RSS Flames Team Notes

[Calgary Flames]

What prospect reinforcement options could the Wranglers have before the end of the season?

It’s approaching the time of the year when some of the prospects in the Calgary Flames’ systems are going to close off their seasons and the potential for them to make an appearance in the affiliation system becomes possible. There are quite a few names in the mix and this spring should bring a few professional tryout opportunities with the Wranglers for skaters listed below.

The timelines will vary depending on when their respective seasons end and how far (if at all) they go in post-season.

WHL​

Hunter Laing (C/RW) – Saskatoon Blades

Andrew Basha (LW/RW) – Medicine Hat Tigers

Axel Hurtig (D) – Calgary Hitmen

(Regular season ends Mar. 22.)

Out of this list, Andrew Basha is the only player to have played a game with the Wranglers. He started the season in the AHL and played in 27 games, putting up five points. The assignment to the WHL was the right move as Basha needed some confidence building and more ice time to get back to his game after being robbed of most of his season last year due to injury. With the Tigers, Basha has 22 points in 15 games, consisting of seven goals and 15 assists. The Tigers have already clinched a playoff spot and sit second in the Eastern Conference.

For Laing and Hurtig, the Blades and Hitmen are more near the middle of the pack in the standings. The Hitmen are fourth in the Eastern Conference and the Blades are sixth. Unless there is an upset, these two may be some of the first available players. Hunter Laing is one of the alternate captains on the Blades and sits at 19 goals and 21 assists in 47 games this season so far. Axel Hurtig has 14 points in 47 games as captain of the Hitmen.

OHL​

Jacob Battaglia (RW/LW) – Flint Firebirds

(Regular season ends Mar. 21.)

Battaglia and the Flint Firebirds have already clinched a spot and sit second in the Western Conference. Battaglia was previously with the Kingston Frontenacs and played 14 games with them this season. His other 36 games this year have been played with Flint. He has 35 points in 50 games, consisting of 19 goals and 16 assists. Battaglia was just traded to the Firebirds in early January.

USHL​

Mace’o Phillips (D) – Green Bay Gamblers

(Regular season ends Apr. 4.)

Mace’o Phillips serves as the alternate captain for the Gamblers and has put up 12 points in 47 games this season. Green Bay is in a decent position in the standings, sitting third in the Eastern Conference. However, there are four teams in the top five that are just separated by five points between them. None of the teams in this league have clinched playoff spots just yet but their season runs a few weeks longer than the leagues mentioned above.

(Editor’s Note: We’re not entirely sure if joining the Wranglers on an amateur try-out would impact Phillips’ NCAA eligibility or not.)

NCAA​

Ethan Wyttenbach (LW/RW) – Quinnipiac University

Trevor Hoskin (RW/C) – Merrimack College

Cole Reschny (C/LW) – University of North Dakota

Abram Wiebe (D) – University of North Dakota

Eric Jamieson (D) – University of Denver

Luke Misa (C/RW) – Penn State University

Cade Littler (C/RW) – University of North Dakota

Aidan Lane (RW/LW) – Harvard University

Jaden Lipinski (C/RW) – University of Maine

(Conference regular seasons end Feb. 28; NCAA national tournament ends Apr. 11.)

In the case of the NCAA, the Flames system would benefit from an early post-season exit for the University of North Dakota, just for the sole reason that they have three players there. Otherwise, it’s invaluable for these young athletes to play as long as possible. The Fighting Hawks lead the NCHC Conference with a 13-5-0 conference record and a 21-7-0 overall record. The NCAA regular season ends on Feb. 28, then conference playoffs commence in early to mid-March, then regionals take place the last week of the month before the Frozen Four and National Championships the second week of April.

Reschny leads the way out of the three in scoring, sitting third on the team in points. He has 25 points in 24 games, consisting of four goals and 21 assists. Abram Wiebe still cracks the top 10 in team scoring as a defenceman with 19 points in 28 games. Cade Littler is more in the middle of the pack in scoring with 11 points in 26 games.

Eric Jamieson is also in the same conference as North Dakota and his team sits second in the conference standings. Denver’s conference record is 13-6-1 and their overall record is 17-11-3. Their win percentage would put them lower in the conference but points in conference match-ups hold more weight. Jamieson is averaging about a point every second game and currently has 15 points in 31 games so far.

Ethan Wyttenbach is perhaps the most interesting player on this list as he leads the entire NCAA in scoring with 47 points in 30 games. At this point, he holds that lead by seven points. This stat line is made up of 19 goals and 28 assists. He’s on a level that has people in and outside of the Flames organization buzzing, and it begs the question of whether or not he’s too good for the NCAA? If this is a prospect the Flames think is ready, they’re going to want him in games as soon as he’s available. He may also be a player who gets an NHL debut towards the end of the Flames’ season. (Editor’s Note: Unless the plan is for Wyttenbach to play a second college season.) Quinnipiac is in the ECAC Conference and leads the conference with a 13-2-1 conference record and a 22-5-3 overall record.

As far as the other NCAA prospects go, here’s what their stat lines and places in the conference standings look:

• Trevor Hoskin – 26GP, 8G, 19A – Merrimack College (T6th in Hockey East Conference, 7-9-1-1)
• Luke Misa – 26GP, 4G, 7A – Penn State University (3rd in Big10 Conference, 10-6-0)
• Aidan Lane – 24GP, 5G, 5A – Harvard University (5th in ECAC Conference, 10-6-0)
• Jaden Lipinski – 23GP, 3G, 6A – University of Maine (T6th in Hockey East Conference, 8-9-3-2)

Keep in mind that if any of these players come for a PTO or ATO and end up signing an ELC, it’s very rare that they would return to the NCAA. In that case, if the player’s intention is to continue playing university hockey next season, it might not make sense to come up to Calgary with no promise of playing time. However, being around the team to get excited about the future doesn’t tend to be a bad thing. They can still sign ATOs and return to school for the next season. (Editor’s Note: there are a handful of NCAA players who played full-time pro hockey in the past, so the rules are really fuzzy right now.) It just gets a bit complicated when contracts are involved. That’s a conversation for Flames management and the players to have if it gets to that point.

Injured/Unavailable​

Henry Mews (D) – University of Michigan (season-ending injury)

Cullen Potter (C/LW) – Arizona State University (season-ending injury)

Unfortunately for Mews, his season was really over before it started. He was injured on Nov. 3 against Notre Dame and ruled out for the rest of the season. It was a knee-on-knee hit in just his 10th game of the year. He was averaging almost a point per game as a right shot defenceman with nine points prior to this injury. There will be no sense trying to push anything for Mews even if recovery is going well and his next appearance will likely not be until late summer or early fall. Similarly, Potter has also suffered a season-ending injury.

The overall list of options is plentiful and while players will become available at different times, there is still work for the likes of the Calgary Wranglers to do to qualify for the playoffs. They’re a mostly healthy squad at the moment but if that changes in the next month or so, having young reinforcements can be extremely beneficial. Calgary is currently tied for eighth in the Pacific Division and needs to place in the top seven to qualify. They are six points behind the Tucson Roadrunners, who hold the last playoff spot. They have 25 games remaining to make up some ground and hopefully give the current and future prospects more time to shine.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/what-p...e-wranglers-have-before-the-end-of-the-season

 

[Calgary Flames]

Olympic Men’s Hockey Day 5 Preview: Preliminary plays wraps up with Canada and the US in action

Preliminary play wraps up on Sunday for the men’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympic Games in Milan.

After the preliminary round, the leaders of each group and the fourth-ranked team overall advance straight to the knockout round, while the remaining teams are reseeded for a qualification playoff round.

