RSS Flames Team Notes

[Calgary Flames]

What’s Going On In the Pacific Division: Five teams in the division occupy a playoff spot

The holiday break is right around the corner.

With the holiday break, it’s clear which teams are playoff contenders: the Vegas Golden Knights, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. The other three teams, the Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks are all in the hunt to land Gavin McKenna.

This is What’s Going On In the Pacific Division, the weekly article where we look at how teams from the division fared, as well as setting up the following week. Let’s take a look at the week that was.

Anaheim Ducks​

It wasn’t a great week for the Anaheim Ducks, as they’ve lost the top spot in the division. They fell 5-2 to the New York Islanders, then 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils. On Monday, the Ducks defeated the New York Rangers 4-1, but fell 4-3 in overtime to the Columbus Blue Jackets to end their five-game road trip 2-2-1.

Before the holiday break, they host the Dallas Stars on Friday, the Blue Jackets on Saturday, and the Seattle Kraken on Monday.

Calgary Flames​

The Flames had a light schedule last week, playing just two games. They defeated the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 in overtime on Saturday, but fell 6-3 to the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday. As of the writing of this article, the Flames have the second-fewest points in the National Hockey League and sit seven points out of a playoff spot.

On Thursday, they return home to host the Seattle Kraken, then host the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Two days before Christmas, the Flames will head up north on Highway 2 to face the Edmonton Oilers.

Edmonton Oilers​

Speaking of the Oilers, they’re starting to get out of their early season funk. On Thursday, they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1, traded Stuart Skinner for Tristan Jarry on Friday, then beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Saturday. In the second game of a back-to-back, the Oilers fell 4-1 to the Montréal Canadiens, but responded with a 6-4 win over Jarry’s former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s a busy week before the holiday break for the Oilers, as they play the Boston Bruins on Thursday, the final game on the road against an Eastern Conference team. They finish up the road trip with a matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, then return home to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday and the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings​

It was a rough week for the Los Angeles Kings, as they were passed by the Oilers for the third spot in the Pacific Division. They fell 2-1 in overtime to the Flames on Saturday, then lost 4-1 to the Dallas Stars and 3-2 to the Florida Panthers.

The game against the Panthers is the first of a back-to-back, as they head northwest to face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. After three days off, the Kings host the Blue Jackets and Kraken for a back-to-back at home.

San Jose Sharks​

The San Jose Sharks have shown no signs of slowing down, as they’ve won their last three games. They defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime on Thursday, then beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 in overtime after overcoming a 5-1 deficit with 12:30 left in the game. Finally, they defeated the Calgary Flames 6-3 on Tuesday.

As of the writing of this article, the Sharks occupy the final wild card spot. They’ll host the Dallas Stars on Thursday and the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, before hitting the road to play the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

Seattle Kraken​

The National Hockey League’s most forgettable franchise had a rough week, losing all three games they played. On Friday, the Seattle Kraken fell 5-3 to the Utah Mammoth, then lost 3-1 to the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday and 5-3 to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.

This week will be entirely spent on the road, as they embark on a four-game road trip that’ll take them to Calgary on Thursday, San Jose on Saturday, Anaheim on Monday, and Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Vancouver Canucks​

If you didn’t know, the Vancouver Canucks traded their captain, Quinn Hughes, to the Minnesota Wild on Friday. The night before, they fell 3-2 to the Buffalo Sabres, but have won their last two games, a 2-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Newark and a 3-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

Before the holiday break, the Canucks will play the last three games of their Eastern Conference road trip. They’ll back back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday, playing the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins respectively, before traveling to Philadelphia to face the Flyers on Monday.

Vegas Golden Knights​

As per usual, the Vegas Golden Knights are at the top of the Pacific Division. This week, they were 2-1-0, defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime on Thursday, beating the Columbus Blue Jackets by the same score (albeit in regulation) to end their road trip. Returning home, they fell 2-1 in a shootout to the New Jersey Devils, giving them a division leading 42 points.

This week, they’ll play a back-to-back over the weekend in Alberta, playing the Calgary Flames on Saturday and the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. They’ll head for a break after hosting the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/whats-...e-teams-in-the-division-occupy-a-playoff-spot

 

[Calgary Flames]

Beyond the Boxscore: Flames keep struggling Kraken down with 4-2 defeat

The Calgary Flames did their best to control the flow of play in a low-event game, eventually ending up victorious over the Seattle Kraken by a 4-2 score.

CF% – 56.37%|| SCF% – 48.82%|| HDCF% – 46.55%|| xGF% – 53.75%

It’s a Team Game – The Calgary Flames ended up being quite opportunistic, scoring when they got their limited opportunities. The first period saw a lot of shot attempts, but not a lot of danger for the Flames. 17 shot attempts, but just 1 high danger chance. A whole lot of quantity with an extreme lack in quality. That corrected itself in the second period – the only period Calgary got to the net at 5v5. Of course, they had a few power plays, and finally succeeded on one, but the 5v5 play wasn’t to the level I currently expect to see out of the Flames. This isn’t the team from the first 10 games of the year – they defend well and limit quality at a top 5 rate in the league. They struggle with converting opportunities and creating offence. Against the Kraken they made sure to leave those struggles at the door and walk away with the two points they need.

Corsi King – I need to share something about Joel Hanley (75.34 CF%).

He has been one of, if not the best, defensive defenceman in the entire league. No matter what pairing, no matter the partner, just pure defensive excellence whenever he’s over the boards. I still have worries about how he can effectively contribute on offence, but he is the absolute perfect pair for any young defender breaking in to the league. Right now, he gets to mentor Hunter Brzustewicz (68.87 per cent) which is going pretty spectacular to start. On the other side of things John Beecher (38.20 per cent) continues to struggle all over the ice. He had some good pop the first few weeks, but he’s been largely ineffective since. The face-off circle, defending his own end, or generating offence have all been below what you want to see. Size does not make an effective fourth line centre, they still need someone who’s better at controlling the pace or allowing less to happen in their minutes.

Under Pressure –

Taken By Chance – It’s time to mention that for the last 2 weeks MacKenzie Weegar (23.66 SCF% // 18.21 HDCF%) and Yan Kuznetsov (42.65 per cent // 37.37 per cent) have struggled to limit chances against. They keep getting outscored at 5v5 and have not been that “reliable second pairing” they were after Kuznetsov first got called up. With the other 2 defence pairings going (most nights, anyways) this can get masked, but it needs to be monitored more closely going forward. Nazem Kadri (51.87 per cent // 37.37 per cent) sparked the league worst power play today. The team finding a way to produce on the power play is a clear need if they want to climb, but based on how it’s been since this veteran core came in I’m not holding my breath for magic success in that department. The 5v5 play has been strong for a while, but the power play hasn’t been great.

xG Breakdown –

xGF% – Who needs the power play when Mikael Backlund (84.96 per cent) can find two goals? Okay, one was an empty netter, but he had to fight a guy off in the neutral zone to earn it. The other one went off his skate and in. they all count, but I do wonder then next time he actually shoots one past a goaltender. It’s also good to see Jonathan Huberdeau (68.09 per cent) get some points. He’s played better the last week, but the team really needs some more offence out of him. If he’s going to spend that much time in the offensive zone, they absolutely have to have him producing in some capacity. Matt Coronato’s (47.13 per cent) awesome snipe job came from a Rasmus Andersson (48.30 per cent) pass – I really want to see Huberdeau finding ways to get Coronato the puck with space. Not sure how the Flames play if the opportunity presents itself for him to make those cross-ice passes through the neutral zone, but based on his past in Florida, I would give him a pass over everybody else to try it more often.

Game Flow –

Game Score –

Shot Heatmap –

In The Crease – Dustin Wolf is too good to falter too often. Tonight, he needed to be particularly sharp on a few occasions, but he was up to the task. I’m much happier seeing Wolf continue his success than to see the struggles he had earlier in the season persisting. The Kraken didn’t bring that much heat, but with the quality of goaltending around the league these days it’s a blessing to have Wolf. 1.87 expected goals against at 5v5 with just the one beating him.

The Goals –

FLAMES GOAL

Rasmus Andersson makes a perfect pass to Mikael Backlund who ties this game!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/HWHLHyDT2X

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 19, 2025

FLAMES GOAL

Nazem Kadri rips a one timer past Joey Daccord on the power play! We are tied!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/4h0JfboAV9

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 19, 2025

FLAMES GOAL

WHAT A SHOT BY MATTY CORONATO

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/AFFovYlXnw

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 19, 2025

Flash’s 3 Stars –

1) Mikael Backlund

2) Rasmus Andersson

3) Dustin Wolf

(Stats compiled from Naturalstattrick.com // Game Score from Hockeystatcards.com // xG and Under Pressure charts from HockeyViz.com // Game Flow and Shot Heatmap from NaturalStatTrick.com)

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/beyond-the-boxscore-flames-keep-struggling-kraken-down-with-4-2-defeat

 

[Calgary Flames]

What version of Jonathan Huberdeau are the Flames seeing this season?

Back when the Calgary Flames acquired Jonathan Huberdeau three and a half years ago, fans expected the 100-point elite forward to fill the role left behind by Matthew Tkachuk, who went the other way to Florida. Since that move, the seasons have brought almost nothing but disappointment.

As the NHL prepares to return to Olympic hockey for the first time since 2014, it’s worth noting that not long ago, when people were projecting possible Team Canada rosters should NHL players ever return to the Games, Huberdeau wasn’t just mentioned as a possibility — he was considered a near lock for a top-six role. It’s remarkable to think a player could go from that level of expectation to being so far removed from the conversation in just a couple of years.

But that’s the reality facing Huberdeau and the Flames. There was some encouragement after last season, when he adjusted his game from being a primarily offence-minded playmaker to more of a 200-foot power forward. There were modest increases in his point totals, added value on the penalty kill and, overall, a more complete game than what was seen during his first two seasons in Calgary.

Heading into this season, expectations were higher — but how high? Most have accepted he’ll likely never return to the player he was in Florida. That leaves two versions of Huberdeau to consider: the one who struggled mightily in his first two seasons in Calgary and the one who showed signs of improvement last year. So which one showed up this season?

It wasn’t an ideal start. A pre-season injury cost Huberdeau the first five games of the regular season. He did score a goal in his season debut, but he quickly joined the rest of the Flames roster in a poor start, going pointless over the next few games.

Things began to look up in the final week of October and into early November, when Huberdeau recorded seven points in six games, including a game-winning goal against the Philadelphia Flyers that helped the Flames earn a rare win at the time.

From there, the rest of November was essentially a write-off. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what happened. Perhaps the lack of scoring and wins began to weigh on him, leading him to try to force plays. Blind passes resulting in turnovers and scoring chances became frequent, and he was otherwise barely noticeable on the ice. After his two-goal performance against the Flyers on Nov. 2, Huberdeau went the remainder of the month without a goal and recorded just five assists.

Looking back, last season followed a somewhat similar pattern. It was December when he truly turned things around. On Dec. 1 of the 2024–25 season, Huberdeau had 14 points — eight goals and six assists. On Dec. 1 this season, he had 12 points, made up of four goals and eight assists.

December has already been kinder to him this year, with six points in eight games. He still has work to do to match last season’s 15-point December, but his game has looked noticeably cleaner, and there’s hope the momentum continues.

One area that has remained a clear strength is Huberdeau’s play on the penalty kill. Alongside strong contributions from Blake Coleman, Joel Farabee and the defence and goaltending as a whole, the Flames currently rank ninth in the NHL with an 82.7 per cent penalty-kill success rate.

At this point, it appears Calgary has retained the defensive version of Huberdeau that emerged last season. However, unless something changes dramatically as it did a year ago, the offence has slipped back toward the version seen in his first two seasons with the team.

