The last two seasons have been a bit odd for Calgary Flames prospect Andrew Basha.

Basha entered the 2024-25 campaign off the high of being drafted in the 2024 NHL Draft by his hometown team. But he was dealing with a lingering ankle injury as he played for the Western League’s Medicine Hat Tigers, which persisted to the point where he was shut down in late December and unwent surgery to correct the issue.

After a strenuous rehab regiment, he returned to action in May, just in time to help the Tigers beat the Spokane Chiefs to capture the WHL’s championship. He also participated in the Memorial Cup, though the Tigers weren’t able to capture that trophy.

Flash forward to the start of the 2025-26 season and Basha, as a late 2005 birthday, was eligible to play in the American League with the Calgary Wranglers or return to the WHL with the Tigers. He began the year in the AHL; with the Wranglers juggling a lot of bodies and trying to find clear roles for everyone,  he sort of got lost in the shuffle.

After posting a goal and five points through 27 AHL games, the Flames opted to return Basha to the Tigers in January. Three and a half months later, Basha’s return to the Dub really looks to have been the right move. Basha had 50 points in 32 regular season games, including registering points in all but five games he appeared in. He’s continued his production into the playoffs, posting a team-leading 14 points through nine playoff games.

We caught up with Basha following Medicine Hat’s 5-2 victory over the Calgary Hitmen, which advanced the Tigers into the WHL’s Eastern Conference final series for the second consecutive season, where they’ll face the Prince Albert Raiders.

“Great to get that series over with as soon as we could,” said Basha. “It was tough. They played well. And we didn’t really think that we got to our best game, but a great way to find a way to end it. Close it out here and get back to Medicine Hat and prepare for PA.”

Basha’s three month stint with the Wranglers didn’t turn out as intended for the youngster, but he learned some things that he applied to improve his game once he returned to the Tigers.

“It was tough,” said Basha. “But I think, you know, it’s been great being back. I think it’s been good to kind of find, I feel like I’ve just remembered kind of who I am. And with the time with the Wranglers, more attention to [the defensive side]… And playing centre now, so I have to be more attentive to that.”

Shortly after his return to the WHL, Basha was moved to centre. The reasoning behind it was pretty simple: the opportunity to play alongside two well-regarded teammates: Liam and Markus Ruck, two of the top prospects for the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft.

“Oh, just right when I came back around the trade deadline, talking to the coaches here, I just kind of threw it out there that I’ve always felt that I kind of wish I had done it sooner, to be honest,” said Basha. “But it just came about because I wanted to play with the Rucks pretty bad. So just asked and tried it out, and it went well. So, yeah, it’s been great, I think. It’s taught me how to play the game more properly with the D side and everything. I think it’s been really good for me.”

As a 2005 birthday, Basha’s playing out his final year of junior eligibility. He’ll begin the first year of his entry-level NHL deal next season, likely returning to the Wranglers in the fall. But before that, a year after jumping right into the WHL Championship series after a significant injury, he’s looking forward to a longer playoff experience with the Tigers.

The Tigers kick off their Eastern Conference Final series against the Prince Albert in late April.

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