Here’s a look at the final four games of preliminary play set for Sunday (all times in MT):

4:10 a.m. – Switzerland vs. Czechia ​

Players to watch: Leonardo Genoni/Akira Schmid (SUI), Timo Meier (SUI), David Pastrnak (CZE), Martin Necas (CZE)

Switzerland and Czechia are currently tied in Group A with three points apiece, as both have beaten France and lost to Canada. The winner of this match will own the head-to-head tiebreaker, earning a higher seed. Czechia have been shaky defensively in this tournament so far, but their offensive firepower makes them the slight favourite in this one.

8:40 a.m. – Canada vs. France ​

Players to watch: Macklin Celebrini (CAN), Jordan Binnington (CAN), Louis Boudon (FRA)

Canada wraps up preliminary play against France. The Canadians have two wins in two games, with ten goals scored and just one conceded. France has not fared as well, losing both matches so far, but surprising with a string of three quick goals against Czechia, with Louis Boudon registering three points. Regardless, don’t expect any surprises here, this one is Canada’s for the taking.

11:10 a.m. – Denmark vs. Latvia ​

Players to watch: Nikolaj Ehlers (DEN), Dans Ločmelis (LAT)

Denmark made a statement against the US, but they have yet to win a game at this tournament, suffering an earlier loss to Germany. Latvia, meanwhile, were able to take down the Germans and currently sit second in Group B. A win over Denmark would give Latvia a more favourable first round matchup, but Denmark are certainly hungry to get out of the group with a win. Keep an eye on Latvia’s Dans Ločmelis, who had two power-play markers against Germany.

1:10 p.m. – United States vs. Germany ​

Players to watch: Leon Draisaitl (GER), Tim Stützle (GER)

The United States survived a scare against Denmark, but will need to tighten up if they have any hope of challenging for the top seed when they face Germany. Considered a potential dark horse to challenge for the podium entering the tournament, the Germans now have a win and a loss. Tim Stützle has three goals, and Leon Draisaitl has a goal and two assists. They’ll need three points if want a chance at avoiding the giants of North America in the quarterfinal. Ironically, those points will need to come with a win over the US. The Americans showed against Denmark that they aren’t invincible, can the Germans seize the moment and pull off the upset?

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/olympi...ays-wraps-up-with-canada-and-the-us-in-action

 

[Calgary Flames]

Recap: Wranglers fall to the Moose in first game back from the All-Star Break

The Calgary Wranglers spent their Valentine’s Day afternoon in Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Moose. The Moose are in the Central Division and don’t face the Wranglers that often so this gives both of them a fresh opponent coming out of the All-Star break. Calgary ended up working from behind this game after giving up three goals in the first period. They couldn’t generate enough to get back into it and ended up falling 5-1.

Lineup notes​

The biggest missing piece for this game was Dryden Hunt. Hunt left Calgary’s last game temporarily after what looked like some discomfort after the line brawl and he was able to return to that game. It seems what was bothering him during that game may be enough to keep him out of game action but that hasn’t been confirmed by an injury update from the team just yet. This change brought Carter Wilkie back into the lineup. The defensive pairings remained the same from last game and the forwards were shuffled up again.

Wranglers lines​

William Stromgren – Justin Kirkland – Matvei Gridin

Rory Kerins – Sam Morton – Aydar Suniev

Carter King – Clark Bishop – Martin Frk

Lucas Ciona – Carter Wilkie – Parker Bell

Nick Cicek – Daniil Miromanov

Turner Ottenbreit – Hunter Brzustewicz

Artem Grushnikov – Gavin White

Ivan Prosvetov

Game at a glance​

The goaltending match-up for this game was Ivan Prosvetov on Calgary’s end and Thomas Milic on Manitoba’s end. They started things on the right foot, putting on some early pressure in the offensive zone. It would end up being the Moose who struck first with a goal from Samuel Fagemo on just the second shot for the home team at 4:14.

A couple of minutes after this goal, Hunter Brzustewicz was called for the first penalty of the game. He was tagged for interference at 6:10. Manitoba built some more momentum off this chance but Calgary managed to kill off the penalty. At 13:56, the Moose added another goal to their lead after winning the offensive zone face-off, going for the shot and Danny Zhilkin buried the rebound.

The Wranglers got a few shots off after this goal but could not add a tally on their end of the scoreboard. At 19:17, a delayed penalty call was going against Martin Frk and Brayden Yager came up on the rush and beat Prosvetov on a one-timer. At the end of the first, Calgary was down 3-0 and narrowly trailing 10-9 in shots.

The Wranglers started the second period with a good jump despite the score. Aydar Suniev had one of the best chances of the game but the Moose would add another to their lead right after at 9:49. Samuel Fagemo scored his second of the game with a deke move that ended with him flipping a backhand shot over Prosvetov.

At 14:22, Turner Ottenbreit was called for tripping and the Wranglers were penalty killing for the second time this game. There was some relief about halfway through when Walker Duehr was called for interference. The Wranglers finished up the four-on-four then had a modified power play of their own. Neither team did any damage on their special teams scenarios.

At 17:21, another penalty went against the Wranglers when Matvei Gridin was called for tripping. Calgary killed this one off as well and that pretty well wrapped up the period. At the end of 40 minutes of play, the Wranglers were down 4-0 and were out-shot 9-8 in the middle frame.

The Wranglers finally got one on the board early in the third. They won the faceoff in their defensive zone, then Artem Grushnikov tried to clear it, but his clearing attempt was blocked. Justin Kirkland got the puck back and up to William Stromgren. Stromgren came up on the rush and set up Martin Frk for a nice wrist shot goal. This came at 2:48.

Martin Frk scores his 17th goal of the season to put Calgary on the board. pic.twitter.com/GRnFqhVxkU

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 14, 2026

At 4:12, Calgary had a chance to build off this goal when the Moose were called for high-sticking. At 6:05, they gave up a rush the other way to Walker Duehr and he scored a bar down goal on the shorthanded chance. This put the Moose up 5-1 and deflated the Wranglers once again.

Manitoba continued to step on the gas after their fifth goal and at 17:06, the Wranglers pulled Prosvetov for the extra attacker. Two seconds later, the Moose were called on a penalty for cross-checking. Ivan Prosvetov came back on the ice with the man advantage situation and no other shots were put up by either side by the end of regulation. The Wranglers fell 5-1 and shots finished 28-24 for the Moose.

Scoring stat summary​

William Stromgren – 1A

Justin Kirkland – 1A

Martin Frk – 1G

Next up​

The Wranglers get a day between their next game and will play their re-match against the Moose on Family Day Monday. This game will also be a matinee game with a 1:00 p.m. MT puck drop.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/recap-...se-in-first-game-back-from-the-all-star-break

 

[Calgary Flames]

Olympics Mens Hockey Day 5 Recap: Canada takes the top spot overall and qualification play-off games set

Day 5 of the Olympic men’s hockey tournament marked the final day of the round robin. Teams from Groups A and C played their last games to finalize both the group and overall standings. Only a few spots guarantee a direct path to the quarterfinals, while the remaining teams will have to battle through the qualification round. Here’s how the final round-robin games unfolded.

Switzerland vs. Czechia​

This was a battle for second place in Group A — and a battle it was.

Czechia scored the lone goal of the first period when Filip Chlapik beat Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni on a two-on-one to make it 1-0. It was Genoni’s first goal allowed of the tournament after becoming the oldest goaltender to record an Olympic shutout.