The root cause is hard to identify. It could simply be a byproduct of playing on struggling teams. Perhaps Huberdeau is most effective when surrounded by other elite players, as he was during his final years in Florida. He showed strong chemistry with Nazem Kadri, particularly in the second half of last season, but the pair have spent much of this year apart — a factor that could also contribute to his diminished offensive output. Playing alongside Morgan Frost and Matthew Coronato just hasn’t produced much for this Flames team.

The talent is still there. Everyone has seen the plays he’s capable of making. He can turn nothing into something and that’s not a skill everyone possesses. The puck just hasn’t gone in for his linemates — or for himself — as often as it probably should. There may not be another player on the Flames fans are more eager to see collect points on a nightly basis. Not necessarily because you want to see him perform well, but because every point slightly softens the sting of his lengthy and costly contract.

Hopefully, this month marks another turning point in Huberdeau’s season and the numbers follow. Whether fans want the team to tank or not, this Flames group could use some individual victories. Huberdeau, in particular, could use one. He’s likely to remain part of the organization as it moves into a new era of younger players, a new building and renewed hopes of one day returning to Stanley Cup contention.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/what-version-of-jonathan-huberdeau-are-the-flames-seeing-this-season

 

[Calgary Flames]

Recap: No Christmas miracle for the Wranglers in overtime against Matthew Phillips

The ghost of Christmas Past came to visit the Calgary Wranglers on Friday and he came in the form of Matthew Phillips. The Calgary Wranglers hosted the San Diego Gulls on Friday for just their second meeting of the season and it was a battle of a game. It included some depth scoring from Lucas Ciona and Parker Bell and a familiar face in Matthew Phillips doing damage on the other side of the ice, including two games and an assist on the game-winner. Penalties were starting to get out of hand into the third and it carried over into the eventual overtime this game needed to be decided. It resulted in a 4-3 win for the Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate to kick off this weekend series.

Lineup notes​

There were quite a few organizational moves that affected the Wranglers going into this game. Connor Murphy was sent back down to the Rapid City Rush, Alex Gallant was suspended for two games, Justin Kirkland was called up to the Flames, and Dryden Hunt was put on waivers, cleared, and then was assigned to the Wranglers on Friday. Ivan Prosvetov is not quite healed to return to play so Arsenii Sergeev was called up and backed up Owen Say for this game. To fill the remaining gaps, David Silye and Lucas Ciona slotted in for this game.

Wranglers lines​

William Stromgren – Rory Kerins – Martin Frk

Dryden Hunt – Sam Morton – Matvei Gridin

Carter King – Clark Bishop – Parker Bell

Lucas Ciona – David Silye – Andrew Basha

Artem Grushnikov – Daniil Miromanov

Etienne Morin – Nick Cicek

Turner Ottenbreit – Simon Mack

Owen Say

Game at a glance​

The Wranglers started with Owen Say between the pipes and on the Gulls’ end, they went with Calle Clang. It was mostly Wranglers for the opening few minutes. The second and third lines had a really good cycle in the offensive zone with Parker Bell getting the best first look on Clang. Then at 6:16, Andrew Basha found Lucas Ciona in the slot and passed the puck up to him to make it a 1-0 game. Nick Cicek picked up the secondary assist.



There was some pushback from the Gulls after this goal but the Wranglers continued to push back into the zone. 11 minutes into the frame, Andrew Basha was called for high sticking. On the next faceoff, Matthew Phillips took a quick shot and scored. The former Wrangler found the back of the net three seconds into the visiting power play.

A few minutes later, Sam Morton had his second good look of the period after Calgary managed to strip the Gulls of the puck in the offensive zone. Morton was denied again and play continued. A few minutes later, Rory Kerins was called for holding and the Gulls got about 30 seconds of a delayed penalty call to set something up. The last shot rang off the post before Calgary got possession again to officially start penalty killing. They killed this off and at 15:55, the Wranglers got their first power play of the game. They got a couple of shots on this opportunity and the period finished up with San Diego and Calgary tied 1-1. Shots through the first were 15-10 Gulls.

The second period played out with minimal whistles and runs of shots going either way. The best look the Gulls had came about 11 minutes into the period but Say denied them on a partial breakaway. At 11:25, Matthew Phillips crashed the net alongside Simon Mack and redirected the puck into the back of the net for his second goal of the night. 30 seconds after this goal, Clark Bishop set up Parker Bell for his first goal of the season. Something you could tell he was eager to get out of the way and his goal celebration especially showed it. Carter King picked up the secondary assist.



35 seconds after Bell’s marker, Rory Kerins was on the doorstep to tap in a shot from Daniil Miromanov to make it a 3-2 game for the home team. Martin Frk also picked up the secondary assist for this goal.



At 13:22, the Wranglers were called for too many men and Martin Frk served the bench minor. Say stood on his head, keeping eight opposing shots out of his net and was the biggest penalty killer on the ice to contribute to the success. At 15:34, Frk took the puck the other way on a breakaway but was denied by Clang. At 19:25, Parker Bell was called for hooking and the Wranglers ended the period penalty killing. At the end of 40 minutes, Calgary was up 3-2. Shots in the middle frame were 19-9 for San Diego.

In the third period, San Diego was pushing to even this game up to finish up the Bell penalty and beyond. Then at 6:11 Nathan Gaucher was called for tripping. The Wranglers power play came and went, then Martin Frk was called for hooking. At 10:04, Jan Mysak scored a power play goal off a one-timer and made it a 3-3 game. Owen Say was already up to over 40 shots faced by this point in the game. At 15:32, Yegor Sidorov was called for high-sticking. The Wranglers used this opportunity to take their timeout to try and strategize a way to get the lead back.

Lucas Ciona was called for slashing late in the power play and the Gulls used this delayed call to expire their penalty, pull their goalie and take a few extra seconds on the advantage. The Wranglers touched the puck and the Gulls took their timeout. Ciona’s penalty started with 2:03 to go in regulation. With 51 seconds remaining in Ciona’s penalty, the Gulls were called for tripping and they played the most of the remaining time of the third period on a four-on-four. 60 minutes finished without a decision and shots in the third were 12-9 San Diego.

For overtime, the Wranglers started the extra frame with 1:06 of power play time remaining. Daniil Miromanov had the best look of this man advantage but his shot went wide. After this power play was up, Turner Ottenbreit was called for tripping 2:07 into overtime. On the next faceoff, Clark Bishop’s stick broke and he played a stretch of time shorthanded and stickless. Thankfully, Owen Say made a stop that knocked his helmet off and stopped play for Bishop to go to the bench and get a new stick.

With just 28 seconds to go in overtime, the Gulls scored the game winning goal off a shot from Tristan Luneau. Say’s opposing shot count finished at 50, with him stopping 46 of them. The Wranglers finished with 28 shots. The only Wrangler on the three stars was Parker Bell, earning the third star of the night.

Head coach Brett Sutter talked about his former teammate’s success in this game, Matthew Phillips, saying:

“I think he was the best player on the ice to be quite honest. I think the D-men had a tough time with him down low. He was making plays on the power play, he was making plays in the slot all night. Something we’ll have to adjust to but no surprise. Seen it for a couple of years while he was here and he’s a heck of a player.”

Scoring stat summary​

Rory Kerins – 1G

Lucas Ciona – 1G

Clark Bishop – 1A

Parker Bell – 1G

Miromanov – 1A

Martin Frk – 1A

Nick Cicek – 1A

Carter King – 1A

Andrew Basha – 1A

Highlights​

Next up​

The Wranglers get a day break between games then they play the second half of this San Diego series on Sunday for their annual Winter Wranglerfest game. When the Wranglers score their first goal of the game, there will be thousands of giveaways thrown into the crowd. If there are no goals by the end of the second period, the toss will commence then. This game starts at 2:00 p.m. MT.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/recap-...ranglers-in-overtime-against-matthew-phillips

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames acquired Jarome Iginla 30 years ago this week

It’s been 30 years since the Calgary Flames acquired one of the best players in franchise history.

On Dec. 19, 1995, the Flames traded Joe Nieuwendyk to the Dallas Stars for Jarome Iginla. It was a trade that worked out for both teams in hindsight, as Nieuwendyk went on to play parts of seven seasons with the Stars, scoring 178 goals and 340 points in 442 games. Having already won the Stanley Cup with the Flames in 1989, the forward was a key part of the Stars’ Stanley Cup victory in 1999, and he’d go on to win another Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003.

Trading away a Hall of Famer tends not to work well, but it did for the Flames. Iginla made his National Hockey League debut in the 1996 playoffs, and became a regular in the league the following season. He made his presence known early, scoring 21 goals and 50 points in 82 games during the 1996-97 season, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting.

Like many young players, Iginla had a sophomore slump, but scored 28 and 29 goals in his next two seasons. He hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in 2000-01, but truly broke out in 2001-02. That was the first season Iginla was an All-Star, as he scored a league-leading 52 goals and 96 points, winning the Rocket Richard, Art Ross, and finishing second in Hart Trophy voting.

His production dipped the following season, scoring just 35 goals and 67 points, but he won his second Rocket Richard in 2003-04, scoring 41 goals and 73 points in 81 games. Iginla also led the league in goals during the post-season, scoring 13 of them for 22 points in 26 games, as the Flames sadly fell in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The lockout took away his aged-27 season, but once play resumed, he hit the 30-goal mark in each of the next six seasons as a Flame. That included a second 50-goal season in 2007-08, where he finished second in Hart voting and picked up a career-high 98 points.

Due to no fault of his own, Iginla’s streak of 30-goal seasons came to an end in 2012-13 due to a second lockout, but he managed to score 14 goals and 33 points in 44 games. Only nine of those goals came with the Flames, as he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2013 trade deadline.

Sadly, the Penguins were swept at the hands of the Boston Bruins in the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, the last real shot Iginla would get. The following off-season, Iginla joined the Bruins, scoring 30 goals and 61 points, the final time he’d hit the 30-goal mark. He came close to doing so in his first season with the Colorado Avalanche the following year, scoring 29 goals and 59 points. Iginla’s final two seasons in the NHL saw him score 36 goals and 74 points in 162 games.

After retiring, Iginla was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020, and his number 12 was retired the year before. This doesn’t even mention his international success, picking up the assist on the Golden Goal during the 2010 Winter Olympics on home soil.

It’s shocking to think about, but the Flames got two Hall of Famers out of one trade. Back when they were in Atlanta, they selected Kent Nilsson 64th overall in the 1976 draft. Had Nilsson played more than 553 NHL games, there’s a strong chance he’d also be in the Hall of Fame as he scored 264 goals and 686 points.

In June of 1985, Nilsson was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for two picks, one used to select Nieuwendyk. Unfortunately, the opposite end of this trade tree didn’t work out as well for the Flames. They acquired Kenny Agostino, Ben Hanowski, and a 2013 first-round pick from the Penguins for Iginla.

Hanowski played just 16 NHL games before departing for Europe, while Agostino played 86 games, only 10 of which came with the Flames. That first was used to select Morgan Klimchuk, who played just one NHL game before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Andrew Nielsen. Like the others, Nielsen didn’t make much of an impact for the Flames, in fact, he never suited up for an NHL game.

Still, what a great run of asset management from the Flames and this trade deserves to be celebrated at any opportunity.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-flames-acquired-jarome-iginla-30-years-ago-this-week

 

[Calgary Flames]

Rasmus Andersson on remaining a Flame: ‘It takes two to tango’

Following the Calgary Flames’ impressive 6-3 home victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night, defenceman Rasmus Andersson was the guest on After Hours. As you can imagine, Scott Oake and Eric Francis had a lot of places they could go with the Flames’ top player this season.

Well, they went everywhere, with the first slew of questions going right to the heart of the matter: Andersson’s uncertain future with the Flames.

