The Calgary Flames currently have one of the deepest prospect pools they’ve had in recent memory, as evidenced by the potential to have two players on Team Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Junior Championship in Minnesota.

Earlier this week, both Zayne Parekh and Cole Reschny were named to Canada’s preliminary World Junior roster. If both players manage to secure roster spots, it would be the first time two Flames prospects represented Canada since Jakob Pelletier and Connor Zary did in 2021.

While Parekh is a shoo-in to make the team, based on his resume, and this being his final year of eligibility to participate, Reschny will still have to survive the final cut.

Hockey Canada has slightly modified its approach following disappointing results in each of the last two editions of the tournament. Instead of holding a four-day selection camp with over 30 players, they’ve opted for a smaller group of 27 players that will take part in somewhat of a training camp rather than a tryout.

The camp will run from December 12–22 in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Team Canada plans on trimming the roster down to 24 before they head to Minnesota by cutting one forward, one defenceman and one goaltender.

This bodes well for Reschny; his inclusion on the preliminary roster means more for his odds at cracking the lineup on Boxing Day than it would have in years past.

The Flames selected Reschny 18th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft after an outstanding season in the Western Hockey League, where he posted 117 points in 73 games with the Victoria Royals. The Saskatoon native joined the University of North Dakota this season and hasn’t missed a beat against stronger competition, producing at over a point per game.

The World Juniors presents another challenge, Canada’s preliminary roster is chock-full of high-calibre players, and the team’s brass plans to make three more cuts. Even more cuts will be made if tournament-eligible players currently in the NHL are loaned.

There are six players who fit that bill:

Celebrini, Schaefer and Sennecke are all major contributors to their respective NHL teams and thus, will not be loaned. As for Dickinson, Kindel and Catton, although they’ve each logged 20+ games in the NHL this season, their clubs could probably live without them for the duration of the tournament, so there is a chance they are loaned if that’s what’s deemed best for their development.

Teams with decisions to make on whether or not to loan their player will likely wait until we get closer to the 22nd to make that call.

If we’re playing the odds game, I’d say only one, if any, of those players make their way to Team Canada, and the only one that plays Reschny’s position is Catton.

All things considered, Reschny’s spot on the team is fairly secure, his versatility gives him an edge, so it would be very surprising if they sent him home. Along with being an elite playmaker, he’s a detail-oriented forward who can play both on the wing or down the middle, and can be trusted in all situations, including on the penalty kill.

But again, this Canadian roster is stacked. 22 of the 24 skaters going to camp are either first-round picks or projected to go in the first-round of this upcoming draft. In recent years, Hockey Canada has built rather traditional teams, with a good mix of play styles to play different roles. This year, their focus seems to be on the best talent available.

Reschny’s appearance on the preliminary roster is an indication that his development is coming along nicely, and a reaffirmation that his transition from junior to NCAA hockey has been seamless. He’ll be one of the younger players at camp and will remain eligible to play again next year – it would be the first time in awhile that a Flames prospect could make Canada’s World Junior squad in consecutive years.

The tournament kicks off on December 26 and will culminate in the gold medal game on January 5.