7 Calgary Flames prospects you shouldn’t expect to see at training camp

In a few short weeks, the long march of the 2023-24 hockey season begins when Calgary Flames prospects report to the club for the opening of prospect training camp. Generally-speaking, the summer development camp roster is a pretty good indication of who you should expect to see in training camp.

But there are seven individuals who likely won’t be in camp.

The folks who likely won’t be in camp fall into two broad buckets: collegiate (or college-bound) players, or players under contract in Europe.

This 21-year-old blueliner is heading into his senior year at the University of Notre Dame, and both he and the whole team are hoping for a better showing than they gave in 2022-23. Boltmann will be in class when Flames’ NHL camp begins, and the NCAA has several pesky rules designed to maintain players’ amateur status (and those rules usually keep college kids out of NHL training camp).

First and foremost, the 18-year-old Hurtig’s recovering from off-season shoulder surgery and he’s not expected to be 100% until a little bit into the playing season. He’s currently property of Rögle BK in Sweden, but as an import draft selection of the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen, he could end up playing in North America. There have been no clear indications of his fate for this season yet.

After impressing in the BCHL in 2022-23, Littler will be spending the coming season in the United States Hockey League with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He’s committed to the University of North Dakota for 2023-24 and if NCAA eligibility concerns weren’t keeping him out of NHL camp, the USHL’s season begins on Sept. 20 so he’ll be otherwise occupied.

Ronni’s under contract to Tappara Tampere of Finland’s Liiga for the coming season. Tappara begins their Champions League schedule on Aug. 31 and their Liiga regular season schedule on Sept. 13. So when the Flames begin their training camp, Rönni will be otherwise occupied.

After impressing last season as a freshman, Sergeev is back in college for his sophomore year with the University of Connecticut Huskies. Sergeev will be in class when Flames’ NHL camp begins.

After tearing up the BCHL last season, Suniev is headed to college. He begins his freshman year with the University of Massachusetts Minutemen in September. Suniev will be in class when Flames’ NHL camp begins.

Two things happen before Flames camp opens: Yegorov turns 18 (on Aug. 30) and his junior team, MHK Dynamo Moskva, begins their regular season (on Sept. 3). They’ve been playing pre-season tournaments for the past month.