A 2015 second-round pick by the Flames, Andersson has become one of the team’s cornerstone players over the past decade. But he’s in the final year of his current deal (with a $4.55 million cap hit), and if he and the Flames don’t come to terms on an extension before the trade deadline it’s widely expected that he’ll be dealt. He was asked by Oake whether, if it was entirely up to him, would he remain a Flame.

“I mean, it’s the old saying, it takes two to tango, right? And, you know, it’s, yeah, I mean, obviously, I love every second of me playing it for the Flames. And, you know, I’ve enjoyed, I’ve been in the organization now for almost 11 years. And, you know, I’ve loved every second of it. But let’s just leave it at it takes two to tango.”

The whole interview is available on Sportsnet’s YouTube page – we’ve embedded it below – and Oake and Francis hit on everything.

• Andersson’s expiring deal and how he’s avoided it being a distraction.
• Andersson’s dream of playing in the Olympics for Sweden, like his father did.
• The origins of the Andersson Death Stare.
• Playing through a broken leg last season.
• Only missing three games after getting hit by a car in Detroit in 2022-23.
• His excitement at being a parent to young children.

Andersson recounting his (scattered) memories of his 2023 scooter accident in Detroit is really compelling. He was medically cleared to return to play after just three games, but him describing the mental toll the accident had on him continuing into the following season and how he worked through it was really revealing.

The whole interview runs just under a half-hour and is really great.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/rasmus-andersson-on-remaining-a-flame-it-takes-two-to-tango

 

[Calgary Flames]

Scotia Place: a street-level look at December construction progress

The Calgary Flames are moving in the fall of 2027.

When the puck drops for the 2027-28 National Hockey League season, the Flames will relocate a couple hundred metres north from the Scotiabank Saddledome to Scotia Place. And while we’re all hearing continuing hang-wringing over the progress of the Olympic facilities in Milan, Scotia Place continues to come together nicely.

We took a quick stroll around the block on Saturday after Flames morning skate and wanted to share a few street-level snapshots of how things are moving along.

Looking north from 14th Ave.​

This photo looks at the south end of the building. To the left is Stampede Trail and one of the two main entrances of the new arena. To the right (and underground) is the community arena. Directly in front will be one of the plazas with public art, and the “cauldron” art installation – literally, it’s gonna have a flame that burns outside of the arena.

Looking at the (future) southwest entrance​

If you take the C-Train to Stampede Park starting in 2027-28 and wander from the Victoria Park station past the BMO Centre to Scotia Place, this will be your main entrance view. You can really start to get a sense of how that’ll look, in terms of both the overall spacing of the entrance and the steel structure coming together.

As more and more upper-level steel starts going up, we’ll get a better sense of the rest of the front view – and they’ll be adding on additional steel for the two-level bar beside the entrance later on.

Looking east from Stampede Trail​

If you want a sense of the “blink and you’ll miss it” progress they’re making, here’s a good view: they’ve already gotten about half-way around the arena bowl in setting up the initial steel. They started at the far south end of things, near the southeast access ramp to the site, and this shot shows steel working around the northwest corner of the site and starting to work around the north side.

A rough snapshot of progress​

(Graphic design is obviously my passion.)

So here’s a quick rundown of how things stand heading into Christmas, more or less:

• They’re placing gigantic beams over top of the loading dock to support the roof structure above it. Once the loading dock access ramp is ready to be used – presumably once the beams are all placed and that structure is done – then that ramp becomes the main entryway for the site.
• Right now, while the loading dock is being worked on, the main site access is on the southeast side through a gap in the concrete (noted in red). Once the loading dock is done, they can finish pouring the last bits of concrete, allowing them to finish the last bits of underground work between the southeast corner of the event and mezzanine levels and the community rink.
• The steel work is following the completed concrete around the site in a clockwise manner. Right now the “lower level” of steel (in green) has been set to just past the northwest corner. The “upper level” of steel (in blue) is working its way around from the southeast corner. Once the concrete is all done, the steel can continue around to where it started and they can complete the loop.

Check out our interview with the City of Calgary’s Bob Hunter, as he provided a ton of detail and context for what’s happened in 2025 and what’s going to unfold in 2026.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/scotia-place-a-street-level-look-at-december-construction-progress

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames injury news: positive signs for Martin Pospisil

The Calgary Flames have missed some key players due to injury at various points of this season, and they’re presently without three regulars from their lineup.

Here’s the latest we’ve heard – and heard via our media colleagues – regarding these lineup absences.

Martin Pospisil​

On Saturday, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson did some sleuthing and came up with some really interesting new information from Flames general manager Craig Conroy: Martin Pospisil is making some progress and could be skating in January, confirming a report out of Slovakia (from Dennik Sports’ Tomas Prokop) from a few days prior.

The latest on the health of #Flames sparkplug Martin Pospisil, courtesy of GM Craig Conroy: “We’ve had a long period with no setbacks. We’ve been taking our time with it and hopefully in early January, he’s back skating with the team.” https://t.co/2kNpDufrEG

— Wes Gilbertson (@WesGilbertson) December 20, 2025

Pospisil has missed the entire season so far due to an undisclosed injury, but Flames general manager Craig Conroy confirmed a report out of Slovakia that there has been positive progress. That’s big news in his home country, too, since the 26-year-old speedster is already named to their Olympic roster.

A 2018 fourth-round pick, Pospisil has carved out a niche for himself as a speedy, rough-and-tumble forward – former Flames general manager Brad Treliving, praising Pospisil’s pugnaciousness, once quipped that the Slovak “could find trouble at church.” But Pospisil has also had rough injury luck, particularly with a series of concussions that have at times threatened his promising career. (If we’re already throwing some flowers at Wes’ reporting, check out his great piece he did with Pospisil right after his NHL debut in 2023-24 on that very subject.)

Currently in the final year of a deal he signed in 2024 that carries a $1 million cap hit, Pospisil signed a three year extension over the summer (that starts in 2026-27 and runs through 2028-29) with a $2.5 million cap hit. Pospisil left an Oct. 1 pre-season game against Vancouver after getting clipped high on a post-whistle scrum, then left a subsequent practice after some similar upper-body contact. Pospisil has yet to practice with the Flames at all this season, as the Flames are being cognizant of Pospisil’s injury history as he works his way back.

We’ll provide more details as they become available, but Pospisil having a stall in the locker room is a very positive development, especially after a couple months of no substantial updates.

Sam Honzek​

Back on Nov. 21, it was announced that Honzek underwent surgery for an upper-body injury. He had originally suffered that injury on a fluke collision where he and Mikael Backlund crashed into each other during a home game against the Winnipeg Jets back on Nov. 15.

Head coach Ryan Huska noted that Honzek could be out “up to six months,” but it should be noted that it was not definitively stated that Honzek would be out for the season. As we get into 2026, we would imagine some additional update on Honzek’s recovery timeline will be shared at some point. Honzek is currently on his entry-level contract, which runs through the 2027-28 season.

Jake Bean​

Finally, it was announced on Thursday that Bean will undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury. Unlike Honzek’s injury, Bean’s was something he had been playing through for awhile and the decision was likely made to deal with it rather than let it continue to linger. When asked, Huska wasn’t sure if the “long-term” prognosis for Bean’s injury recovery meant that he was out for the season or not. Bean is on an expiring contract and could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Pospisil, Honzek and Bean all remain on the Flames’ injury reserve list. The Flames’ active roster is at 22 players: two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-injury-news-positive-signs-for-martin-pospisil

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames Prospect Roundup: How the standings shape up entering the holiday break

We’re nearly halfway through the hockey season.

This is the Dec. 17-21 edition of the Flames prospect round-up, where we look at how Calgary Flames prospects have done every week. Specifically, we’ll look at players playing overseas, in junior hockey, or at the college level, as the American Hockey League prospects will have an article of their own in the Wranglers Recaps.

Only five prospects played last week, while six teams were in action. So, we’ll also look at how the standings are shaping up and who’ll play this coming week. Let’s dig in to this week’s edition of the Flames Prospect Roundup!

Yan Matveiko​

Yan Matveiko remains out with an injury, but Red Army won both games they played this past week, both against JHC Dynamo-M. On Dec. 18, they won 2-1 in a shootout, followed by a 4-3 victory on Saturday. As it stands, Matveiko has 13 goals and 28 points in 29 games, already surpassing his totals from last season.

It’s unclear when the Flames’ seventh rounder in 2025 will return. However, Red Army plays two games this coming week, with a matchup against JHC Spartak on Tuesday and Sunday.

Jacob Battaglia​

The Kingston Frontenacs may be the weirdest team in the Ontario Hockey League. Just a few weeks ago, they were on a nine-game winning streak, before beginning a three-game winning streak last week. Well, that’s increased to five games, as they defeated the Brantford Bulldogs and Brampton Steelheads this past week, both by the score of 4-2.

Flames’ second-rounder in 2024, Jacob Battaglia, missed the game against the Bulldogs, then got a game misconduct against the Steelheads in the third period. As far as I can tell, there has been no suspension for the Frontenacs captain, as he was held pointless in the two games. Battaglia now has 12 goals and 23 points in 32 games.

The Frontenacs head up Highway 15 (a great, beautiful drive) to face the conference-leading Ottawa 67’s on Sunday.

Kirill Zarubin​

Kirill Zaurbin and Mikhailov Academy played two games this past week, both against JHC Spartak. The Flames’ prospect sat in the first one, a 3-2 win, while stopping 32 of 37 shots in the second game, a rare game with a sub .900 save percentage for the Russian netminder. Still, he has a .936 save percentage and 1.88 goals against average in 24 games played this season.

There’s the potential for two Flames netminders to go head-to-head on Monday morning, as Mikhailov Academy plays Yegor Yegorov and JHC Spartak-MAX on Monday. They’ll also play Yegorov’s former team, Krylya Sovetov, on Sunday.

Hunter Laing​

Hunter Laing and the Saskatoon Blades played a single game this past week, falling 3-2 in a shootout to the 2026 Memorial Cup hosts, the Kelowna Rockets. Laing picked up an assist in that game, giving him 15 goals and 31 points in 31 games this season.

The Blades return to action on the weekend, as they play a home-and-home against the Regina Pats on Saturday and Sunday.

Yegor Yegorov​

Yegor Yegorov and JHC Spartak-MAX played a single game this past week, falling 6-2 to Dinamo-Shinnik. The Flames’ netminder started that game, stoping 38 of 44 shots for an .864 save percentage. This season, Yegorov has a .923 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average in 17 games played.

As stated in Zarubin’s section, the two teams match up on Monday morning, which will be covered in next week’s article. They’ll also play JHC Dynamo-M on Saturday.

Axel Hurtig​

Lastly, Axel Hurtig and the Calgary Hitmen played two games this past week, smashing the Swift Current Broncos 9-2, before falling 3-2 in overtime to the Brandon Wheat Kings. The Flames’ defence prospect picked up an assist and a fight in their victory (along with seven shots), as well as an assist in their overtime defeat. This season, the Flames’ seventh rounder in 2023 has three goals and eight points in 28 games.

The Hitmen are back in action on Saturday, as they begin a four-game road trip to British Columbia, with a matchup against the Kamloops Blazers on the 27th.

Other players to play this coming week…​

Cole Reschny has essentially made Team Canada’s World Junior team, with their opening game on Boxing Day. He’s joined by the Flames’ top prospect, Zayne Parekh. Their other first round pick in 2025, Cullen Potter, was off this week, but will return to action on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28 with a matchup against Dartmouth.

Mace’o Phillips and the Green Bay Gamblers are in the midst of an 11-game winning streak in the United States Hockey League. Unfortunately, their momentum has briefly been halted due to the holiday break. They’ll be back on Dec. 27 in a matchup against the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Trevor Hoskin and Merrimack are off for the holidays, but will return to action next Monday in a matchup against Vermont.

