Morning Skate: Heat Open Season Against Toronto Marlies

Game Notes: Stockton | Toronto | AHL

Matchup: Stockton Heat (0-0-0-0; 5th Canadian) vs. Toronto Marlies (2-2-0-0; 2nd Canadian)
Arena: Scotiabank Saddledome | Calgary, AB
Time: 2:00 p.m. MST | 1:00 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Today’s game will be available free on AHLTV.com.
Follow Along: For live, in-game updates, follow the Heat on Twitter @AHLHeat.

HELLO OUT THERE, WE’RE ON THE AIR, IT’S HOCKEY NIGHT TONIGHT
After a 348-day offseason, the Stockton Heat return to the ice on Sunday at 2 p.m. as the club is set to make its Canadian Division debut against the Toronto Marlies. Stockton is the final AHL team to shake off the rust on the year, with Toronto coming into the matchup with four games under its belt.

HOME SWEET ‘DOME
Due to complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Heat moved operations north for the winter, announcing on January 28 that the club would be based out of the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary this season. Today’s game will be the first contest for the Heat in Canada since April 7, 2019, a 6-2 win over the Manitoba Moose.

OUT OF THE GATES
Stockton has made a habit of getting a good start at home, coming into today’s contest with at least a point in all five of its home openers. The lone contest of the five that the Heat did not take both points came on October 6, 2018, a 6-5 overtime setback against the Ontario Reign.

VIEWS FROM THE 6
Today’s game will be the first-ever meeting between the Heat and the Toronto Marlies in a historic season for the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate. Of Stockton’s four new divisional counterparts, the Heat had only played against Manitoba – registering a 5-7-0-0 all-time record against the AHL affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.

CAN’T BEAT FIRST
The Heat excelled on both special teams units a year ago, finishing tops in the AHL on both the power play (25.6-percent) and penalty kill (87.6-percent). Stockton was the first team in a decade to accomplish the feat, last achieved by Hershey in 2009-10.