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Flames prospect roundup: Wildcats earn a berth to the Memorial Cup, Andrew Basha returns after long absence
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Photo credit: ©Tav Morisson-Oilers Nation
Ryley Delaney
May 13, 2025, 10:00 EDTUpdated: May 12, 2025, 21:25 EDT
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There will be at least one Calgary Flames prospect in the Memorial Cup, potentially two.
This is the May 6 – 12 edition of the Flames prospect roundup, where we look at how Calgary Flames prospects did this past week, specifically those at the junior and college levels. The American Hockey League prospects have their own article in the Wranglers recaps.
Let’s take a week that was!

Matvei Gridin

Last Tuesday, Matvei Gridin and the Shawinigan Cataractes played a winner-takes-all Game 7 against the Rimouski Océanic in the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s semi-finals.
The Océanic, who host the 2025 Memorial Cup later this month, took a massive lead thanks to three goals in just over eight minutes in the second period. But the Cataractes showed some fight, making it a 3-1 lead before the end of the second period. Five minutes into the third, Vince Elie made it a one-goal game, and with 3:37 left in the game, Isaac Ménard scored to tie the game at three.
The first overtime period didn’t solve anything, but it was Erik Mateiko scoring with just under three minutes left in double overtime that sent the Cataractes home. Rimouski moved to the QMJHL finals, where they have a date set with Étienne Morin and the Moncton Wildcats – more on that later.
This post-season, Gridin finished with eight goals and 17 points in 16 games for the Cataractes, on top of his 36 goals and 79 points in 56 games. A few days ago, Gridin was named the QMJHL’s top offensive rookie for 2024-25.

Andrew Basha

Flames 2024 second-rounder Andrew Basha hadn’t played for the Medicine Hat Tigers since Dec. 28. Cayden Lindstrom, the fourth-overall pick in the same draft, hadn’t played all season when the Tigers hosted the Spokane Chiefs for Game 1 of the Western Hockey League final.
It took just 54 seconds for both players to get on the scoresheet, as Basha scored his first of the post-season with Lindstrom picking up the secondary assist. After the Tigers made it 2-0, the Chiefs cut the lead in half thanks to Berkly Catton’s ninth of the post-season. Ethan Neutens scored an insurance goal for the Tigers, and Tanner Molendyk potted an empty-netter with Gavin McKenna picking up an assist, giving the Tigers a 4-1 victory. With the assist, McKenna moved his point streak to 56 games.
Game 2 started off nearly the exact same way, only it was Lindstrom scoring 55 seconds into the first with Basha picking up the secondary assist. Unfortunately, it was all the Chiefs from there as they scored four unanswered goals before the 12-minute mark of the first. The Tigers added another goal five minutes into the second, but the Chiefs fired back with two goals in the third to win 6-2.
The series now shifts to Spokane for Games 3, 4, and 5. Game 3 is on Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. MT, Game 4 is the following day at the same time, and Game 5 is on Friday at 8:00 p.m. MT. If needed, the series shifts back to Medicine Hat on Sunday at 7:00 p.m. MT for Game 6, with Game 7 coming on Monday.

Étienne Morin

Thanks to the Rimouski Océanic hosting the Memorial Cup and making the Québec Maritimes Junior Hockey League finals, the Moncton Wildcats have clinched a berth in the Memorial Cup. The series between the two teams still matters, as the Wildcats are hunting their third Gilles-Courteau Trophy, and their first since 2009-10. On the other hand, the Océanic have won the Gilles-Courteau Trophy three times, with their latest win coming in 2014-15.
The first two games in Moncton ended with a Wildcats victory. They scored the first three goals of the series in Game 1, with Flames prospect Étienne Morin picking up two assists in that game. The Océanic scored midway through the third, but an empty-netter from Preston Lounsbury put the game away, with the Wildcats picking up a 4-1 victory.
Game 2 was a lot closer. The Wildcats opened the scoring seven minutes into the game, but the Océanic tied the game midway through the first and took the lead in the final minute of the first. Midway through the second, Markus Vidicek tied the game for the Wildcats, and Juraj Pekarcik gave them a lead five minutes into the third. The Océanic scored the tying goal with just 2:40 left in the game.
That set up overtime, and it was the Wildcats’ Vincent Collard who won the game to give them a 2-0 lead heading to Rimouski for Games 3 and 4. In this game, Morin had three assists on the first three goals.
Game 3 in Rimouski comes on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. MT, with Game 4 coming the next day at the same time. If needed, Game 5 is on Saturday in Moncton at 4:00 p.m. MT.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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