How the standings look​

Four Flames’ prospects play in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference: Cole Reschny, Cade Littler (North Dakota), Cullen Potter (Arizona State), and Eric Jamieson (Denver). North Dakota sits first in the conference with an 8-2-0 record, but Denver isn’t far behind with the same record with one fewer point. Arizona State University currently sits fifth in the division thanks to a 4-5-1 record. Eight of the nine teams in the division make the playoffs in a 1-8 format.

Two Flames prospects play in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey, Ethan Wyttenbach (Quinnipiac) and Aidan Lane (Harvard). Quinnipiac has a 4-2-0 record in-conference, good enough for sixth in the conference, while Harvard’s 5-1-0 record has them as the third-best team in the conference. All 12 teams in the conference make the playoffs, with the first, second, third, and fourth-best teams getting a bye before the bracket becomes a 1-8 format in the quarterfinals.

The Big 10 conference also houses two Flames prospects, Luke Misa for Penn State and Henry Mews for Michigan. Unfortunately, Mews is out for the season as the Wolverines sit second in the conference with a 7-3-0 record. Penn State sits fifth in the conference with a 4-4-0 record, but are tied with Minnesota. All seven teams in the conference make the tournament, with the first-seeded team getting a bye.

Hockey East is the other college division with a Flames prospect in it, as it also has two. Trevor Hoskin plays for Merrimack and Jaden Lipinski plays for Maine. The latter’s team has a 6-5-0 in-conference record, good enough for fourth. Merrimack has a 3-7-0 record, eighth in the conference. All 11 teams will play in the end-of-season tournament, with the first to fifth teams getting a bye to the quarterfinals.

Sadly, there is only one Ontario Hockey League prospect in the Flames system this season, Jacob Battaglia. His Kingston Frontenacs sit sixth in the Eastern Conference with a 15-16-4 record, with the league having a 1-8 format.

Two Flames prospects reside in the Western Hockey League, Axel Hurtig (Calgary Hitmen) and Hunter Laing (Saskatoon Blades). Both play in the Eastern Conference, with the Hitmen posting a 17-9-5 record with 39 points, while the Flames have a 17-14-3 record, just two points behind the Hitmen. Eight teams from each conference make the playoffs.

The Green Bay Gamblers are sitting pretty thanks to an 11-game winning streak, as they lead the United States Hockey League with 41 points due to a 19-7-2 record. Six of the eight teams from the two conferences will make the post-season, with the top two teams from each conference getting a bye.

Russia’s standings are always a blast to figure out how they work. The top five teams in the Gold Division get a bye, while teams ranked fifth to seventh play the top three teams from the Silver Division. Red Army sits second in the Gold Division with a 25-6-4 record, while Mikhailov Academy is seventh in the Gold Division with a 20-9-3 record. Lastly, Yegor Yegorov’s JHC Spartak-MAX sits third in the Silver Division thanks to a 16-12-3 record, owning a better point-percentage than the fourth place Taifun.

As for the two prospects in Sweden, Theo Stöckselius and Jakob Leander, the playoff format is a bit different. It’s a two-conference system with 10 teams in each, with the top 10 teams earning a spot in the winners stage. If the playoffs were to start now, Stöckselius’ Djurgårdens IF U20 would be in that stage as they are fourth in the North Division thanks to an 11-9-2 record.

On the other hand, Leander’s HV71 U20 would be in the losers stage as they have a 7-14-1 record. They’d still earn a chance at joining the playoffs, as the top six teams in the losers stage earn the 11th to 16th seeds. The bottom three teams are relegated. Confusing, right?

---

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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[Calgary Flames]

Looking at some unique Flames holiday history

Gang, the Calgary Flames are spending the holiday season in a pretty memorable way: a home and home series against their most bitter rival, the Edmonton Oilers.

Not only is a pretty unique idea to help fans get excited for their winter holidays, but it also minimizes travel for both the Flames and the Oilers before and after their three day Christmas breaks.

We were curious, and so we dug into some unique holiday history – scheduling and otherwise.

Holiday scheduling quirks​

Since entering the NHL in 1972, the Flames – whether based in Atlanta or Calgary – have never played a game on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. They’ve played 17 times on Boxing Day, the most recent being in 2006. The 2013 collective bargaining agreement added a provision forbidding games on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Since then, every single team has been given (at minimum) three days between games during the holidays.

Ignoring unique circumstances – like lockouts or the COVID pandemic – the Flames have had at least three days between games around Christmas since 2007. Last year’s six day gap was tied with 2000 for their longest regularly-scheduled holiday break. 11 times, though, they had just two days off – playing a game on Dec. 23 and then getting back at it on Boxing Day. That hasn’t happened since 2006, though.

The Flames have played Edmonton before or after Christmas (or both) in 17 different seasons since moving to Calgary in 1980. They’ve also been matched up against Vancouver around the holidays 14 times. This year is just the third home-and-home set straddling the holidays; it previously happened in 1983 and 1990.

A visit to Saskatoon in 1993​

The Flames “hosted” Vancouver on Dec. 23, 1993 in the second half of a back-to-back, with the prior night’s game in Edmonton. However, the Flames were the home team in a neutral site game in Saskatoon, as part of the NHL’s program exploring potential expansion venues – something that the NHL and the NHLPA agreed to coming out of the 1992 players strike.

The Canucks lost to the Flames by a 4-3 score.

Johnny Hockey saved Christmas in 2014​

Way, way back in 2014-15, 2011 fourth-round selection Johnny Gaudreau had terrorized the NCAA and then moved onto pro hockey as a rookie. His results had been a bit mixed, though by December Gaudreau had adjusted well to the NHL and moved on from a really challenging first few games.

Dec. 22, 2014 may have been the first real glimpse that NHL audiences received of Johnny Hockey – the first time that Gaudreau provided a preview of what he could be at the eight of his powers.

With the Flames trailing 3-0 midway through the second period against Los Angeles, in Calgary’s final game before the Christmas break, Gaudreau flipped a switch and began to utterly dominate the game. Gaudreau scored his first NHL hat trick – one goal in the second period and two more in the third period – to force overtime. Mark Giordano added a tally in extra time to call game, and the Flames won 4-3. The win snapped an eight game losing streak and set the table for a tremendous second half for the Flames.

History repeated itself in 2015, when Gaudreau had another hat trick in the Flames’ final game before Christmas.

Everyone got sick in 2021​

Finally, the Flames were having a really good season in December 2021 when their season was derailed, temporarily, by what The Simpsons magnate C. Montgomery Burns would term “microscopic germs.” The Flames were set to head to Chicago to kick off a road trip on Dec. 12 when several members of the club tested positive for COVID-19 in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

The Flames would experience one of the larger outbreaks in the NHL and had their season paused for 18 days – with seven games rescheduled due to the team’s many ill players (and staff) and another three games postponed due to ongoing adjustments made to public assembly regulations in various jurisdictions. Other teams subsequently experienced their own cases – it wasn’t just a Flames thing – and the NHL ended up pulling out of the Beijing Olympics due to the schedule impacts of so many teams dealing with COVID.

The Flames ended up resuming their schedule on Dec. 30 and playing a game every second day until the end of the season… and posting their second-best regular season record in franchise history.

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[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames fall short in airing of grievances against Oilers

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames travelled up to Rogers Place on Tuesday evening to visit the Edmonton Oilers in both clubs’ final game before Christmas.

The Oilers looked confident and created offensive chances almost at will. The Flames hung in there for the first half of the game, but then seemed to lose their nerve and structure, and the Oilers took over the game. The Flames closed out their pre-holiday schedule with a 5-1 loss to Edmonton.

The rundown​

The Oilers opened the scoring just under seven minutes into the first period off a nice offensive play. The Oilers got into the Flames’ zone using Connor McDavid’s speed, then cycled the puck to the point. Evan Bouchard’s shot was stopped by Dustin Wolf, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was left all alone in front with the rebound and he beat Wolf to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opens the scoring for Edmonton.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/7PFH6ID2Fy

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 24, 2025

With just over four minutes left in the period, the Flames got on the board and drew even. Mikael Backlund’s line got into the zone and cycled the puck to the point, where MacKenzie Weegar blasted a point shot on net. Darnell Nurse was jostling with Connor Zary for position in front of the net, and Weegar’s shot glanced in off Nurse to tie the game at 1-1.

FLAMES GOAL

MacKenzie Weegar's one timer finds it's way to the back of the net! His 3rd goal of the season ties this game up!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/Gars2DAZ0z

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 24, 2025

But on a power play late in the period, coming after the teams had exchanged minors back and forth, Zach Hyman made a great feed from the net-front over to Leon Draisaitl, in his usual spot to the left of the goaltender, and Draisaitl blasted the puck past Wolf to give Edmonton a 2-1 lead.

Leon Draisaitl scores on the power play for Edmonton.

It's 2-1 Oilers.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/3o7qdmsTmD

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 24, 2025

First period shots were 15-8 Oilers. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 10-6 Oilers and high-danger scoring chances were 5-1 Oilers.

Early in the second period, Edmonton received another power play after Matt Coronato was called for hooking in the neutral zone. On the resulting power play, McDavid and Draisaitl executed a nice give-and-go, ending with a shot from the front of the net from Draisaitl that beat Wolf to give Edmonton a 3-1 lead.

McDavid and Draisaitl are torching the Flames right now.

It's 3-1 Edmonton

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/x7v7J4ofkx

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 24, 2025

The game got kinda scrambly after Weegar was ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct and protesting the call.

The Oilers eventually made it 4-1 off a nice rush play, with McDavid throwing the puck to the far lane for an in-motion redirect from Hyman past a sprawling Wolf.

McDavid picks up his 4th assist of the night.

This has been one of the worst performances by the Flames all season.

4-1 Edmonton.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/rWjKYa1kTk

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 24, 2025

Second period shots were 15-8 Oilers. 5v5 scoring chances were 13-4 Oilers and high-danger chances 8-1 Oilers.

The Oilers made it 5-1 on an early third period power play. With Joel Hanley in the sin bin, Draisaitl completed his hat trick – one that was comprised entirely of power play goals, oddly enough.

Hat trick for Leon Draisaitl. Five points for connor McDavid.

5-1 Oilers.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/4D5kDKOHJe

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 24, 2025

The rest of the game was fairly uneventful, aside from a scrum at the end of regulation, as the Oilers were content to roll their lines and run the clock.

Third period shots were 9-3 Oilers. 5v5 scoring chances were 6-2 Oilers and high-danger scoring chances were 2-0 Oilers.

Why the Flames lost​

Let’s be honest, gang: this is the type of game that the Flames could lose even if they played their best. Coming into this game Edmonton’s star players had some swagger to their game, and they’re tough to beat even if you play perfect hockey.

But man, the Flames seemed to unravel in this game, and they took too many undisciplined penalties that allowed the Oilers to do their thing on the power play. If the Flames remain composed and keep this game at five-on-five, they probably had a fighting chance. That did not happen, and this was the result.

Red Warrior​

Dustin Wolf tried his best against a veritable shooting gallery.

Turning point​

Take your pick between:

• The late first period power play goal, which prevented the Flames from going into the locker room tied.
• The early second period power play goal, which gave the Oilers breathing room.
• MacKenzie Weegar’s ejection, which dropped the Flames to five defenders for the second half of the hockey game.

This and that​

Kevin Bahl fought Trent Frederic in the second period.

This was Dustin Wolf’s 99th NHL appearance. It was also the first Calgary/Edmonton clash for John Beecher, Hunter Brzustewicz and Yan Kuznetsov… and Mikael Backlund’s 67th.

After Burner​

Join Mike Gould and Kent Wilson right after the game for After Burner!

Up next​

The Flames (15-18-4) are headed home and taking a three day break. They’re back in action on Saturday night to welcome the Oilers to the Saddledome for their fourth-from-final visit.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instan...-short-in-airing-of-grievances-against-oilers

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames’ penalty kill devoured by Edmonton in 5-1 loss

Friends, every National Hockey League team has their thing that makes them a tough opponent. For some teams it’s a hot goaltender, for others it’s a feisty forecheck.