Switzerland took control in the second. Captain Roman Josi tied the game on a puck that deflected off a Czech defender and into the net. Late in the period, the Swiss grabbed the lead on the power play when Timo Meier cashed in on a rebound in front.

Czechia found the equalizer in the third as Radim Simek buried a rebound of his own. Switzerland answered less than two minutes later when Pius Suter knocked in a loose puck on a broken play in front of the net to restore the lead.

With time winding down, Czechia thought it had tied the game on a power play, but the goal was waved off after David Pastrnak clipped Genoni on the shot.

After the penalty expired, Czechia pulled its goaltender. The extra attacker paid off when Filip Hronek set up Martin Necas for a one-timer to tie the game late and force overtime.

Just under two minutes into overtime, Switzerland found itself on a two-on-one. Dean Kukan elected to shoot and beat the goaltender bar-down to win the game 4-3.

The win secures second place in Group A — and a favourable match-up in the qualification play-off — for Switzerland.

Canada vs. France​

Canada was looking to secure top spot in Group A while also hoping to claim first overall in the standings. Goal differential would likely play a role in staying ahead of the United States, so generating offence was a priority.

In the first period, Tom Wilson opened the scoring. He used his size and strength to regain the puck behind the net before getting it to the point, where Drew Doughty fired a shot on goal. Wilson was right there to bury the rebound.

France answered back just 13 seconds later. After a poor play in his own zone by Colton Parayko, France’s Justin Addamo fired a shot on Jordan Binnington, who gave up a rebound that went right to Floran Douay for the goal.

Canada responded quickly, needing only 39 seconds to retake the lead. The Canadians found themselves on a three-on-one, and Sidney Crosby found a trailing Devon Toews, who wired one past the French netminder.

Canada took a penalty late in the period, but France’s power-play struggles continued. Mark Stone broke in shorthanded and scored to make it 3-1 heading into the first intermission.

Canada generated plenty of chances in the second period but struggled to find the back of the net for much of the frame. Cale Makar finally broke through on the power play past the midway point of the period, and the floodgates began to open.

Macklin Celebrini was awarded a penalty shot late in the period. Under Olympic rules, any player can take the attempt, but head coach Jon Cooper showed confidence in the young forward. Celebrini made no mistake, scoring to make it 5-1.

Just 29 seconds later, Crosby added one of his own on a play that saw the puck deflect and slide into the net, making it 6-1 after two periods.

Crosby’s point moved him atop the all-time list for Olympic points by a Canadian with 15, surpassing Flames legend Jerome Iginla, who had held the record for 16 years.

Canada added four more goals in the third period to bring its total to 10. Connor McDavid, Bo Horvat and Brandon Hagel all scored, while Celebrini added his second of the game to continue his excellent tournament. Celebrini now holds the all-time record for goals and points in an Olympic tournament featuring NHL players.

There was also some rough stuff late in the game. Despite fighting being prohibited at the Olympics, Wilson dropped the gloves to complete what may be the first Gordie Howe hat trick in Olympic play. The fight resulted in an automatic ejection but is not expected to lead to supplementary discipline.

The performance should be enough to secure first overall in the tournament, though Canada would still need to wait and see if the Americans had another miracle in their back pocket.

Denmark vs. Latvia​

With second place still up for grabs in Group C, Latvia could secure the spot with a win.

Instead, Denmark stormed out of the gate with three first-period goals from Nick Olesen, Mikkel Aagaard and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Latvia responded late in the frame when Roberts Kristaps scored on a delayed penalty to cut the deficit to two.

Eduards Tralmaks brought Latvia within one in the second period, but Denmark held firm behind NHL veteran Frederik Andersen, who made 33 saves on 35 shots.

An empty-net goal sealed a 4-2 victory for Denmark.

That result created a three-way tie for second in Group C. Germany would need to force the United States to overtime to secure the spot — otherwise, another tiebreaker scenario loomed.

United States vs. Germany​

With Canada’s win over France earlier in the day, the United States needed a 10-goal victory to claim top spot overall. Germany would be no pushover.

It was a competitive first period between the two teams. Shots favoured the Americans 15-8, with German goaltender Maximilian Franzreb getting the start over NHL netminder Philipp Grubauer.

The opening goal wasn’t scored until there were just nine seconds left in the period. The Americans controlled play for the final couple of minutes, and Zach Werenski wired a shot home to give them the lead.

The United States went to the power play early in the second, and Auston Matthews cashed in on a rebound to make it 2-0. With three minutes to play in the frame, Brock Faber scored an unusual goal to extend the lead to three. The initial shot was sailing high over the net, but Franzreb reached to catch it and got just enough of it to redirect the puck under the bar and into the net.

The Americans entered the third period needing seven goals to overtake Canada in the overall standings. They started quickly, scoring two more unanswered goals. Tage Thompson recorded his second of the tournament, while Matthews added his second of the game. That would be the final American scoring of the night.

Tim Stützle added a goal for Germany, but Connor Hellebuyck was solid, making 23 saves in a 5-1 American victory.

The loss wasn’t too bad for Germany though. Stuztle’s goal helped solve the group C tiebreakers and Germany would end up taking second place in their group.

Canada secured top spot overall, while the United States won Group C.

Qualification Playoff — Feb. 17​

• 
  Czechia vs. Denmark (Winner plays Canada)
  
• 
  Sweden vs. Latvia (Winner plays United States)
  
• 
  Germany vs. France (Winner plays Slovakia)
  
• 
  Switzerland vs. Italy (Winner plays Finland)
  

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/olympi...-overall-and-qualification-play-off-games-set

 

[Calgary Flames]

FN’s mid-season Flames prospect updates: Carter King

Calgary kid Carter King joined the Wranglers late last season after signing a one-year entry-level contract with the Flames at the end of his college career. King had his first collegiate season cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, but managed to get that year of eligibility back and play a full four seasons at the University of Denver. In his final season he served as captain, and he won two national championships in his tenure with the Pioneers. His preview with the Wranglers was limited last season with just a two-game appearance, but he has since settled in and developed a role for himself this season.

At the start of the year, King was not always a guaranteed option in the lineup but was still finding a spot pretty consistently. He scored his first professional goal back in the 2024-25 season, but didn’t wait too long to get on the board this season with a goal on Nov. 1 against the Bakersfield Condors. By this point in the season, he has four goals and four assists in 44 games played. King has been in the lineup on a regular basis, rotating between wing and centre on the third or fourth line.

When asked about his season so far he said:

“I think it’s been a process. I think I knew it was going to be a journey of building and trying to grow throughout the year. I had some rough patches at the start of the year trying to find my game and my identity and some confidence and I felt like that’s been growing lately. I’ve been playing better hockey and feeling better on the ice, which is a big thing to yourself. I’m happy with the direction it’s going and I’m just looking forward to keeping that going.”

Part of the role King has found himself a part of includes some time with the captain, Clark Bishop. Usually, when he’s playing higher in the lineup, he serves as a winger, so he’s been able to pick up on some things from a respected veteran on the team. It’s probably serving him well to see what Bishop does differently at center so he can apply new tricks to his game. King spoke on playing with Bishop and said:

“It’s been great. Great leader, great guy on the ice to play with. Does everything right. Plays a really strong 200-foot game, so he’s really easy to play with. He’s predictable, you know where he’s going to be. So it’s been helpful to play with him.”

When King is not playing with Bishop, he’s been centring the fourth line, usually consisting of Parker Bell and Lucas Ciona or Alex Gallant rotated in there. On that line, King’s physicality is leveraged more, and he is in more of a spot to try and set up his wingers for a shot. As he’s gotten to know his teammates more, you can see the wheels spinning and his hockey IQ showing itself on a shift-to-shift basis.

