(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Ian Gustafson

9-0 loss

Rebels shut out at home by Hitmen

Dec 13, 2025 | 9:27 PM

Red Deer Rebels head coach Marc Habscheid didn’t mince his words following a 9-0 loss on home ice to the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night.

He called it an embarrassing loss for his squad.

“I mean, this is rock bottom. If this isn’t rock bottom, I don’t know what is,” Habscheid said.

Penalties were a struggle early on for the Rebels, who took 26 minutes in penalties in the first period, including two 10-minute game misconducts for mouthguard violations.

As a result, the Hitmen scored two power-play goals on three opportunities.

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By the end of the game, the Rebels took 38 minutes in penalties and allowed five power-play goals on eight opportunities.

“[The officials] told us before the game about the mouthguards, told the players, so there’s no excuse for that,” he added. “And then we complain about it, no, there’s no complaining… There were penalties, but they called it, and we’ve got to kill them.”

The first goal was scored less than a minute into the game, scored by Kale Dach, who tipped a shot past the goaltender in front of the net on the man advantage.

Just over four minutes later, Andrei Molgachev put the Hitmen up by two with a golden scoring chance in front of the net. The puck came to the forward in the slot after it was redirected off someone’s leg. He made no mistake and fired it past the goalie.

The Hitmen notched their second power play marker with under four minutes left in the opening period. Hitmen forward Brandon Gorzynski put his team up 3-0 off a one-timer goal assisted by Ben MacBeath.

The Rebels made a goalie change to begin the second period, replacing Matthew Kondro with Peyton Shore after he let in three goals on 11 shots. Kondro went on to allow four goals on 12 shots before Shore was put back in the game late in the third period.

The Hitmen extended their lead with 16:25 left in the middle frame for Dach’s second of the game. He tipped a shot past the goalie from the left side of the net for their third power play goal of the evening.

In the third period, Calgary added five more goals, including two more on the man advantage, to lead 9-0. Koy Funk, Ethan Moore, Luc Trevors (twice), and Shaun Hildebrandt all found the back of the net.

When asked what changes his team needs to make to turn things around, Hacscheid said there needs to be an attitude change.

“If this doesn’t shake you to the core, I don’t know what is. Nine to nothing at home speaks for itself,” Habscheid said.

Next up, the Rebels will welcome the Brandon Wheat Kings to the Centrium on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. for the last game before the Christmas break. The Rebels will then return to play on Saturday, Dec. 27, for a matchup with the Edmonton Oil Kings.

“If you don’t learn from this, and if this doesn’t teach you something, then I don’t know what does.”