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FN’s mid-season Flames prospect updates: Jaden Lipinski
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Photo credit: ©Tav Morisson-Oilers Nation
Ryley Delaney
Feb 25, 2026, 16:00 ESTUpdated: Feb 25, 2026, 00:03 EST
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The Calgary Flames have two tall, right-shot centres who were selected with late-round picks over the past few drafts.
Over in Saskatoon, Hunter Laing is having a solid D+2 season, soon to be setting career-highs in both goals and points in what could be his final Western Hockey League season. Selected in the draft before him is Jaden Lipinski, who the Flames selected 112th overall in 2023.
Lipinski’s best WHL season came in 2023-24, his D+1 season, as he scored 24 goals and 66 points, up from the 19 goals and 51 points in 66 games in his draft year. In both 2023-24 and 2024-25, Lipinski got a cup of tea with the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers, but he didn’t stick and returned to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.
In his final season of junior, Lipinski scored 17 goals and 58 points in 59 games, as his Giants finished sixth in the WHL’s Western Conference. They didn’t last long in the playoffs, falling in five games to the Spokane Chiefs, though Lipinski finished with two goals and five points.
With the Flames’ rights of Lipinski close to expiring, Lipinski made the decision to head to the University of Maine, where he has spent his 2025-26 season. The 21-year-old has been okay with the Black Bears, scoring three goals and 11 points in 27 games as a freshman.
Standing at 6’4”, 210 lbs and drafted in the fourth round, Lipinski was never expected to be a line-driving centre. His ceiling essentially caps as a third-line centre who can win draws and play solid two-way hockey, which is essentially what he does. Over his 27 games, Lipinski has taken 285 face-offs, winning 169 of them, a 59.3 faceoff percentage. 
Lipinski also wins puck battles and is strong in his own end. There’s also an argument he’s been rather unlucky on the offensive side of things, as his three goals on 38 shots gives him a 7.9 shooting percentage for the season, while most of his scoring came earlier in the season.
The end of Maine’s regular season is right around the corner, as they play two games against Northeastern this weekend, before heading on the road to play Vermont. In terms of standings, Maine is right in the middle of the pack, as their 30 points are sixth in Hockey East, with reaching as high as fourth place being a possibility.
Lipinski’s season hasn’t quite been productive as one would’ve wished, but his ceiling hasn’t changed: if he hits his potential, he’ll be a reliable bottom-six centre who wins draws, battles in all three zones, and can chip in offensively.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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