For the Edmonton Oilers, the big scary thing about them is their power play.

Yes, they boast elite hockey talents in the form of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid who are terrifying even at even strength. But when you’re playing at five-on-five, defensive structure and playing a speedy game can keep that dynamic duo to the outside and give your team a fighting chance against them.

But when they’re on the power play, these two individuals can truly wreck your team with the time and space they’re provided. Putting the Oilers on the power play repeatedly is akin to putting your head in a hungry lion’s mouth: you might get away with it momentarily, but eventually you’re gonna get your head chomped off.

After Tuesday’s morning skate in Edmonton, we asked Flames head coach Ryan Huska what can be done against Edmonton’s power play – aside from not taking penalties.

Don’t take penalties, you alluded to it. Number one thing is you have to understand that they’re going to get some chances. You have to limit the quality of those chances. So they have a lot of great options. I mean, I don’t think there’s a penalty kill coach in the league that is going to say that ‘we know how to stop it’ because you don’t. They have two of the best players in the world on that side and they move the puck around really well. So one, make sure that your structure is very good and two, don’t take penalties. It’s important.

On Tuesday night, the Oilers scored three times on six power plays en route to a 5-1 win over the Flames.

Late in the first period, Rasmus Andersson took a slashing penalty on a shorthanded breakaway chance by Connor McDavid. After 56 seconds of four-on-four, Edmonton got a truncated power play that ended with Leon Draisaitl scoring off a net-front pass from Zach Hyman to give Edmonton a 2-1 lead.

Early in the second period, Matt Coronato took a hooking penalty on Jack Roslovic after turning the puck over in the neutral zone. On the resulting power play, McDavid and Draisaitl executed an in-zone give-and-go which resulted in Draisaitl scoring from the slot to give Edmonton a 3-1 lead.

Early in the third period, with Joel Hanley serving a tripping minor on Trent Frederic, Draisaitl scored again to complete his power play hat trick and give Edmonton a 5-1 lead.

Yeah, Edmonton out-scored the Flames by a 2-1 margin at five-on-five, too. No, that’s not ideal. But the Oilers earned six power plays in this game – their sixth began with 6.6 seconds left in regulation – and they scored on their first two. By the time the Flames had killed off their first Oilers advantage successfully – a minor by MacKenzie Weegar that eventually led to him being ejected from the game – the Flames were down 3-1.

Following the game, Huska shared his thoughts on how dangerous McDavid and Draisaitl – who combined for eight points – can be.

“Well, you have to stay on top of them, for one,” said Huska. “I mean, if they have room to skate and nobody’s in front of them, they’re the best players in the game, so they’re dangerous. And then the power play too. You can’t give them that many opportunities. They’ll make you pay.”

The Oilers are a known quantity at this point. Opponents know what to expect from them in most game situations, and teams need to be at their best in terms of intensity and their checking details in order to keep up with them. But instead, the Flames opted on Tuesday evening to repeatedly place their head in a hungry lion’s mouth.

It didn’t turn out well for them.

The Flames return to action on Saturday night in a return engagement with the Oilers, this time at the Saddledome.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-flames-penalty-kill-devoured-by-edmonton-in-5-1-loss

 

[Calgary Flames]

A Flame From the Past: Steve Bégin

Do you remember Steve Bégin?

Every once in a while, we take a look at a player who once played for the Calgary Flames in a series called “A Flame From the Past”. This player has to have played a significant number of games for the Flames. I’ll put every Flames’ season into a Wheel of Names, and this time, it landed on the 2013-14 season. In this article, we’ll take a look at Steve Bégin.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Québec, which should really be called “Une rivière”, Bégin began his junior career with the Val-d’Or Foreurs in the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League in 1995-96. In his rookie season, which was also his draft year, Bégin scored 13 goals and 36 points in 64 points, amassing an incredible 218 penalty minutes. After a goal and four points in 13 post-season games, the Flames selected the winger 40th overall in the 1996 draft.

In his second junior year, Bégin scored 13 goals and 46 points in 58 games, with 207 penalty minutes. He added three assists in 10 QMJHL playoff games, before joining the American Hockey League’s Saint John Flames for their playoff push, picking up two assists in four games.

Bégin’s opened the 1997-98 season with the Flames, picking up 23 penalty minutes in five games. However, he returned to the Foreurs in October and scored 18 goals and 35 points in 35 games. During the post-season, Bégin scored two goals and 14 points as the Foreurs won the Gilles-Courteau Trophy, falling short of the Memorial Cup.

His entirety of the 1998-98 season was spent with the Flames’ AHL team, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in 73 games. The 1999-2000 season saw Bégin play 13 National Hockey League games, scoring his first career goal and picking up an assist. In the minors, the winger scored 13 goals and 25 points in 47 games.

Like the two years before, Bégin’s 2000-01 season was almost exclusively spent in the AHL, scoring 14 goals and 28 points in 58 games. He helped the baby Flames win the Calder Cup, as he potted 10 goals and 17 points in 19 games. Additionally, he won the AHL’s Jack A. Butterfield Trophy, the MVP of the post-season.

After that, Bégin became an NHL regular. In 2001-02, the winger scored seven goals and 12 points in 51 games. He followed that up with three goals and four points in 50 games in 2002-03, his final season in Calgary for 10 years.

Early in the 2003 off-season, Bégin was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the deal that brought in our very own Rhett Warrener. Bégin never played for the Sabres, as his home province Montréal Canadiens claimed him off waivers. In his first season, Bégin scored 10 goals and 15 points, but returned to the AHL the following season due to the 2004-05 lockout.

The 2005-06 season was Bégin’s best, as he scored a career-high 11 goals and 23 points in 76 games. It was the first time he had played more than 55 games, and the final time he’d reach the double-digit goal mark. He regressed the following season, scoring five goals and 10 points in 52 games.

In Bégin’s final two seasons as a Canadien, he scored three goals and eight points in 44 points in 2007-08 and then six goals and 10 points in 42 games before before being traded to the Dallas Stars. With the Stars, Bégin added another goal and an assist in 20 games to give him seven goals and 12 points in 62 games.

After the 2008-09 season, Bégin signed with Boston Bruins, scoring five goals and 14 points in 77 games, the most games he played in a single season. Unfortunately, he joined the Bruins just one year before they won it all. Most of his 2010-11 season was spent with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, but he did appear in two games for their parent company, the Nashville Predators.

Bégin didn’t play during the 2011-12 season due to hip surgery, but he returned to where it all began for the 2012-13 season, the Flames. In 36 games during the lockout season, the Trois-Rivières native scored four goals and eight points in 36 games, his final action. After another injury, Bégin retired in early 2014.

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Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/a-flame-from-the-past-steve-begin

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Spengler Cup remains the wackiest tournament in hockey

Gang, the holiday season means spending time with your family, eating snacks and enjoying lots of sports.

And one of the most enduring holiday traditions in hockey is the annual Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland. Held every year in Davos – in one of the most breath-taking buildings in all of sports with its iconic wooden roof – the Spengler Cup is an invite-only tournament that sees HC Davos welcome five teams for a sprint of a tournament.

The 2025 edition of the event will be the 97th time the Spengler Cup has been held, and features a mix of familiar teams and a brand-new entry. Here’s a rundown of the six teams headed to Davos on Boxing Day and what we’ll be looking for during the event.

HC Sparta Praha​

Hailing from Prague, Czechia, HC Sparta Praha compete in the Czech Extraliga, Czechia’s top domestic league. They were the top regular season team in 2024-25 but lost to the eventual champions Kometa Brno, in the semi-final round.

Former Flame forward Roman Horak and former Wranglers defender Mark Pysyk play for HC Sparta Praha.

HIFK​

Hailing from Helsinki, Finland, HIFK competes in the Liiga, Finland’s top domestic league. They finished fourth in the regular season in 2024-25.

HIFK features zero former Flames or Wranglers players, but their head coach is Olli Jokinen and one of his assistants is Toni Lydman.

HC Fribourg-Gotteron​

Hailing from Fribourg, Switzerland, HC Fribourg-Gotteron competes in the National League, Switzerland’s top domestic league. They finished sixth in the regular season in 2024-25. They won last season’s Spengler Cup.

HC Fribourg-Gotteron features former Flames netminder Reto Berra.

Canada​

Every year, Hockey Canada puts together a rag-tag group of Canadians – a mixture of players from European club teams and, more recently, the American Hockey League – to compete for the Spengler Cup. And Canada’s entry is tied with the hosts, HC Davos, for the most championships won at this event.

Canada’s entry this season features former Flames forward Derek Grant.

HC Davos​

The hosts of this event, HC Davos hails from Davos, Switzerland and competes in the National League. They were fifth in their league in the 2024-25 regular season. As mentioned, they’re tied with Canada for the most Spengler Cup championships over the years with 16.

HC Davos features former Flames forward Joakim Nordstrom, and Rasmus Andersson’s big brother, Calle, also plays for them.

U.S. Collegiate Selects​

A new wrinkle in this year’s Spengler Cup is the presence of the U.S. Collegiate Selects team. So, y’know how USA Hockey puts together a strong World Junior team every year? Well, they’ve also put together a group of college players – all too old to compete in the World Juniors – that will vie for the Spengler Cup instead. They’re led by Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky, and features 14 NHL prospects – notably, Calgary product Aidan Fink and T.J. Hughes, tied for second in the NCAA in scoring as of right now.

Usually the Spengler Cup is an exercise in “Oh hey, I guess that former NHLer is still playing in Europe!” but the inclusion of the Collegiate Selects means that NHL clubs will be paying attention, as a standout performance could nudge some of the unsigned college prospects towards an NHL deal.

The Spengler Cup runs Dec. 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland and the games can be seen on TSN’s programming – check your listings for times and specific channels.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-spengler-cup-remains-the-wackiest-tournament-in-hockey

 

[Calgary Flames]

Can Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny lead Canada to gold at the 2026 World Juniors?

It’s the holiday season, friends, and when it comes to the world of hockey, that means one of the best tournaments in sports: the IIHF’s World Junior Championship!

Held every year, the World Juniors pit the 10 top under-20 national teams head-to-head for supremacy, glory, and medals. If you want a preview of the upcoming NHL Draft, or a snapshot of the quality and quantity of prospects on their way to the NHL, the World Junior is a tremendous event. Plus, the hockey is fantastic.

The Calgary Flames will be represented by 2024 first-round pick Zayne Parekh and 2025 first-round pick Cole Reschny, who are both suiting up with Team Canada at this year’s event. But we ran through the rosters and schedule to provide a quick rundown of this year’s festivities.

For a more detailed snapshot, head over to Daily Faceoff, where our pal Steven Ellis is on the ground in Minnesota for the whole tournament! We also recommend Steven’s recent Top 50 ranking for the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft, as many of the top prospects are in action at the World Juniors.

The teams​

Generally-speaking, the teams with more NHL prospects on them are more competitive at the World Juniors. But there are always exceptions, and those exceptions can lead to chaos in a short tournament like this.

