Prospect FGD: Flames vs. Dinos (7pm MT)

The Calgary Flames look to close out prospect camp on a positive note. They’ll have their hands full when they return home and visit Father David Bauer Arena to tangle with the University of Calgary Dinos, arguably Canada’s second-or-third-best university team.

The Dinos are preparing to begin their season, while the Flames won two of three in Penticton, including laying down a whupping on the lowly Vancouver Canucks. Now they face their latest challenge, facing the team from the university that churned out graduates who write for this site. (Go Dinos!)

I’m 80% sure the only way to watch this game is live, as I don’t believe the Flames or Sportsnet are broadcasting it.

It’s the final day of prospect camp, and there’s a good chance that many of the try-out kids are about to get cut. Some of them probably get into a game here – goalie Matt Mancina, defender Carl Neill and forward Brendan Bell all haven’t played yet.

As for the rest of the roster, I’d expect a rookie-heavy roster here, as the Flames probably give their key kids (the ones challenging for NHL jobs) a chance to relax before the push for jobs begins on Thursday.

Lines, courtesy of Aaron Vickers:

Hathaway – Elson – Smith
Wolf – Magee – Van Brabant
Klimchuk – Jooris – Carroll
Agostino – Arnold – Padakin

Sieloff – Kanzig
Culkin- Kulak
Gedig – Fram

McDonald
Carr

So Mancina, Neill and Bell all get shut out of game action, while David Wolf and Doug Carr (who has an AHL deal) make their pre-pre-season debuts. No Gaudreau, no Granlund, no Ferland and no Bennett. McDonald plays the first half tonight, Carr the second half.

The Dinos were really good last year, going 21-4-3 and having their season derailed by the dastardly University of Alberta team that ended up winning the University Cup. There’s no shame in being beaten by the best, but I bet the Dinos are smarting.

Coach Mark Howell has a pretty strong team, despite losing six regulars (including captain Brett Bartman) to graduation. The club is led by goalie Jacob DeSerres, who went to the Memorial Cup twice in back-to-back years – representing both the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings and the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs – winning the whole shmozz in 2011. He was named the CIS’s Goaltender of the Year last season. Fellow WHL alum Chris Connor led the Dinos in scoring last season and was named Canada West’s Rookie of the Year. The Dinos are chock full of WHL alums, including new recruit Cain Franson, formerly of the Vancouver Giants.

It’s the last day of prospect camp! The guys on the fringes will be doing their darnedest to get on the coaching staff’s radar, or at least trying to create some kind of impression before getting sent home.

It should be an interesting test for both teams. And after this game, the stakes get raised as we head into the ruckus of main camp.