King’s most recent goal came against the Tucson Roadrunners on Feb. 7. It was a deflection goal and he’s had a few of these this season from point shots. Turner Ottenbreit took the initial shot and King directed it to the back of the net.

Carter King gets the last touch on this deflection to even up the score pic.twitter.com/If5J6Xqdnz

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 8, 2026

Now that King knows what he needs to do to stay in the Wranglers’ lineup, the offensive side is where he’d like to grow more. In his collegiate career, he approached more of a point per game average in his Junior and Senior year’s, so production is something he knows he can bring. King said:

“I think for me I feel strongly that I can play the system well and play a team game well for me. I’m trying to create more chances, create more offence and really kind of help tilt the ice and gain momentum shift by shift.”

Carter King is leveraged on the penalty kill and in defensive situations for the team and acknowledged that’s a part of his game he’d also like to keep consistent. In confidence and positioning alone, you can see the stride he has taken in a few months and continues to improve as games go on. Carter King has proved he was a worthy signing and has probably done enough at this point to be in that conversation for an extension.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/fns-mid-season-flames-prospect-updates-carter-king

 

[Calgary Flames]

Olympic Men’s Hockey Day 6 Preview: Knockout round begins with four matchups

On Tuesday, the qualifying round gets underway at the men’s Olympic hockey tournament in Milan, with four elimination games to determine the quarterfinal match-ups. Canada, the United States, Slovakia, and Finland have all clinched their place in the quarterfinals, and eight nations will now duke it out for a chance to take them on.

Here’s a preview of the first four elimination matches (all times in MT):

4:10 a.m. – #6 Germany vs. #11 France (winner plays Slovakia)​

Players to watch: Tim Stützle (GER), Leon Draisaitl (GER), Louis Boudon (FRA)

Germany opened their tournament with a confident 3-1 win over Denmark, powered by two goals from Tim Stützle. However, they dropped the next two games despite two more tucks from Stützle, who is tied for the tournament lead in goals. Edmonton Oilers star Leon Draisaitl also contributed a goal and two assists, and the two of them will look to lead Germany to victory against a French team that has yet to win a game.

4:10 a.m. – #5 Switzerland vs. #12 Italy (winner plays Finland)​

Players to watch: Timo Meier (SUI), Leonardo Genoni (SUI), Matthew Bradley (ITA)

The host Italians gave Sweden a scare in their opening game, but ultimately failed to earn a point in group play, finishing with a crushing 11-0 loss to Finland. Matthew Bradley leads the team with two goals, but it’ll be a tall task to take down their Swiss rivals. 38-year-old goalie Leonardo Genoni boasts a .946 SV% for the Swiss, and the team has strong NHL presence with players like Roman Josi and Timo Meier, the latter of which has three goals and an assist.

8:40 a.m. – #8 Czechia vs. #9 Denmark (winner plays Canada)​

Players to watch: Martin Nečas (CZE), David Pastrnak (CZE), Nikolaj Ehlers (DEN), Nick Olsen (DEN)

Czechia and Denmark both finished preliminary play with a win and two losses, but Czechia holds a slight advantage in points with one of those defeats coming in overtime. Martin Nečas is among the points leaders at this tournament, with a goal and four assists for Czechia. Nikolaj Ehlers, meanwhile, helped power Denmark to their sole win. It’ll be a close fight between these two nations, all for the honour to face the red-hot Canadians in the quarterfinals.

1:10 p.m. – #7 Sweden vs. #10 Latvia (winner plays USA)​

Players to watch: Elias Pettersson (SWE), Lucas Raymond (SWE), William Nylander (SWE), Renars Krastenbergs (LAT)

Sweden came into the Olympics as one of the favourites to challenge for a medal, but they’ve looked sloppy through three games. They nearly got upset by Italy, fell 4-1 to Finland, and conceded a last-minute goal against Slovakia which kept them from winning the group. They escaped with two wins, but it wasn’t pretty. Up against Latvia, they’re the clear favourites, but they’ll need to tighten up, especially with the United States as their opponent next round if they make it through.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/olympi...view-knockout-round-begins-with-four-matchups

 

[Calgary Flames]

Recap: Rory Kerins leads Wranglers to much-needed shootout win

The Calgary Wranglers continued their road trip with a Family Day matinee against the Manitoba Moose. Calgary’s efforts were lead by Rory Kerins, who unofficially scored three but had his first one called back. Kerins helped bring the Wranglers to overtime and eventually a shootout. In the shootout, Arsenii Sergeev continued to stand tall against their Eastern opponents and Matvei Gridin put the bow on the game with his shootout game-winner. The Wranglers won 3-2.

Lineup notes​

The Wranglers provided an injury update prior to this game that included news of Owen Say undergoing successful surgery. He will be out for the remainder of the season. There was also some clarification on the reasoning for Dryden Hunt’s absence. He and Alex Gallant are out day-to-day with upper-body injuries. The lines took a bit of a shuffle again and the only other lineup note outside of a goaltending swap was Artem Grusnikov coming out for this game and Etienne Morin coming in for his first game of the month.

Wranglers lines​

Carter King – Clark Bishop – Justin Kirkland

William Stromgren – Rory Kerins – Martin Frk

Matvei Gridin – Sam Morton – Aydar Suniev

Parker Bell – Carter Wilkie – Lucas Ciona

Nick Cicek – Daniil Miromanov

Turner Ottenbreit – Hunter Brzustewicz

Etienne Morin – Gavin White

Arsenii Sergeev

Game at a glance​

After a day between games, both teams switched things up in net with Arsenii Sergeev getting the nod for Calgary and Domenic DiVincentiis getting the start for Manitoba. Sergeev needed to be sharp early, facing a shot just 12 seconds into the game. The Wranglers got their bearings shortly after and started taking some chances the other way.

At 9:27, the first penalty of the game went against the Manitoba Moose for slashing. Sergeev was able to get off early and gave Calgary about an extra 26 seconds of time with an extra skater. In the last few seconds of the power play, Martin Frk rang a shot off the post and it was that close to a 1-0 game.

The Moose ended up being the ones to score first with a point shot from Ville Heinola at 13:37. They kept some pressure on Calgary after this but the Wranglers pushed back harder to prevent any high danger chances. They weren’t able to cycle much the other way and the first period ended in a 1-0 lead for the Moose. Shots through the first were 9-8 for Manitoba.

Early in the second period, it looked like Rory Kerins scored at 1:40, but the officials waived it off for goaltender interference. It seemed the contact that knocked DiVincentiis off balance was off contact from his own teammate but William Stromgren got the blame. The Wranglers on the ice protested this but the call stood.

Wranglers almost evened up the scoring but this one was waved off pic.twitter.com/EK29Z3hMbw

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 16, 2026

Play continued for many minutes after this without a stoppage. At 10:30, the Wranglers had another great scoring chance with Rory Kerins on the doorstep, trying to force the puck into the net. The Moose netminder managed to keep it out. William Stromgren got the puck up to Martin Frk and Frk passed it to Kerins across the crease.

Another great scoring chance here for Rory Kerins. His goal earlier in this period was waived off. pic.twitter.com/7w3ZVMGeHJ

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 16, 2026

The Moose put up a chance shortly after this Wranglers opportunity and at 13:09, Manitoba won an offensive zone faceoff and went for another shot from the point that Ville Heinola took again and David Gustafsson got the final touch on this on the deflection to make it a 2-0 game for the home team.

