WATCH: Adam Klapka scores beautiful opening goal in Wranglers’ Game 1 win

Gentle giant Adam Klapka put his deceptively soft hands on display to score the opening goal in the Calgary Wranglers’ Game 1 win over the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Friday.

The 6’8″ winger made it a 1-0 game just over four minutes into the second period of Friday’s game at the Scotiabank Saddledome, speeding through the neutral zone before turning Firebirds defenceman Ryker Evans inside-out and lifting a quick shot past goaltender Chris Driedger.

Klapka’s beautiful individual effort went into the books as an unassisted goal at the 4:10 mark of the middle frame. The 23-year-old forward added an assist on Mitch McLain’s game-winning goal in the third period and now leads the Wranglers with five points through three games in the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs.

The Wranglers ultimately defeated Coachella Valley by a 4-1 score to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five AHL Pacific Division playoff series. Here’s a look at the highlight-reel goal, courtesy the Wranglers’ official Twitter page:

Klapka led the Wranglers in points, with 46, and tied Ben Jones for the team lead in goals, with 21, during the 2023–24 AHL regular season. He scored three points in two games as he Wranglers swept the Tucson Roadrunners in their best-of-three series to kick off this year’s postseason.

The Calgary Flames originally signed Klapka to a two-year, entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent from the Czech club Bili Tygri Liberec on May 16, 2022. The Praha-born winger had previously spent parts of two seasons with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm before returning to his home country for the 2021–22 campaign.

After coming back to North America with the Wranglers, Klapka collected 13 goals and 25 points in 60 games during his AHL rookie year. He added four goals in nine games with the Wranglers in the 2023 Calder Cup Playoffs.

Klapka appeared in his first six NHL contests with the Flames late in the 2023–24 regular season, potting his first career goal in the team’s season finale against the San Jose Sharks on April 18.

With his entry-level deal set to expire this summer, Klapka is eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. He’ll be due a one-year qualifying offer worth $813,750 by the final week of June.

The Wranglers are slated to return to action on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. MT for Game 2 of their playoff series against the Firebirds at the Saddledome.