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FN AHL Report Cards: Aydar Suniev’s mid-season jump opened the doors for more NHL games
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Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
May 22, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: May 22, 2026, 10:59 EDT
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Aydar Suniev was a college signing out of UMass-Amherst late in the 2024-25 season. He got his rookie lap in the season closer for the Calgary Flames and played his first full professional season mostly with the Calgary Wranglers in 2025-26. Coming from Kazan, Russia, he had more exposure in North America than some of his other Russian teammates, but had a good group of them to lean on in the AHL to ease the transition into pro.

Expectations

Suniev was expected to come in as a scorer. His one game preview in the NHL certainly didn’t feel like a fluke and he seemed to have more opportunities coming in the future. Being new to the organization and pro hockey as a whole, he wasn’t expected to take off right away but with some work, he could be a top scorer on the team.
He is known for his quick release shot and came played in two championship-winning years with the Penticton Vees prior to his collegiate career. In 2022-23, he had 90 points in 50 games with an even split of 45 goals and 45 assists. In college, his first season had him put up 25 points in 35 games, then his second and final season, he averaged over a point per game with 38 points in 35 games and a 20 goal season. 

Performance

Aydar Suniev’s season felt like it was broken in two. For his transition months in the first half of the season, he got opportunity but didn’t get much time to shine. His first professional goal came on Oct. 28 against the Abbotsford Canucks and he had a decent run of points in November. He was held off the scoresheet for eight games then got going again in mid-December. Suniev really took a stride in late February and started to be a consistent goalscorer for the Wranglers.
His stat line finished with 57 games played with the Wranglers and 24 points consisting of 16 goals and eight assists. He was the victim of some high scoring games and finished with a plus/minus of minus-28. Suniev was heavily relied on in the power play and led the team in power play goals with seven. He also led the team in game winning goals with four. 
After his solid play through the rest of February and March, he got a call from the Flames. Suniev got a six game look in the NHL in April and put up his first NHL point against the Utah Mammoth on Apr. 12 on Brayden Pachal’s goal.
He talked about his transition time in the NHL in Wranglers’ exit meetings last month and said:
“You know my first games when I came up there, you kind of feel it right away that you don’t have much time and space and you gotta find those lanes and spots to be in there and get your shot. I think as I played more games, I think I started to figure that out.”
He played up to the end of the Flames season and the Wranglers still had two games to go. He was sent back down for these and was the only player between him, Arsenii Sergeev, and Rory Kerins who would go after playing the night before. He went right in and scored on a power play in the first period. 
He reflected on that very quick turnaround and said:
“It was definitely a tough day. Not much sleep. But you know, that’s what you get paid for. You’re a pro and you have to be a pro on the ice and off the ice.”

Outlook

When Suniev has the time and space to use his shot, he is very difficult to stop. Suniev shows glimmers of star power in his game and as he continues to develop as a pro, he shows potential to catch up in the NHL pace and showcase his abilities there. His first couple of games with the Flames showed him getting tangled up a bit but once he makes room for his shot, it’s just him and the goalie and his odds are pretty good.
Suniev has one more year left remaining on his entry level contract and will likely make a push for an NHL spot in the Fall. A realistic approach to next season would be to try and split time between the AHL and NHL as much as he can, but that late season call-up might fuel a jump in his game that challenges that. Historically, he’s done very well in his second season with a team so next year could be an exciting one to watch.

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