Daniil Miromanov had a look to follow up this goal and the Wranglers had another chance on the man advantage to try and cut into Manitoba’s lead. At 15:12, the Moose were called for cross-checking. Rory Kerins finally got the goal he was itching for on this chance with a one-timer set up from Sam Morton. Matvei Gridin also assisted on this marker at 16:55.

And this one counts! Rory Kerins strikes on the power play. pic.twitter.com/6bjgMW5mEC

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 16, 2026

With just 37 seconds to go in the period, Clark Bishop had the puck on his stick and had a second to pick a spot and DiVincentiis stopped him point blank with a glove save. The Wranglers wrapped up the second period with the momentum in their favour and trailing by one. Calgary doubled up Manitoba in shots in the second period 16-8.

Just 1:10 into the third period, the Wranglers got another chance on the power play when the Moose were called for interference on William Stromgren. Calgary got a couple of shots on this chance, but it didn’t affect the scoring. After this special teams opportunity, things went pretty back and forth.

Aydar Suniev had a chance on a rush on his own around the five minute mark but his shot was turned away. At 9:18, the Moose were called for yet another interference call and the Wranglers kept the pressure going for that equalizing goal. At 13:54, Aydar Suniev was taken down at center ice in a hit he wasn’t expecting. He was slow to get up but remained on the bench and was able to return to play.

At 15:41, the Wranglers tied the game with another goal from Rory Kerins. Daniil Miromanov got the set up going and between him and Martin Frk making some room in front of the net, this left Kerins space to put the puck past Domenic DiVincentiis.

Rory Kerins ties it with 4 minutes remaining in the game pic.twitter.com/NKXQxW9bFu

— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) February 16, 2026

It was all Wranglers for the rest of regulation and it was Nick Cicek who had the best chance on the last 42 seconds of the game off a one-timer. At the end of regulation, the score was tied up 2-2 and the Wranglers doubled up the Moose in shots in the third period again 16-8.

The Moose registered the first shot of overtime and the Wranglers were able to set up a play that Kerins got up to Justin Kirkland from his knees but Kirkland rang it off the post. After this, the Moose took the rush the other way and Arsenii Sergeev kept this chance out for one of his best saves of the game.

The Wranglers’ near perfect game on penalties was prevented with just six seconds left in overtime when Martin Frk was called for hooking when he was trying to stop a scoring opportunity. A worthwhile penalty at that point. At the end of overtime, there was no winner decided and the Moose registered the only two official shots in the extra frame.

In the shootout, Arsenii Sergeev stopped all three Manitoba shooters with confidence. Sergeev was being noticeably aggressive with his poke check and it was paying off. The Wranglers went with William Stromgren and Justin Kirkland to start and they were both stopped then Matvei Gridin came in to score the game-winner.

Matvei Gridin admiring his work in the shootout. As he should. This was the game-winner. #Flames pic.twitter.com/sUjlXxm8q3

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) February 16, 2026

The Wranglers picked up a well-earned win and two important points in this 3-2 win. Rory Kerins was awarded the first star of the game and Gridin picked up the third. Final shots were 41-27 for the Wranglers. Kerins was all over the footprint of this game and really made this win happen for his team. It was one of his best individual efforts of the season.

Scoring stat summary​

Rory Kerins – 2G

Matvei Gridin – 1A

Daniil Miromanov – 1A

Martin Frk – 1A

Sam Morton – 1A

Next up​

The Wranglers travel home briefly, then head right back out on the road to face the Bakersfield Condors on Friday. Their next game will have a puck drop of 8:00 p.m. MT.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/recap-rory-kerins-leads-wranglers-to-much-needed-shootout-win

 

[Calgary Flames]

Olympic Men’s Hockey Quarterfinals Preview: Canada face rematch with Czechia, USA take on Sweden

The knockout round of the Olympic men’s hockey tournament kicked off on Tuesday without any major surprises. Now, the four quarterfinal match-ups are set, as eight nations remain in the hunt for a medal.

Here’s a preview of Wednesday’s quarterfinal matches (all times in MT):

4:10 a.m. – Slovakia vs. Germany ​

Players to watch: Juraj Slafkovsky (SVK), Tim Stützle (GER), Leon Draisaitl (GER)

Both Slovakia and Germany came into this tournament as dark horse contenders for a podium finish, and so far it’s been Slovakia who has looked more primed for that surprise result. Slovakia opened their tournament with an upset win over Finland, and 2022 tournament MVP Juraj Slafkovsky has three goals and three assists through three games. Tim Stützle, meanwhile, has been the standout for Germany with four goals and two assists, with Leon Draisaitl contributing two goals and four assists. The Germans earned a decisive 5-1 win over France in the qualifying round, but with losses to Latvia and the US, there’s doubts about their ability to grind out key wins.

8:40 a.m. – Canada vs. Czechia ​

Players to watch: Macklin Celebrini (CAN), Connor McDavid (CAN), Jordan Binnington (CAN), David Kampf (CZE), Martin Nečas (CZE)

Canada defeated Czechia 5-0 in preliminary play, backstopped by a shutout from Jordan Binnington. Czechia followed that game with a shaky win over France, an overtime loss to Sweden, then a 3-2 defeat of Denmark in the qualifying round. Martin Nečas and David Kampf have been good for Czechia, but they’ll need to kick it into another gear to keep up with this undefeated Canadian group, which boasts an all-star offensive unit and has only conceded three goals against.

10:10 a.m. – Finland vs. Switzerland ​

Players to watch: Kaapo Kakko (FIN), Joel Armia (FIN), Leonardo Genoni (SUI), Nico Hischier (SUI)

Switzerland claimed their place in the quarterfinals with a decisive 3-0 victory over the host Italians, with 38-year-old goaltender Leonardo Genoni earning his second shutout in three starts and Nico Hischier putting up a three-point performance. Now, they face Finland, who wrapped preliminary play with their own 11-0 trouncing of Italy, powered by two goals and an assists from Kaapo Kakko. Finland started the tournament with an upset loss to Slovakia, but they look to have found their form and will be a tough opponent for Switzerland, who haven’t made the final four in nearly 80 years.

1:10 p.m. – United States vs. Sweden ​

Players to watch: Auston Matthews (USA), William Nylander (SWE), Filip Gustavsson (SWE)

Sweden have under-performed at the Olympics so far compared to high expectations entering the tournament, and as a result, they’re up against a tough quarterfinal opponent in the United States. The US faced some scares in preliminary play, ultimately pulled out three strong wins, but Sweden will be their first real test. Both teams are strong podium contenders, who will come out on top?

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/olympi...-face-rematch-with-czechia-usa-take-on-sweden

 

[Calgary Flames]

5 Flames Takes: Do the Flames already have their top scorers of the future?

Welcome back to one of our recurring features here at FlamesNation: Five Flames Takes. After digging into a main topic, Mike will weigh in on five more popular discussion topics involving the Flames and their prospects.

The current iteration of the Calgary Flames just can’t score.

No, it isn’t exactly breaking new ground to say that, but it’s true. How many 20-goal scorers will the Flames have this year? Two? One? Zero?

If this Flames roster doesn’t leave you overcome with optimism for the future, don’t sweat it. Most of this team’s future cornerstones aren’t here yet. The Flames still have plenty of prospects marinating at various developmental levels, as well as future draft picks they haven’t had the chance to use.

But … it’s not all bad. Even if the Flames don’t win the right to select either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg at this year’s draft, they still have a handful of young players and prospects already in their ranks who could populate the top end of their future forward group.

Cole Reschny is having one whale of a freshman year at the University of North Dakota, even if his raw point production isn’t the most impressive of the Flames’ NCAA prospects. The 2025 first-round pick shrugged off an injury he sustained last week to play in Friday’s 1-0 win over Miami University, firing four shots on goal and going 11-for-17 in the faceoff circle. He added an assist in the rematch the following night.

