PATS TOP HITMEN IN FRONT OF RECORD CROWD AT MCMAHON STADIUM – Chandler Stephenson was the hero, scoring the go-ahead goal with just 37 seconds left in the third period to lead the Regina Pats to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen in the Calgary 2011 WHL Outdoors game on Monday at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, AB.

The contest, played at the home of the Calgary Stampeders, was the first ever outdoor game on Canadian soil in CHL history. 

A whopping 20,888 fans took in the afternoon contest, breaking the WHL and CHL’s single-game attendance record, while also taking the honor as the most attended Junior hockey game ever. 

The CHL’s previous attendance record was held by the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, who packed 20,067 into the Corel Center for a contest versus the Kingston Frontenacs in 2004.  The previous attendance record for a Junior hockey game was 20,380 for the Gold medal game of the 2009 World Junior Championship at Scotiabank Place in Kanata, ON.

The Pats opened the scoring in the contest, with Dyson Stevenson netting his fourth of the season at the 2:26 mark of the first period.  The Pats took a 2-0 lead 4:21 into the second period on a breakaway goal from captain Garrett Mitchell.

The Hitmen got on the board late in the second period on a power play marker from Jaynen Rissling, then tied the contest 8:46 into the third period when Kris Foucault buried a rebound off a shot from Spencer Humphries.

Damien Ketlo made 33 saves for the Pats to earn the win, while Mike Snider turned aside 34 of 37 shots for the Hitmen in a losing cause.

The Calgary 2011 WHL Outdoors event was the second outdoor game for the WHL this season, but the first held on Canadian soil.  The Spokane Chiefs took on the Kootenay Ice at Avista Stadium in Spokane, WA, for the Rockstar Outdoor Hockey Classic on January 15^th.  The Chiefs won that contest 11-1 in front of 7,075 fans.

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