Canada

• NHL Prospects: G Carter George (LAK), G Jack Ivankovic (NSH), G Joshua Ravensbergen (SJS), D Kashawn Aitcheson (NYI), D Harrison Brunicke (PIT), D Ben Danford (TOR), D Zayne Parekh (CGY), D Cameron Reid (NSH), F Carter Bear (DET), F Cole Beaudoin (UTA), F Braeden Cootes (VAN), F Caleb Desnoyers (UTA), F Liam Greentree (LAK), F Michael Hage (MTL), F Tij Iginla (UTA), F Jett Luchanko (PHI), F Brady Martin (NSH), F Porter Martone (PHI), F Michael Misa (SJS), F Sam O’Reilly (TBL) and F Cole Reschny (CGY)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: D Carson Carels (7th, DFO), D Keaton Verhoeff (2nd, DFO), F Gavin McKenna (1st, DFO)

Czechia

• NHL Prospects: D Vashek Blanar (BOS), D Jakub Fibigr (SEA), D Adam Jiricek (STL), D Radim Mrtka (BUF), D Max Psenicka (UTA), F Adam Benak (MIN), F Vojtech Cihar (LAK), F Max Curran (COL), F Stepan Hoch (UTA), F Vaclav Nestracik (CHI), F Tomas Poletin (NYI) and F Petr Sikora (WSH)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: D Vladimir Dravecky (40th, DFO), F Adam Novotny (15th, DFO)

Denmark

• NHL Prospects: F Mads Kongsbak Klyvo (FLA)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: none

Finland

• NHL Prospects: G Petteri Rimpinen (LAK), G Kim Saarinen (SEA), D Lasse Boelius (ANA), D Aron Kiviharju (MIN), D Daniel Nieminen (NSH), D Veeti Vaisanen (UTA), F Emil Hemming (DAL), F Atte Joki (DAL), F Aatos Koivu (MTL), F Julius Miettinen (SEA), F Kasper Pikkarinen (NJD), F Heikki Ruohonen (PHI), F Joona Saarelainen (TBL) and F Max Westergard (PHI)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: D Juho Piiparinen (20th, DFO), F Oliver Suvanto (16th, DFO)

Germany

• NHL Prospects: D Carlos Handel (MTL), F David Lewandowski (EDM), F Maxim Schafer (WSH)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: none

Latvia

• NHL Prospects: G Mikus Vecvanags (MTL), D Darels Ujanskis (ANA)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: F Alberts Smits (8th, DFO)

Slovakia

• NHL Prospects: G Michal Pradel (DET), F Jan Chovan (LAK), F Michal Svrcek (DET)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: D Adam Goljer (34th, DFO), F Tomas Chrenko (23rd, DFO)

Sweden

• NHL Prospects: G Mans Goos (DAL), G Love Harenstam (STL), D Sasha Boumedienne (WPG), D Alfons Freij (WPG), D Viggo Gustafsson (NSH), D Victor Johansson (TOR), D Leo Sahlin Wallenius (SJS), F Jack Berglund (PHI), F Wilson Bjorck (VAN), F Victor Eklund (NYI), F Linus Eriksson (FLA), F Anton Frondell (CHI), F Eddie Genborg (DET), F Milton Gastrin (WSH), F Loke Krantz (SEA), F Eric Nilson (ANA) and F Lucas Pettersson (ANA)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: D William Hakansson (29th, DFO), F Viggo Bjorck (24th, DFO), F Ivar Stenberg (3rd, DFO)

Switzerland

• NHL Prospects: G Christian Kirsch (SJS), G Elijah Neuenschwander (ANA), D Ludwig Johnson (UTA), D Leon Muggli (WSH), D Basile Sansonnens (VAN)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: F Lars Steiner (35th, DFO)

United States

• NHL Prospects: G Caleb Heil (TBL), G Nicholas Kempf (WSH), D Asher Barnett (EDM), D E.J. Emery (NYR), D Logan Hensler (OTT), D Cole Hutson (WSH), D Adam Kleber (BUF), D Luke Osburn (BUF), F Kamil Bednarek (NYI), F Cole Eiserman (NYI), F James Hagens (BOS), F Will Horcoff (PIT), F Ryker Lee (NSH), F Cole McKinney (SJS), F Brendan McMorrow (LAK), F L.J. Mooney (MTL), F Max Plante (DET), F A.J. Spellacy (CHI), F Teddy Stiga (NSH), F Shane Vansaghi (NSH), F Will Zellers (BOS), F Brodie Ziemer (BUF)
• 2026 NHL Draft Prospects: D Chase Reid (6th, DFO), D Dakota Rheaume-Mullen

The schedule​

Dec. 26 (Friday):

• 11 a.m. MT: Slovakia vs. Sweden (TSN1/3)
• 1:30 p.m. MT: Denmark vs. Finland (TSN1/4)
• 4 p.m. MT: Germany vs. United States (TSN1/3)
• 6:30 p.m. MT: Canada vs. Czechia (TSN2/3/4/5)

Dec. 27 (Saturday):

• Noon MT: Germany vs. Slovakia (TSN3)
• 2:30 p.m. MT: Latvia vs. Canada (TSN1/4)
• 4 p.m. MT: United States vs. Switzerland (TSN3)
• 6:30 p.m. MT: Czechia vs. Denmark (TSN1/3)

Dec. 28 (Sunday):

• Noon MT: Switzerland vs. Sweden (TSN1)
• 2:30 p.m. MT: Finland vs. Latvia (TSN1/3/5)

Dec. 29 (Monday):

• 11 a.m. MT: Germany vs. Sweden (TSN1)
• 1:30 p.m. MT: Czechia vs. Finland (TSN1/4)
• 4 p.m. MT: United States vs. Slovakia (TSN1/2)
• 6:30 p.m. MT: Denmark vs. Canada (TSN1/4)

Dec. 30 (Tuesday):

• Noon MT: Switzerland vs. Germany (TSN1)
• 2:30 p.m. MT: Denmark vs. Latvia (TSN1/3)

Dec. 31 (Wednesday):

• 11 a.m. MT: Switzerland vs. Slovakia (TSN1/5)
• 1:30 p.m. MT: Latvia vs. Czechia (TSN1/4)
• 4 p.m. MT: Sweden vs. United States (TSN1/5)
• 6:30 p.m. MT: Canada vs. Finland (TSN1/2/5, CTV)

Medal round:

• Quarterfinals are on Jan. 2 (Friday).
• Semi-finals are on Jan. 4 (Sunday).
• Gold and bronze medal games are on Jan. 5 (Monday).

Which team or players are you most excited to see at the World Juniors? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/can-za...lead-canada-to-gold-at-the-2026-world-juniors

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames have decisions to make on nine minor-league RFAs this spring

Friends, if you look at our rundowns of Calgary Flames prospects toiling in college and major junior hockey, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Oh boy, there are a lot of players I’d like to see suit up with the Wranglers or Flames pretty soon.”

And yeah, the Flames have a lot of players they want to get into their pro development system and get on the path to the NHL. (Spoiler: for some players, the path is very short and direct.)

So, uh… who’s leaving to make room for these youngsters?

Well, the primary spot to look is usually pending restricted free agents at the minor-league level. These are usually guys that have been in the system and working on their game, but for one reason or another haven’t quite found the thing that’ll make them a successful pro and move them up the ladder.

This coming spring, the Flames have nine players on expiring deals that are eligible to become RFAs: goaltender Owen Say, blueliners Artem Grushnikov and Jeremie Poirier, and forwards William Strömgren, Carter King, Parker Bell, Lucas Ciona, Rory Kerins and Sam Morton.

We would say there are four guys we’re a bit concerned about right now: Grushnikov, Poirier, Bell and Ciona. In particular, we’re wondering about the two blueliners – Bell and Ciona have been in and out of the lineup, but when they’ve been in and playing their physical, up-tempo games, they’re quite good. But Grushnikov and Poirier have both been healthy scratches this season. With the Flames having oodles of young defenders in their pipeline, those two gentlemen may be under the gun in the second half to prove that they should remain in the Flames system.

Onto the updates!

Andrew Basha – LW/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

20; Calgary’s second round pick (41st overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 174 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 8th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	24	1	4	5	4	5	4	18	8.30
2024-25 (WHL)	23	9	20	29	24	12	9	73	31.22

Basha had an assist over two games.

Jacob Battaglia – LW/RW, Kingston Frontenacs, OHL​

19; Calgary’s second round pick (62nd overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 196 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 7th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	32	12	11	23	17	17	13	92	19.65
2024-25 (OHL)	68	40	50	90	67	57	45	239	35.06

Battaglia missed a game for undisclosed reasons – we’re assuming illness – and then got tossed for boarding in the game he played.

Parker Bell – LW/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

22; Calgary’s fifth round pick (155th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 192 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	23	1	0	1	1	1	1	31	1.73
2024-25 (AHL)	61	7	5	12	9	12	9	67	7.84

Bell had a goal in two games.

Hunter Brzustewicz – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

20; Vancouver’s third round pick (75th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vancouver; 6’0″, 190 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 3rd-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	23	4	8	12	9	6	5	28	20.79
2024-25 (AHL)	70	5	27	32	19	20	13	75	18.22

Brzustewicz is in the NHL.

Nick Cicek – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

25; free agent signing; 6’3″, 201 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	30	3	9	12	7	9	4	32	15.94
2024-25 (DEL)	50	3	14	17	10	16	9	75	9.81

Cicek had an assist over two games. With Brzustewicz, his usual partner, in the NHL, he’s been paired with Etienne Morin.

Lucas Ciona – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

22; Calgary’s sixth round pick (173rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 210 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	21	2	1	3	3	2	2	25	5.69
2024-25 (AHL)	68	8	14	22	18	17	14	91	12.89

Ciona had a goal over two games.

Matvei Gridin – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

19; Calgary’s first round pick (28th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 182 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 4th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	28	10	15	25	18	18	14	83	35.58
2024-25 (QMJHL)	56	36	43	79	58	40	32	236	32.85

Gridin had a goal over two games. His offensive output has slowed a little bit, but he’s still among the AHL’s freshman scoring leaders – he’s third currently behind Bakersfield’s Quinn Hutson (28 points) and Rockford’s Nick Lardis (26).

Artem Grushnikov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

22; Dallas’ second round pick (48th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Dallas; 6’1″, 203 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	26	0	0	0	0	0	0	23	0.00
2024-25 (AHL)	61	1	4	5	3	4	3	43	3.27

Grushnikov had no points in two games.

Trevor Hoskin – RW, Merrimack College Warriors, NCAA​

21; Calgary’s fourth round pick (106th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 175 pounds; shoots right

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	17	4	13	17	10	9	6	25	32.23
2024-25 (NCAA)	36	12	27	39	29	28	23	80	17.23

Merrimack was off this week. They face Vermont on Dec. 29.

Axel Hurtig – D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL​

20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 202 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	28	3	5	8	7	8	6	48	7.08
2024-25 (WHL)	55	5	11	16	12	14	10	66	7.20

Hurtig had an assist in the lone Hitmen game this week.

Eric Jamieson – D, University of Denver Pioneers, NCAA​

20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 200 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	19	6	7	13	7	12	7	39	24.63
2024-25 (WHL)	66	14	22	36	26	27	19	175	13.51

Denver is off until Jan. 2.

Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

23; Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 175 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 15th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	27	11	14	25	20	16	14	55	36.90
2024-25 (AHL)	63	33	28	61	52	40	35	135	38.59

Kerins had a goal and an assist over two games.

Carter King – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

23; free agent signing; 5’11”, 190 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	26	2	2	4	3	4	3	24	6.13
2024-25 (NCAA)	44	21	22	43	31	16	14	116	35.18

King had an assist over two games.

Hunter Laing – C/RW, Saskatoon Blades, WHL​

19; Calgary’s sixth round pick (170th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’5″, 205 pounds; shoots right

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	30	15	17	32	24	17	15	69	26.41
2024-25 (WHL)	64	25	23	48	40	35	29	153	18.57

The Blades are in the middle of a break. They’re back at it on Dec. 27.

Aidan Lane – LW/RW, Harvard University Crimson, NCAA​

18; Calgary’s sixth round pick (176th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 192 pounds; shoots right

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	11	5	1	6	6	6	6	31	12.52
2024-25 (OHL)	13	7	6	13	10	10	7	36	26.49

Harvard is off until Jan. 2.

Jakob Leander – D, HV71, U20 Nationell​

18; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 196 pounds; shoots right

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	22	1	5	6	5	6	5	26	4.47
2024-25 (J20)	39	1	5	6	3	5	3	33	2.52

HV71 is off until Jan. 10.