As prospect analyst Will Scouch noted in his in-depth look at Reschny’s game last week, it’s not exactly common for an 18-year-old centre to look this polished on a top-tier NCAA team — and that’s saying nothing of his strong performance at the World Juniors.

COLE RESCHNY OPERATES IN THE CREASE TO TIE THE GAME FOR CANADA! WHAT A GOAL! #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/GoA9535Y44

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 5, 2026

Can Reschny become the Flames’ future No. 1 centre? After all, we’ve seen undersized pivots with similar statistical profiles thrive in the NHL after being picked at a similar spot in the draft — just look at Seth Jarvis and Nick Suzuki, both of whom are on Team Canada at the Olympics. Perhaps it’s a little presumptuous to compare Reschny to those two before he plays a single pro game, but the blueprint is there.

What about the wingers? (We’ll talk about Ethan Wyttenbach in a second). Sure, it’s easy to look at Matt Coronato’s 2025-26 season and feel somewhat discouraged, especially considering that he’s on pace to fall short of the 24 goals and 47 points he managed last year. But remember … nobody is scoring on this Flames team. In a lot of ways, what we’re seeing in Calgary right now is a lot like what happened with the Colorado Avalanche in the 2016-17 season. It doesn’t matter how much talent a team has if it doesn’t come together in the right way. Coronato is signed through 2032; he’ll be given plenty of time (and chances) to blossom into a top-line scorer.

And then there’s Matvei Gridin, another first-round pick and a potential star in the making. For as rare as it is for an 18-year-old like Reschny to excel in the NCAA, it’s even more uncommon for any teenager to look as confident in the NHL as Gridin has. It’s cool that he got the chance to represent the Calgary Wranglers at the AHL All-Star Classic, but once the NHL resumes play later this month, Gridin might never have to ride that bus again. He looks every bit like a future difference-maker for the Flames.

If the Flames do luck their way into a top draft pick, that’s great. Nobody in this city is going to say no to the chance to draft McKenna or Stenberg, and regardless of how the lottery unfolds, they’ll be getting a blue-chip prospect. But as it stands, they’ve already got a very solid young core with plenty of upside. They’re in good shape, and if any of their other forward prospects blossom into top-six NHLers, it’ll be gravy.

1. OK, onto Wyttenbach. The 2025 fifth-rounder has become the prospect du jour for Flames fans everywhere, and it’s not exactly hard to see why. Wyttenbach is now the leading scorer in all of NCAA Division I men’s hockey, with 51 points in 32 games in his freshman year at Quinnipiac, and has gone from an intriguing dark horse to a genuine Hobey Baker candidate. Believe it or not, Wyttenbach still hasn’t convinced all his doubters, many of whom are quick to point out that Quinnipiac is a strong program in a weak NCAA conference, the ECAC. Nevertheless, that doesn’t explain why Wyttenbach’s teammates are so far behind him from a production standpoint. This type of thing just doesn’t happen often; after all, Adam Fox is the only teenager in recent memory to make the ECAC’s First All-Star Team. Wyttenbach will almost certainly join him in that group, to say nothing of his Hobey Baker chances. With each point he adds to his current total, Wyttenbach gets closer to matching what we saw from the likes of Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard, and Logan Cooley at the same age. Those guys all played in stronger conferences, but they also had a lot more help.

2. Great to see Jacob Battaglia score six goals in seven games with the Flint Firebirds to start the month of February. It’s been a difficult year for the 2024 second-round pick, who looked to have taken a huge step forward with the Kingston Frontenacs in 2024-25. So far this year, Battaglia has just 23 goals and 40 points in 53 games split between Flint and Kingston, a far cry from the 40 goals and 90 points he managed with the Frontenacs last season. But there’s more to it than the scoresheet suggests for the 6’1″ forward, who is already signed to his entry-level contract with the Flames. Battaglia was leading a brutally outgunned Frontenacs team in scoring when he was traded to Flint; since then, the Firebirds have consistently deployed Battaglia — a natural winger — as their second-line centre. Battaglia already plays a pro-style game (stylistically similar to Joel Farabee) and will likely be shifted back to the wing when he joins the Wranglers next season. But it’s good to have that extra bit of versatility, I suppose …

Jacob Battaglia
Nathan Aspinall
Darian Anderson pic.twitter.com/LMDxs9E6fo

— x – Flint Firebirds (@FlintFirebirds) February 14, 2026

3. It’s always especially fun to track the prospects who are drafted with picks acquired in trades, and Battaglia is one of them for the Flames — he’s the second-rounder they got from Dallas in the Chris Tanev deal. Well, this year, the Flames possess two draft picks that weren’t originally their own. Last month, we touched upon the third-round pick they received from Vancouver for Nikita Zadorov (and how it’ll likely be at the very start of the round); now, it’s worth taking a closer look at that Vegas first-rounder from the Noah Hanifin trade. If you trust the draft prognosticators, this is shaping up to be an excellent year for defencemen, and if that Vegas pick ends up closer to the middle of the round than the end of it, the Flames could be in position to land a well-rounded lefty to complement their large contingent of right-handers. Keep an eye on Malte Gustafsson, who is already getting a ton of minutes in the SHL despite not turning 18 until June.

4. Zach Whitecloud had not yet become a member of the Flames the last time we published one of these columns, and what a fit he’s been in Calgary. The Flames acquired Whitecloud in large part to make the money work in the Andersson trade, but he’s since become one of their go-to guys on the blue line in pretty much every defensive situation. The 29-year-old righty has seen his average ice time increase from 18:46 in Vegas to 23:09 in Calgary, and he also has three assists through his first eight games with the Flames. Whitecloud has been a seamless fit in Calgary both on and off the ice, and it’s more than likely that Craig Conroy could end up flipping him for considerable value at some point down the road. As far as “cap dumps” go, it’s hard to do much better than this guy.

Earlier today, MacKenzie Weegar, Zach Whitecloud, Connor Zary, and Zayne Parekh visited the Ronald McDonald House to decorate cookies and make crafts!

Full gallery: https://t.co/v8DkjhNZWb pic.twitter.com/ATOVX0He4a

— Flames Foundation (@FlamesFdn) February 4, 2026

5. At least in part, the Flames coveted Whitecloud to meet certain financial obligations in the Andersson deal. Could they pull off a similar maneuver in a forthcoming Nazem Kadri trade? It still feels like the Montreal Canadiens are the most likely suitor for the veteran centre, given the season they’re having and the makeup of their roster. They did well in re-acquiring Philip Danault, but they could still use another difference-maker down the middle. If the Canadiens make a push for Kadri, could we see the Flames take on the rest of Patrik Laine’s contract to make the money work? It’d be similar to when they picked up Andrei Kuzmenko in the Elias Lindholm trade, except that Laine is on an expiring contract. Laine has missed most of the season with a core muscle injury but has resumed skating and should be ready to return soon; would there be any real harm in giving him a 20-game tryout to finish the season?

---

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.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/5-flam...ard-flames-quinnipiac-reschny-gridin-coronato

 

[Calgary Flames]

Olympic Men’s Hockey Quarterfinal Recap: Canada survives nail-biter as three of four games go to overtime

The quarterfinals are upon us. All teams were fighting for a chance to play in a medal game at the Olympics. There was a lot at stake and a lot of incredible hockey played. Here’s how the day unfolded.

