In advance of Sunday’s pre-season opener for the Calgary Flames against the Seattle Kraken, the hockey club has trimmed their training camp roster by assigning a trio of players, all on American Hockey League contracts, to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

Headed to Winsport are defencemen Kyle Walker and Kent Anderson and forward Alex Gallant.

Walker, 26, is a fun story. An Alberta kid from Leduc, he spent four seasons in the Western Hockey League with Everett and Regina, then headed to USports to play at Mount Royal University. When he finished up with the Cougars, he signed with the ECHL’s Reading Royals, then was called up to join an injury-addled Wranglers club last spring. He impressed enough to earn an AHL contract for this season. He’s a left shot defender.

Anderson, 22, is another fun story. A Calgary product, he came up through McKnight minor hockey, CNHA, the Northstars and the Canucks before moving to the AJHL’s Drumheller Dragons. After a season with the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers he headed to college, where he spent four seasons with the NCAA’s University of Denver Pioneers, winning two national championships and captaining the club in his senior year. He’s also under an AHL deal for this season. He’s a right shot defender.

Gallant, 33, is one of the older players in the Flames organization and a staple in the club’s minor league system. Now entering his eighth season with the Heat/Wranglers, Gallant is well known in hockey circles for his physicality, boisterousness, and wildly entertaining fights. Perhaps not the highest-skilled player in terms of puck skills, you have to give him credit: he spent two seasons in the QMJHL, then spent time in the SPHL and ECHL before finding a niche as a pro. He’ll likely wear a letter for the Wranglers and while he won’t play all the time, this left shot winger will have his presence felt when he does.

With these three assignments, the Flames are down to 45 players on their training camp roster: four goaltenders, 14 defencemen and 27 forwards. They have to be down to a cap complaint 23-man roster by 3 p.m. MT next Monday.

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