Friends, the Calgary Flames hit the ice this past week for prospects training camp, and main camp is right around the corner.

But elsewhere, in Soviet Russia, the regular season is already underway. And Sweden and Canadian major junior are about to get underway, so a pretty significant portion of the Flames’ prospect base will be getting their seasons going.

Welcome to the very first prospects update for the 2026-27 season!

Six different Flames prospects are going to open their regular seasons on Friday and Saturday!

A seventh-round pick by the Flames in 2025, Leander spent last season on the blueline for HV71’s junior team in the U20 Nationell, Sweden’s top junior league. They had a rough year and finished near the bottom of the standings in their league.

Well, Leander was selected by the Hitmen in the import draft in June and he’s making his North American debut this weekend. The Hitmen host the Red Deer Rebels at 7 p.m. MT on Friday night. (Tickets are available, or you can check the game out on YouTube.)

A third-round pick by the Flames in 2025, Phillips spent last season with the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers. He was a bit too rough and tumble for that circuit, emerging as one of the league’s leaders in penalties and suspensions. He’s joined Medicine Hat for this coming season, joining a team that was scary-good a year ago.

The Tigers begin their season on Friday against Lethbridge.

A second-round pick by the Flames in last year’s draft, Stockselius has signed his entry-level deal with the Flames but he’s spending his 19-year-old season on loan back to his club team, Djurgärdens IF. He looks likely to be a regular in the Swedish Hockey League, Sweden’s top pro league, this season, and he spent the pre-season on Djurgärdens’ third line. (He’s also a shoo-in for a World Junior spot on Sweden’s national team.)

Stockselius begins his season on Saturday, 10 a.m. MT, against IF Björklöven.

A fifth-round pick in June, Katolicky was one of the top draft prospects before the 2025-26 season but had a rough year hampered by injury and illness that saw him slide to the fifth round. He was selected by Sarnia in last year’s import draft and has joined the Sting for the coming season.

Katolicky makes his North American debut at 5:07 p.m. MT on Saturday against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

A sixth-round pick from June’s draft, Laylin is following Phillips’ lead, moving to the WHL after a couple seasons in the USHL. Heck, Laylin is also moving to one of the WHL’s top teams, the defending champion Silvertips.

The ‘Tips begin their season on Saturday, 7:05 p.m. MT, against the Portland Winterhawks. Fun fact: former Flames forward Sven Baertschi is on Portland’s coaching staff.

Finally, a third-round pick back in June, and someone with famous hockey-playing relatives, Iginla is back for his third year in the Dub. He’s expected to be a top player for Vancouver.

The Giants begin their season on Saturday at 8 p.m. MT against the Kelowna Rockets.

Matveiko is a 2006 birthday and he’s eligible to be in Russian junior hockey in the MHL, but he’s starting with CSKA Moskva’s minor-league affiliate, Zvezda Moskva (or “Star”). Matveiko spent a couple games as a centre on the third line, kinda had a rough go of it, and then was moved to the wing where he’s been a bit more sheltered, but he’s managed to produce a bit. Both of his points so far are from the power play.

For a player that wasn’t high on a lot of draft lists, Shaikhlislamov is sure impressing early on. He’s playing in Russia’s top junior league, the MHL, and so far he’s one of their top offensive players. Yes, he’s put up six of his eight points on the power play, but so far he’s shown that he’s a pretty significant offensive driver at the level he’s at.

We’ll see if he can keep it up.

Never miss what matters in the game. From lineup changes to breaking trades and must-read analysis, Daily Faceoff Calgary delivers the insight serious hockey fans rely on—straight to your inbox. Sign up for the Daily Faceoff Calgary newsletter!