Slovakia vs Germany​

Slovakia was an unlikely winner of Group B, which included both Finland and Sweden. But they played some very good hockey to earn the top spot and a pretty favourable quarterfinal game against Germany — and they would continue their strong play here.

Slovakia got the game’s first goal late in the opening period. Pavel Regenda tipped home a point shot to give the Slovaks the lead heading into the second.

They extended their lead to three early in the middle frame with two goals just 33 seconds apart from Milos Kelemen and Oliver Okuliar.

At the midway point of the period, the Slovaks were gifted a two-on-one after a bad pinch from a German defender. Dalibor Dvorsky elected to shoot and roofed a shot past the German netminder to extend the lead to four.

Germany’s Lukas Reichel got one back before the period was over, giving the Germans a little bit of life heading into the third — but they still had quite a mountain to climb.

Any hope of a comeback was quickly snuffed out as Pavel Regenda scored his second of the game just 58 seconds into the third to make it 5-1 and put the game out of reach.

Both teams traded late goals to create a final score of 6-2 as Slovakia advanced to the semifinals.

Flames forward Martin Pospisil recorded his first point of the Olympics with an assist on Regenda’s third-period goal. He also finished with three shots on net and a plus-two rating over 11 1/2 minutes of ice time — easily his best game of the tournament so far.

Canada vs Czechia​

Oh boy. This was a stressful game — and far too much stress to be dealing with in the morning.

It was a rematch from the opening game between Canada and Czechia. That contest was a dominant 5-0 win for the Canadians, but today’s game was far from a runaway. Czechia seems to have Canada’s number in elimination games, knocking them out in recent World Juniors. Their senior team had the same idea — and man, it was a battle.

Canada got off to a quick start with Macklin Celebrini continuing his outstanding tournament by scoring his fifth goal off a nice pass from Connor McDavid.

But for the first time this tournament, Canada faced some adversity.

Lucas Sedlak tied the game at one and, late in the frame on a Czech power play, David Pastrnak rifled a one-timer top shelf to take the lead. It marked the first time Canada had trailed at the Olympics since 2010. Czechia took that lead into the second period.

The middle frame started quietly, but Sidney Crosby became a target for Czechia as they roughed him up at every opportunity. After a couple of hits from Radko Gudas, Crosby appeared to be in serious discomfort and was forced to leave the game — a massive blow to Canada.

That seemed to awaken something in the Canadians, who controlled the rest of the period. With momentum already in their favour, they got a power play — and Nathan MacKinnon wired a wrist shot past Lukas Dostal to tie the game.

Canada kept buzzing. First, Cale Makar hit the post, then Nick Suzuki rang one off iron with the net wide open. Another late power play went unconverted, sending the game to the third tied at two.

With eight minutes left, disaster struck. The Czechs broke up the ice on an odd-man rush and the puck ended up on the stick of Ondrej Palat, who beat Jordan Binnington to take the lead.

Unnoticed at the time, Czechia had six men on the ice, which disrupted Canada’s defensive coverage. It went completely uncalled — but imagine if that goal had been overturned and a penalty assessed.

The next few minutes saw Canada struggle to generate offence as Czechia clogged the neutral zone and broke up passes.

Then, with just under four minutes to play, Nick Suzuki kept possession instead of dumping the puck in for a change. He worked it back to Devon Toews, whose shot was headed wide — but Suzuki, positioned in front, got his stick on it to tip the puck five-hole past Dostal and tie the game at three.

Before regulation ended, Czechia had a clean breakaway, but Binnington made his biggest save of the game to preserve the tie and send it to overtime.

In OT, Czechia had the first Grade-A chance, but Binnington came out to challenge and made another huge stop.

Moments later, Celebrini dropped the puck back for Mitch Marner. Marner initially looked to pass but spotted a seam, drove in and roofed a backhand past Dostal to win it for Canada.

Canada battled through and never gave up, escaping with a win despite losing their captain midway through the game. They now look ahead to the semifinals, guaranteed to play for a medal — though you know they only have one colour in mind.

Finland vs Switzerland​

Another absolute battle — crazy that we’re getting games like this in the quarterfinals.

The first period was tightly contested, but Switzerland struck first. A terrible giveaway behind the net from Finnish goalie Juuse Saros handed the puck to Ken Jäger, who found Damien Riat in front of a wide-open net.

Just over a minute later, a snapshot from the point by Nino Niederreiter beat Saros cleanly to make it 2-0.

Swiss goalie Leonardo Genoni continued his superb play in the second. Already with two shutouts at the Olympics — including the quarterfinal play-in — he turned aside all 16 Finnish shots in the frame to preserve the lead heading into the third.

Finland controlled much of the third, finally breaking through just past the midway mark when Sebastian Aho beat Genoni low blocker side.

Team captain Mikael Granlund later hit the crossbar and was robbed on a great save by Genoni.

Late, with the extra attacker on, Miro Heiskanen fired a shot toward the net that deflected off a Swiss defender’s stick and in to tie the game — sending the second game of the day to overtime.

Just past the three-minute mark in OT, Artturi Lehkonen snuck behind the Swiss defence. Anton Lundell found him with a pass to send him in alone, and Lehkonen roofed it past Genoni to complete the comeback and send Finland to the semifinals.

A disappointing end for Switzerland after such a strong tournament.

United States vs Sweden​

On paper, the toughest quarterfinal match-up of the day. Both teams are capable of winning gold — but one wouldn’t even get a chance to play for a medal.

The first period was cautious, with both teams focused on getting the puck out of their own zone by any means necessary. Scoring chances were limited and the period ended scoreless, with shots even at 10-10.

The second period was much the same until the United States finally broke through. Dylan Larkin tipped home a point shot to make it 1-0.

That score held into the third, leaving Sweden needing a comeback.

With under two minutes to play, the Swedes kicked it into another gear. Adrian Kempe rang a shot off the post before Lucas Raymond found Mika Zibanejad for a one-timer that squeaked past Connor Hellebuyck to tie the game and send it to overtime.

In OT, the United States controlled the chances, but Jacob Markstrom made several key saves to keep Sweden alive.

Then Quinn Hughes took over. The dynamic defenceman walked into the high slot and wired a shot past Markstrom to end the comeback and send the United States to the semifinals.

What a day of hockey.

Semi-final match-ups (Feb. 20)​

Canada vs Finland – 8:40 a.m. MT

Slovakia vs United States – 1:10 p.m. MT

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE​

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/olympi...l-biter-as-three-of-four-games-go-to-overtime

 

[Calgary Flames]

FN’s mid-season Flames prospect updates: Nick Cicek

If you had told me a year ago that we would be sitting here mid-season having written multiple rave reviews of Calgary Wranglers blueliner Nick Cicek, I would have been a bit surprised.

That’s no knock on Cicek. While I wasn’t overly familiar with his game prior to his arrival in Calgary after a year playing in Germany, I had seen him on occasion and heard good things from folks I knew who cover the San Jose Sharks.

It’s just that on paper, there were players that would probably take up more of our attention when it came to the Wranglers blueline. Among them? Ilya Solovyov, Yan Kuznetsov and Hunter Brzustewicz, and we were holding out hope for either a Jeremie Poirier bounce-back or an Etienne Morin break-through season.

But some stuff happened this season for the Wranglers’ blueline.

• Ilya Solovyov was claimed off waivers by Colorado before the season began.
• Yan Kuznetsov was summoned to the NHL a month into the season and found a rhythm with MacKenzie Weegar.
• Hunter Brzustewicz impressed to the point where he’s spent about half the season in the NHL.
• Jeremie Poirier did not rebound and was traded to Dallas.
• Etienne Morin had some growing pains adjusting to the checking aspects of an AHL blueline role and has been the team’s seventh defender for a good chunk of the season.