Jaden Lipinski – C, University of Maine Black Bears, NCAA​

20; Calgary’s fourth round pick (112th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 204 pounds; shoots right

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	17	3	5	8	6	8	6	26	15.17
2024-25 (WHL)	59	17	41	58	45	30	27	134	24.34

Maine is back in action on Jan. 2.

Cade Littler – C, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA​

21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (219th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 197 pounds; shoots right

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	16	4	4	8	7	6	5	33	18.00
2024-25 (NCAA)	33	7	2	9	8	9	8	30	9.82

North Dakota is back in action on Jan. 2.

Yan Matveiko – C, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL​

19; Calgary’s seventh round pick (211th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 150 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	29	13	15	28	17	22	13	46	11.32
2024-25 (MHL)	42	10	14	24	20	21	17	68	6.70

Matveiko is injured.

Luke Misa – LW/C, Penn State University Nittany Lions, NCAA​

19; Calgary’s fifth round pick (150th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 170 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 13th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	16	2	1	3	2	3	2	33	5.12
2024-25 (OHL)	67	34	51	85	58	63	43	211	33.60

Penn State is off until Jan. 3.

Etienne Morin – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL/Rapid City Rush, ECHL​

20; Calgary’s second round pick (48th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’0″, 180 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 10th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
AHL season to date	12	1	0	1	1	1	1	11	3.32
ECHL season to date	7	1	3	4	2	1	1	20	13.12
2024-25 (QMJHL)	62	14	44	58	29	40	24	222	21.79

Morin had no points in two games. He’s been playing on the Wranglers’ de facto second pairing with Nick Cicek.

Mace’o Phillips – D, Green Bay Gamblers, USHL​

18; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’6″, 228 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	17	1	3	4	2	3	2	39	5.54
2024-25 (USHL)	25	2	1	3	3	3	3	31	2.76

Phillips is back in action with Green Bay on Dec. 27.

Jeremie Poirier – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

23; Calgary’s third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 196 pounds; shoots left

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	23	1	4	5	2	4	1	36	8.66
2024-25 (AHL)	71	5	37	42	23	26	15	132	23.57

Poirier had an assist in one game.

Cullen Potter – C, Arizona State University Sun Devils, NCAA​

18; Calgary’s first round pick (32nd overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 172 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 5th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	18	6	10	16	14	5	4	56	32.00
2024-25 (NCAA)	35	13	9	22	16	17	13	118	22.63

The Sun Devils were off this week. They’ll face those stuffed shirts at Dartmouth on Dec. 27.

Cole Reschny – C, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA​

18; Calgary’s first round pick (18th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 183 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 2nd-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	16	2	16	18	12	8	7	31	40.50
2024-25 (WHL)	62	26	66	92	70	48	46	213	36.75

Reschny is with the Canadian national junior team.

Theo Stockselius – C, Djurgårdens IF, U20 Nationell/SHL​

18; Calgary’s second round pick (54th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 181 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 12th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
U20 season to date	7	1	8	9	6	7	5	23	21.09
SHL season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
2024-25 (J20)	40	22	29	51	38	35	29	93	20.91

Djurgardens is off until Jan. 10. Stockselius has been out since mid-October with a skate cut.

William Strömgren – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

22; Calgary’s second round pick (45th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 175 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 16th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	27	2	18	20	13	13	8	25	29.52
2024-25 (AHL)	70	14	35	49	35	26	20	107	27.90

Strömgren had no points in two games.

Aydar Suniev – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

20; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 198 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 9th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	25	7	2	9	9	5	5	34	14.35
2024-25 (NCAA)	35	20	18	38	31	21	17	119	34.99

Suniev is out week-to-week with an injury.

Ethan Wyttenbach – RW, Quinnipiac University Bobcats, NCAA​

18; Calgary’s fifth round pick (144th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 180 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 20th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	18	9	16	25	21	13	12	38	31.89
2024-25 (USHL)	44	24	27	51	42	38	30	127	26.61

Quinnipiac is off until Jan. 2.

Owen Say – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

24; free agent signing; 6’2″, 185 pounds

GP	TOI	SV%
Season to date	15	759	.894
2024-25 (NCAA)	27	1531	.920

Say started once and made 46 saves in an overtime loss.

Arsenii Sergeev – G, Rapid City Rush, ECHL / Calgary Wranglers, AHL​

21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 192 pounds

GP	TOI	SV%
AHL season to date	1	60	.981
ECHL season to date	12	714	.922
2024-25 (NCAA)	33	1982	.919

Sergeev made his AHL debut this past week, stopping a franchise record 52 pucks in a win during Winter Wranglerfest.

Yegor Yegorov – G, MHK Spartak-MAX, MHL​

20; Calgary’s sixth round pick (176th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 183 pounds

GP	TOI	SV%
Season to date	17	1011	.923
2024-25 (MHL)	20	1032	.904

Yegorov has been idle lately, as Spartak-MAX is juggling four or five goalies on their roster and leaning on some of their younger, lesser-used netminders.

Kirill Zarubin – G, AKM Tula, MHL​

20; Calgary’s third round pick (84th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 178 pounds; FN’s 18th-ranked prospect 2025

GP	TOI	SV%
Season to date	25	1468	.936
2024-25 (MHL)	21	1157	.935

Zarubin played twice and tallied a win and a loss.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-flames-have-decisions-to-make-on-nine-minor-league-rfas-this-spring

 

[Calgary Flames]

The ECHL’s players began strike action on Boxing Day

The holiday season often features on-ice action in minor-league hockey, but 2025 will instead be remembered for labour action. On Boxing Day, the ECHL’s players, represented by the Professional Hockey Players Association (PHPA), began strike action.

The PHPA represents both American Hockey League and ECHL players, with separate collective bargaining agreements governing each league. The PHPA and the AHL have been working on a new CBA – their prior one reportedly expired at the end of August – and they’re operating under the terms of the prior agreement while they hash out the new one. That was also the case with the ECHL’s players, but things have apparently moved slowly enough that the union served the league a strike notice on Dec. 18.

ECHL MEMBERSHIP SERVES STRIKE NOTICE

: https://t.co/kchqpTmusm pic.twitter.com/j6JCk1oWKd

— PHPA (@thephpa) December 23, 2025

A full update, including details of our last, best, and final offer is available at https://t.co/6cShzEXK9Z pic.twitter.com/rtebD4pV5O

— ECHL (@ECHL) December 26, 2025

At issue with the strike are several challenges faced by ECHL players, including wages, health insurance and equipment standards. We recommend checking out Inside AHL Hockey’s piece on the strike, as it has a ton of helpful context.

"If we strike, we’re kicked out of our apartments the next day & they’re calling up players from the SPHL. If we don't strike as one, we're selfish assholes to the rest of the league."

As @ECHL players sit at home, the holiday break will be spent stressing about uncertainty. pic.twitter.com/OOSIKID6b0

— Tony Androckitis* (@TonyAndrock) December 24, 2025

An update from the Professional Hockey Players’ Association.

The PHPA would like to express its gratitude for the continued support shown by fans, the broader hockey community, our brothers and sisters in sport, active and retired players, and communities in and out of the… pic.twitter.com/qQ6IAwuHhi

— PHPA (@thephpa) December 26, 2025

My thoughts on the ECHL strike and how we got here. pic.twitter.com/t2JtXl3hO5

— Brayden Low (@braydenlow) December 26, 2025

The Calgary Flames have an affiliate team in the ECHL, the Rapid City Rush. The Rush have home games scheduled for Dec. 27, 28 and 31. As of this writing those games are still on the books, but that will likely change on a day-to-day basis as the labour action continues.

For those curious, here’s roughly how pro hockey works, and we’ll use the Flames as an example – we’re simplifying things by ignoring one-way and two-way deals.

The Flames have 45 players on active NHL deals. They’re all paid by the Flames, even if they’re playing in the minor leagues (such as the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers or the ECHL’s Rush).

The Wranglers are owned by the Flames, and they have 14 players on AHL deals. Again, these players are all paid by the Wranglers, even if they’re playing for Rapid City. As of this writing, there are eight players with AHL deals on Rapid City’s roster – the most prominent is goalie Connor Murphy, who was briefly on an NHL deal last season. More than half of the AHL’s teams are directly owned by their NHL parent.

Finally, there are players on ECHL deals that are paid directly by the Rush. Based on who’s listed on the Rush’s roster on the ECHL website, this category covers 13 players. All of the ECHL’s teams are independently owned – e.g., they’re not directly owned by an NHL or AHL parent. And while having a good chunk of your roster paid for by your AHL partner is great, the economics for ECHL teams can vary wildly throughout the league depending on the local market – average attendance is 4,700, but it’s propped up immensely by a handful of teams who do really well at the gate.

Nobody – players or owners – get involved in minor-league hockey to get rich. Usually involvement is fuelled by love of the game. Here’s hoping that the ECHL and its players can hash out a fair agreement that provides stability and security for everyone involved.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-echls-players-began-strike-action-on-boxing-day

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames Game Day 38: The 269th Battle of Alberta (8pm MT, CBC/SNW)

On Tuesday night in Edmonton, the Calgary Flames (15-18-4, 34 points) weren’t all that good in a 5-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers (19-13-6, 44 points). But after a few days off to stew about the result, it’s time for a rematch at the Saddledome. Can the Flames prove that Tuesday’s disappointment was just a blip? Or will the Oilers take the lead in this year’s season series?

Today’s broadcast begins at 8 p.m. MT on CBC, Sportsnet West, Ontario and East, and Sportsnet 960 The Fan. (Sportsnet Pacific, One and City TV have Vancouver/San Jose.)

For a view from the other side, head over to OilersNation!

The Flames​

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:

Yegor Sharangovich – Nazem Kadri – Joel Farabee
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Matt Coronato
Connor Zary – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Adam Klapka

Yan Kuznetsov – MacKenzie Weegar
Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley – Hunter Brzustewicz

We’re projecting Dustin Wolf to start in net, backed up by Devin Cooley. The projected extra skaters are John Beecher and Brayden Pachal.

The Flames were decent enough in the first period against Edmonton on Tuesday, but the game got away from them (a) when they allowed a late first period power play goal and then another early in the second period and (b) when MacKenzie Weegar got tossed for the game for protesting an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Beating Edmonton at full strength is tough: doing so without one of your top blueliners is a bridge too far.

The Flames need to stay out of the box and keep things at five-on-five if they want a chance in this hockey game.

The Oilers​

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins – Connor McDavid – Zach Hyman
Vasily Podkolzin – Leon Draisaitl – Jack Roslovic
Andrew Mangiapane – Adam Henrique – Matthew Savoie
Max Jones – Trent Frederic – Mattias Janmark

Mattias Ekholm – Evan Bouchard
Darnell Nurse – Alec Regula
Spencer Stastney – Ty Emberson

Connor Ingram is expected to start in net, and he’ll be backed up by Calvin Pickard. The projected extras are Curtis Lazar, Riley Stillman and David Tomasek (who will be waived on Sunday when the roster freeze is lifted to terminate his deal). We’re not anticipating many changes for the Oilers. In a unique quirk of the first game back from Christmas, it’s day-of travel for Edmonton, who are flying down prior to Saturday’s morning skate.

Connor McDavid had five assists on Tuesday. He leads the NHL in points in December with 31. Leon Draisaitl had three goals on Tuesday. He’s second in the NHL in points in December with 24. The next-best point output this month is San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini with 18. McDavid and Draisaitl dominated the Flames on Tuesday. They’ll need to do a better job trying to contain them on Saturday night.

Unavailable players​

The Flames are without Martin Pospisil, Zayne Parekh, Sam Honzek and Jake Bean.

The Oilers are without Jake Walman, Kasperi Kapanen, Connor Clattenburg, Noah Philp and Tristan Jarry.

