Cael Zimmerman in action last season with the Hitmen. (Submitted/Calgary Hitmen (Candice Ward))

By Mat Barrett

Back to Hockey

Englefeld’s Zimmerman excited to get back to WHL hockey with Hitmen

Feb 25, 2021 | 3:20 PM

The Western Hockey League (WHL) season gets going in Alberta this Friday.

However, for Englefeld product and Calgary Hitmen forward Cael Zimmerman, he and his teammates have to wait an extra week as the Hitmen don’t open their regular season until Friday, March 5.

Zimmerman said since their last game on March 7, 2020, it’s been a lot of waiting and hearing things as they looked to get back to playing hockey, and now that it’s here, he’s chomping at the bit to get going.

“All summmer it was kind of a grind to try to stay with it, skating, training, not really knowing when the season is going to start,” Zimmerman told northeastNOW. “Now that we’re here, it’s awesome.”

Things will look much different this season, especially for Zimmerman and the Hitmen. The team is unable to play out of the usual Scotiabank Saddledome due to the Calgary Flames and their affiliate, the Stockton Heat playing there. That has led the club to play out of the Seven Chiefs Sports Complex, which is just outside Calgary on the west side. Zimmerman said it’s a fantastic facility, and it’s great of them to open their doors to the team. The Hitmen are also staying in a hotel near the complex.

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Of course, there will also be no fans at games this season, something Zimmerman said is going to be weird, but once they get playing, things should feel more normal.

“But it’ll be on us guys to make noise in the rink and try to stay up,” he said.

Normally, players will have their hockey obligations during the season, but due to the pandemic, the players are essentially in their own bubbles. That has prevented the usual community initiatives done during the season. However, Zimmerman and his Hitmen teammates have teamed up with the Heroes Hockey Foundation, and their Superheroes team. The Foundation allows kids with disabilities to play hockey in the area, and the Hitmen have been doing Zoom meetings with the Superheroes. Zimmerman said it’s a great feeling to see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they get to hangout over zoom.

“Over a Zoom meeting is as close as we can get, and it’s pretty special for them and for us,” Zimmerman said.

As the players stay in their bubble and get through a very different season, each player will have something different to keep them busy. Zimmerman said he’s got a hockey stick and a golf ball to do some stickhandling during his off time. He said this season, the team will be spending more time together than not, something that will be very unique in this experience.

“I think the connections we make with our teammates will be special this year,” _{-Cael Zimmerman}

Zimmerman said in most seasons, it takes a lot to organize get-togethers away from the rink, but with everyone together, it becomes that much easier this time around.

The hotel has also set up ping pong tables for the players to enjoy in their down time and Zimmerman joked that his ping pong game is still a work in progress.

Zimmerman is heading into his fourth season with the Hitmen, and said he’s looking forward to getting back to playing more hockey after hip surgery held him out until January last year, and the pandemic cutting the season short.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6