdowns.”

This will be Fabrizi’s first trip back to Prince Albert’s Art Hauser Centre  on Saturday night  as a member of the Hurricanes after splitting time between the Raiders and the Red Deer Rebels last season.

“The Hauser’s a really fun environment to play in,” said Fabrizi.

“It’s exciting, it’s loud, it’s a unique barn. There’s nothing like that in the league.”

The Hurricanes will be the opponent  in the Raiders teddy toss game.