The numbers​

Flames	Oilers
15	Wins	19
34 (.459)	Points (%)	44 (.579)
51.0% (12th)	xGF%	49.9% (17th)
13.6% (30th)	PP%	34.3% (1st)
80.5% (17th)	PK%	78.4% (20th)

Head to head​

This is the third of four Battles of Alberta this season. The Flames won Round 1 in October, while the Oilers won Round 2 on Tuesday. They’ll close things out in Calgary on Feb. 4.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-game-day-38-the-269th-battle-of-alberta-8pm-mt-cbc-snw

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames grind out victory in Battle of Alberta rematch

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

On Tuesday night, the Calgary Flames visited the Edmonton Oilers. It didn’t go all that well for them, with the Oilers winning by a 5-1 score – in a game that probably could’ve been even more one-sided. The two teams met again on Saturday night at the Saddledome, and the game was much more even-keeled than Tuesday’s clunker.

The Flames never trailed en route to a 3-2 win over the Oilers.

The rundown​

The Flames opened the scoring seven minutes into the opening frame. Adam Klapka battled and chased down a loose puck behind the Oilers net. He threw a pass into the slot for Yegor Sharangovich, who fired the shot past Connor Ingram to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

FLAMES GOAL

Adam Klapka finds Yegor Sharangovich alone in the slot and he buries it!

It's great to see that dangerous shot from Yegor again.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/fjyFiF77Z5

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 28, 2025

A little later, though, the Oilers got a power play after Yan Kuznetsov was called for hooking. A bit of passing later, and an Evan Bouchard one-timer beat Dustin Wolf to tie the game up at 1-1.

Now that's the definition of a Bouch Bomb.

: Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/3Rx3zMfWjV

— Oilersnation.com, Oily Since ‘07 (@OilersNation) December 28, 2025

Connor McDavid had a couple nice scoring chances in the first period, but Wolf made some big stops. (And Joel Hanley broke up another near-breakaway chance, too.)

First period shots were 14-9 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 14-7 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 6-4 Flames.

The Flames retook the lead 3:28 into the second period. The game got a bit scrambly and both teams had some plays broken up in the neutral zone. On one such play, Justin Kirkland chased down a 50/50 puck and an Oilers defender swiped the puck away from him… but right to Ryan Lomberg. Lomberg grabbed the puck, went in alone against Ingram and fired the puck past the netminder to give the Flames a 2-1 lead.

FLAMES GOAL

WHAT A GOAL BY RYAN LOMBERG!!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/BVPAlz48Qw

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 28, 2025

The Oilers got a couple of power play opportunities later in the period, but the Flames killed them off.

Second period shots were 10-10. 5v5 scoring chances were 6-5 Oilers and high-danger scoring chances were 3-2 Oilers.

The Oilers pushed back in the third period, but the Flames did a pretty credible job keeping them to the outside and minimizing second chances.

The Flames added some insurance 12:31 into the third period off a nice passing sequence from Mikael Backlund’s line. Blake Coleman finished things off with a wrister that beat Ingram to make it 3-1.

FLAMES GOAL

What a passing play by Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund! They put the Flames up by two!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/9rTlGdYv4h

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 28, 2025

But the Oilers kept pressing and got one back, as Connor McDavid sniped a chance past Wolf to cut the Flames’ lead to 3-2 with just 4:37 left in regulation.

Connor McDavid cuts the Flames lead in half.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/qrRVN95XmK

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 28, 2025

The Oilers kept pressing for the equalizer. Klapka nearly scored on Ingram late in the period, but the puck took a bounce and stayed off the goal line. The Oilers pulled Ingram for the extra attacker, but the Flames held on for the victory.

Third period shots were 12-8 Oilers. 5v5 scoring chances were 15-11 Oilers and high-danger scoring chances were 5-4 Oilers.

Why the Flames won​

This is the game the Flames needed to play on Tuesday night in Edmonton. Were they perfect? Nope. But they did a pretty good job at keeping Edmonton’s big guns to the outside and not feeding their cycle or rush game too much. Combined that with a nice forecheck and some opportunistic scoring, and it was enough for the red team to get two points.

Red Warrior​

Man, Adam Klapka was very noticeable in this hockey game, making smart moves with the puck and crashing and banging like a whirling dervish. We’ll give him the nod.

But honourable mention to Dustin Wolf, who occasionally had to be really sharp.

Turning point​

The Oilers had a pair of power plays in the second period, but the Flames came up with a pair of big kills to make it to the intermission with a 2-1 lead. This was the type of thing that didn’t happen for them on Tuesday.

This and that​

This was Dustin Wolf’s 100th NHL appearance. A seventh-round pick in 2019, he’s now played more games than nine first-rounders from his draft class.

We got a @RyanNPike shoutout on Hockey Night in Canada

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/p8Nn4L9Eo1

— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) December 28, 2025

Joel Farabee went down hard in front of the Oilers net early in the first period off a shove from Mattias Ekholm. He left the game briefly but returned late in the first period.

Looks like Joel Farabee might have been knocked out on this play when his head hit the ice.

Hopefully he is ok

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/vVhQ3M9nYP

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 28, 2025

After Burner​

Join Jordan and Mike from the In The Dome podcast right after the game for After Burner! (Confession: I legitimately don’t remember which one is Jordan and which one is Mike.)

Up next​

The Flames (16-18-4) are back in action on Monday when they host the Boston Bruins at the Saddledome.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-grind-out-victory-in-battle-of-alberta-rematch

 

[Calgary Flames]

World Juniors: Cole Reschny scores, Zayne Parekh picks up assist as Canada wins nail-biter

The World Juniors opened on Boxing Day with four exciting games, with the tournament’s top four teams all picking up victories. With four more games on the docket for Day 2, Switzerland made their tournament debut, while Latvia looked to upset Canada for a second straight year. Here’s how the day’s action unfolded.

Slovakia 4 – Germany 1​

Both teams entered the game coming off losses on opening day, leaving little time to dwell on the disappointment. With a win all but guaranteeing a quarterfinal berth, the stakes were high.

After pushing Sweden to the limit in their opener, Slovakia wasted no time getting back to business and capitalized on some German penalty issues. Eighteen-year-old Tomáš Chrenko led the way with a natural hat trick, scoring twice in the first period before completing the feat midway through the second – all goals being on the powerplay.

Germany got on the board in the third period when Saskatoon Blades forward Dustin Willhoft turned on the jets, blew past the Slovak defence and finished with a nice goal. Slovakia added an insurance marker late to seal a valuable 4-1 victory.

Germany now gets a day off before facing Sweden and Switzerland on Dec. 29 and 30, games in which they’ll likely need to steal a win to avoid a potential relegation matchup.

Canada 2 vs. Latvia 1 (OT)​

Two games into the tournament, Canada once again stumbled out of the gate. Latvia came out determined to prove last year’s upset win was no fluke, and at times Canada appeared willing to help. Multiple turnovers led to four quality scoring chances for the Latvians, though Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic stood tall and kept the scoresheet clean. Latvia thought it had opened the scoring, but the goal was reviewed and overturned due to a kicking motion. Canada failed to capitalize on a late first-period power play, and the opening frame ended scoreless.

Early in the second period, Zayne Parekh took a high hit along the boards. The Latvian player was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Parekh appeared none the worse for wear and did not miss a shift. On the ensuing five-minute power play, Canada generated just three shots, but the most important one came from Flames prospect Cole Reschny. Reschny walked into the middle of the ice and snapped home the game’s opening goal to give Canada a 1-0 lead.

Cole Reschny scores his first goal of the World Juniors! pic.twitter.com/rXCQQ6JfC3

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) December 27, 2025

Canada played with some fire when Ben Danford took a double-minor penalty for high-sticking. Canada rolled just two forward pairs for the entire four minutes but successfully killed off the penalty to keep its lead intact. The remainder of the period was relatively quiet, and Canada headed into the third period up by one.

The opening half of the third period was uneventful. As the clock ticked down, Canada began to generate chances, including a shot off the crossbar, but couldn’t find the insurance goal. Then déjà vu struck. Just like last year, Latvia found a late equalizer in the third period to stun the Canadians. A last-minute Canadian power play failed to produce a regulation winner, sending Canada to overtime for the second straight year — this time with the man advantage.

On the power play in overtime, Canada created a couple good looks before Michael Hage buried a one-timer to seal the victory and allow the entire country to exhale.

Full credit goes to Latvia, which has been a thorn in Canada’s side over the past two years. The Latvians blocked shots and clogged the neutral zone. It may not be the most entertaining style of hockey, but it has proven effective. Latvian goaltender Nils Maurins stopped 34 of 36 shots and was a major reason Latvia stayed in the game.

It was a strong bounce-back performance for Cole Reschny. Though he was moved from the third line to the fourth and saw reduced five-on-five minutes, he was impactful on special teams. He won key face-offs on the penalty kill and played a significant role in killing off the double minor. On the power play, he scored Canada’s opening goal in the second period and further established himself as one of the team’s most trusted face-off options. Reschny was sent out repeatedly for critical draws, including the face-off in overtime that helped set up the game-winning goal. He led Canada in face-offs, taking 13 draws and won nine of them – a stat line that should excite Flames fans.

Zayne Parekh was Canada’s best player in a sluggish first period and continued to play at a high level throughout the game, creating multiple scoring chances. He led the team in ice time for the second straight game, logging just over 23 minutes and firing four shots on goal. Parekh played the full power play late in the third period and again in overtime, cementing his role as the go-to option when Canada needs offence. He recorded an assist for his third point of the tournament.

Canada now gets a day off before facing Denmark on Dec. 29. The Canadians will look to rediscover their offensive touch in what should be the easiest game of group play — though at this tournament, no win feels easy anymore.

United States 2 vs. Switzerland 1​

Switzerland entered the game intent on silencing the home crowd and did a pretty good job on keeping things under control. The Americans held the shot advantage in the first period, but the game remained tied heading into the second.

The pace picked up in the middle frame as the Americans broke the deadlock just over a minute in. Switzerland responded midway through the period to tie the game, but the stalemate was short-lived. Will Zellers scored his third goal of the tournament a couple of minutes later to restore the U.S. lead.

There was a scary moment in the second period when U.S. defenceman Cole Hutson was struck in the back of the neck by a shot. He was stretchered off the ice and taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Switzerland pushed hard for the equalizer in the third period, but the breakthrough never came. With the extra attacker on in the final minute, the Swiss rang a shot off the crossbar, coming inches away from tying the game. That was as close as they would get, as the United States shut the door and held on for its second win of the tournament.

Denmark 2 vs. Czechia 7​

Denmark opened tournament play widely expected to be the weakest team in Group B. Czechia was far from an ideal opening opponent, but Denmark managed to stay competitive for much of the game.

The teams traded goals in the opening six minutes. A dangerous hit later in the period led to Denmark forward Jesper Olesen being assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct. On the ensuing power play, Czechia scored to regain the lead. Denmark nearly tied the game as the power play expired when Andrew Bjergstad — who had been serving the penalty — broke in alone out of the box, but he was unable to beat the Czech goaltender.

Early in the second period, Czechia converted again on the power play to extend its lead to two. Denmark answered back a few minutes later to pull within one, but the response was short-lived. Czechia pulled away with two more goals in the period to take a 5-2 lead into the second intermission.

The third period belonged entirely to Czechia. Denmark generated a few chances, including a pair of breakaways, but couldn’t convert, hitting a post and being turned aside by several strong saves from the Czech netminder. Czechia added two more goals in the final frame to seal a 7-2 victory and record its first win of the tournament.

Czechia had seven different goal scorers, with Tomáš Galvas leading the way with three points.

On the schedule for Day 3 (Dec. 28)​

Sweden vs. Switzerland – 12 p.m. MST
Finland vs. Latvia – 2:30 p.m. MST

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/world-...ekh-picks-up-assist-as-canada-wins-nail-biter