CALGARY It’s been a long time since the Calgary Hitmen last played a hockey game a full calendar year to be exact. The Hitmen’s last season came to an end on March 5 2020, because of the COVID-19 Pandemic. And they’ll play their first game since then on March 5 when they host the Red Deer Rebels. Defenceman Jackson Van der Leest says he can hardly wait to hit the ice again. “It’s awesome. I mean it’s been 11 months since I left Calgary, back when COVID was just starting out,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming and a long off-season.”