In the midst of a noisy AHL blueline, here’s 25-year-old Cicek to calm things down and give the Wranglers whatever they need. Need him to play either side of any pairing? The lefty can flex to play the right or the left, depending on the partner. Need him to generate offence? Sure. Need him to kill penalties. Gotcha. Need him to compliment puck-movers like Brzustewicz, Morin, Poirier or Zayne Parekh? You got it. Need him to be a shutdown pairing with Turner Ottenbreit? Absolutely.

Cicek isn’t the sexiest name in the system. He’s not a high draft choice. He spent last year playing for Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). You could be forgiven if you didn’t get overly excited for his free agent signing by the Flames on July 1.

But in a year where a lot of weird stuff has gone wrong in the Flames organization, especially on the blueline, we can’t say enough good things about what Cicek has given the Wranglers. He’s gone from someone we kinda sorta remembered from his days in the Sharks system to someone that seems important to keep around as the team brings a slew of young faces into the pro system over the next few seasons.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/fns-mid-season-flames-prospect-updates-nick-cicek

 

[Calgary Flames]

Meet the Buyers: The Avalanche look to add ahead of the trade deadline in a stacked Central Division

With a 37-9-9 record, the Colorado Avalanche’s 83 points are the most for any National Hockey League team heading into the Olympic break.

After trading Mikko Rantanen before the 2025 trade deadline, one has to imagine that the Avalanche will once again be active on the trade market ahead of the Mar. 6th trade deadline. It also stands to reason that the Calgary Flames will be busy, as MacKenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Zach Whitecloud, and Ryan Lomberg have all had their names circulated in trade rumours as of late.

The Flames sit near the bottom of the league and are firmly in the hunt to land a high pick, especially after trading Rasmus Andersson earlier this season. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before more moves come. But with that being said, let’s take a look at the Avalanche’s needs, as well as what they have to offer.

Avalanche’s needs and cap situation​

The Avalanche’s primary need is a third-line centre. Funnily enough, Kadri won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche back in 2022, and he could be a fit for that role. In fact, he’s already been linked to the Avalanche this season.

Kadri’s play has taken a step back this season, after scoring 24, 29, and 35 goals in the past three seasons, he has just 10 goals and 39 points in 56 games this season. That’s due in part to the wheels falling off the Flames, and one can figure he’ll find his game if he’s to be traded to a contender.

Because the Avalanche have been accumulating trade deadline cap space all season, they’ll have about $8.032 million a cap space come Mar. 6. Their current cap space is around $5.718, but Logan O’Connor could come off the long-term injured reserve in the coming weeks.

Coleman could be an option as a middle-six scoring winger, especially with experience on Stanley Cup-winning teams. The Avalanche don’t really have a need for a top four defenceman like Weegar, but a bottom pairing defenceman like Whitecloud would be a bit help for the Avalanche.

What the Avalanche have to offer​

The Avalanche have a bunch of picks in the 2026 draft, but none of those selections are in the first three rounds. They have two fourth-round picks, three fifth-round picks, and four fourth-round picks. You have to imagine they’ll find an NHL’er with at least one of those picks, right? Anyway, the Avalanche have both their 2027 and 2028 first rounders, as well as a two second-round picks in the 2027 draft.

Like the Tampa Bay Lightning, who we looked at in the last Meet the Buyers, the Avalanche don’t have a whole lot in terms of a prospect pool. Their best prospect according to Daily Faceoff is Gavin Brindley, whom they acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in a trade during the summer. This season, the undersized forward has five goals and 11 points in 42 games with the Avalanche.

Their best prospect at centre is Czechian Max Curran, who plays for the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Oil Kings. Standing at 6’3”, 187 lbs, the 19-year-old has 14 goals and 41 points in 31 games this year.

If any trade between the Avalanche and Flames goes down, you’d have to imagine that the 2027 first rounder would have to be a part of it in some capacity.

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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/meet-t...-trade-deadline-in-a-stacked-central-division

 

[Calgary Flames]

Meet the Buyers: The Golden Knights may not be done ahead of the trade deadline

One of the biggest trades so far this season occurred between the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights.

In January, the Flames sent right-shot defenceman Rasmus Andersson (at 50% retention) to the 2023 Stanley Cup champions for prospect Abram Wiebe, Zach Whitecloud, a top-10 protected 2027 first, and a conditional 2028 second that could become their 2028 first if the Golden Knights win the Cup.

At the time, it seemed to be a subpar result for one of the best defencemen on the market, but shortly before the Olympic roster freeze, the New York Rangers gave up Artemi Panarin for a prospect, a 2026 third, and a 2028 fourth, so the Flames kind of came out like gangbusters.

It stands to reason that the Flames aren’t done either, as they have the fourth-fewest points in the league with a ton of veterans who could be traded. It seems like Whitecloud could be traded back to the Golden Knights, as unlikely as that is. Additionally, Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, MacKenzie Weegar, and Ryan Lomberg could find themselves on the move.

In this edition of Meet the Buyers, let’s take a look at the Golden Knights’ cap situation, as well as what they have to offer.

Golden Knights’ needs and cap situation​

As of the Olympic break, the Golden Knights have a little over $4.653 million in cap space, but that is only because of a few players on long-term injured reserve. Not counting Alex Pietriangelo and his $8.8 million cap hit because he’s on season-ending LTIR, the Golden Knights have both William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb on LTIR, which would put them over the cap if both players are activated.

With the addition of Andersson, the Vegas Golden Knights’ defence is essentially set in stone. Shea Theodore is a strong top pairing defender, Andersson has been reunited with Noah Hanifin, and veteran shutdown defenceman Ben Hutton plays alongside youngster Kaedan Korczak. Weegar doesn’t make sense, both in terms of need and cap space, while they just traded Whitecloud about a month ago. McNabb is expected back after the Olympics as well.

If they do make an upgrade, it’d likely be for their top nine. Karlsson’s status is unclear, so they could look to target a top nine winger, such as Coleman. This season, the left winger from Texas has 13 goals and 21 points in 44 games. He isn’t the 30-goal scorer he was two seasons ago, but Coleman is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, something a contender would love.

Additionally, there is a way to get Coleman’s salary to work out. Karlsson has a cap hit of $5.9 million, and if he doesn’t return, Coleman and his cap hit of $4.9 million could be an easy replacement. He’d be even cheaper with retention, as Coleman’s contract ends after the 2026-27 season. As for Kadri, there isn’t much of a fit there, not only because the Golden Knights don’t have the cap room for him, but they’re also pretty strong down the middle.

Let’s take a look at what the Knights have to offer.

What the Golden Knights have to offer​

Simply put, the Golden Knights don’t have a lot to offer the Flames. Their 2026 first belongs to the Flames, as does their 2027 first and potentially even their 2028 first. They have their 2026 and 2027 second-rounders, but is that enough to fetch Coleman?

You’d think they’d have to add a prospect to get that done, but the Golden Knights farm system is on the weak side, according to Daily Faceoff. Trevor Connelly is their best prospect, while Mathieu Cataford, Matyas Sapovaliv, and Jakob Ihs-Wozniak are some of their other notable forward prospects.

They have two interesting young players on their roster, Braeden Bowman and Kaedan Korczak, but it’s hard to see either of them being traded as it would just create a new hole on their roster.

So in the improbable case of the Golden Knights and Flames making a second trade ahead of Mar. 6’s trade deadline, it’d have to be a second-rounder and a prospect.

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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/meet-t...s-may-not-be-done-ahead-of-the-trade-deadline