The 2025-2026 season couldn’t have started better for your Drumheller Dragons, especially one of their veteran players.
The Dragons got their season underway on Friday night at the Memorial Arena. A great crowd was on hand to see the Dragons start against the Canmore Eagles. The Eagles would open the scoring on a bouncing puck that went off two players before getting passed Dragons netminder Sean Cootes giving them the 1-0 lead early in the first and even though the Dragons outshot the Eagles, Canmore would lead after one period.
Late in the second, Drumheller would get on the board with Tyler Deakos scoring his first as a Dragon with 6:21 left, to tie the game 1-1. The Dragons would take their first lead with 1:34 left with Luca Dufor scoring, making it 2-1.
Midway through the third, Canmore’s Tavynn Hamilton would tie the game 2-2. And then a flurry of goals, Bradley Gallo at 10:21 for the Dragons. The Eagles would tie the game 39 seconds later on a goal by Liam Magnuson. Bradley Gallo would score another only 19 seconds later, to give the Dragons the 4-3 lead. Then with 5:30 remaining, Gallo scored his natural hat-trick goal on the powerplay to give the Dragons the win.
It would be the fastest hat-trick scored by a Dragon, at 4 minutes 9 seconds, putting Gallo in the record books. Jeff Young held the record from back in 2008 with three goals scored in 5:36. Gallo also opened both last season and this season with a hat-trick and is only the third Dragon to start the season with three in a game (Coy Pighin, and Gallo twice).
The Dragons then headed to Calgary on Sunday afternoon for a matchup with the defending Centennial Cup Champions, the Calgary Canucks.
It would be a goal scoring affair for the Dragons. The Canucks would open the scoring at 4:20 with Ty Krooshoop scoring a power play marker. The Dragons would tie the game 1-1 with Jackson DeGraves scoring his first of the year at 9:26. Drumheller would take the lead just over five minutes later with Sullivan Humeniuk scoring his first of the season. One minute later, Trace Anderson of the Dragons would score his first, giving the Dragons the 3-1 lead after one
Drumheller would continue the onslaught in the second as Bradley Gallo (4) scored at 3:41, making it 4-1 Dragons. Just over two minutes later, at 5:50, Allen Sherpa scored his first of the year. Bradley Gallo (5) tallied another at 6:34 giving the Dragons the 6-1 lead. Calgary would try to claw back in the game with a goal by Adam Halat at 8:47, making it 6-2 Drumheller. The Dragons would answer with a power play goal at 10:38, with Allen Sherpa scoring his second of the game. The scoring in the second would wrap up with Aiden Connell scoring his first of the year, on the power play, with 4:19 remaining. Drumheller would take the 8-2 lead to the dressing room after two periods.
The Dragons would add another early in the third, after Calgary changed their goaltenders, when Lauchlan Kozicky scored his first of the year at 1:48. The Canucks would answer with a power play goal with 10:00 remaining in the period, making it 9-3 Drumheller. Bradley Gallo would get his second hat-trick in consecutive games with a goal with 7:31 left and made the final 10-3 in favour of the Dragons.
Gallo would hit the record book again for the only Dragon to ever have two hat-tricks in their first two games of the season.
Drumheller looks to continue their great start with two home games this weekend. Friday night, the Dragons will host the Lloydminster Bobcats. Saturday night is 80’s night at the Memorial Arena so dress in your best 80’s garb as the Dragons host the Drayton Valley. Both games will be at 7 PM each night.
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