Since the Calgary Hitmen entered the Western Hockey League back in 1995-96, the Calgary Flames have selected just three players from that club at the annual NHL Draft – and the last one was Pavel Karnaukhov a decade ago. But in 2025, you can make a good case for the Flames taking a long look at a Hitmen player that could really suit their draft needs.
Friends, let’s talk about Hitmen forward Ben Kindel.
Scouting report
A product of the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Kindel is a right shot forward born in April 2007. He’s listed at 5’10” and 175 pounds by the Western League. Kindel played his youth hockey primarily in Burnaby before becoming a second-round selection by the Hitmen in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft.
After making his WHL debut at the end of the 2022-23 season, Kindel became a full-timer in 2023-24. He emerged as one of the most important Hitmen players this past season.
In January, FC Hockey’s Kareem Elshafey had this assessment:
“Kindel has done a great job of being a threat as a playmaker and a shooter… With the puck on his stick, he’s most dangerous as a playmaker. For my money, he’s one of the best passers in the draft with the ability to make all kinds of passes to teammates in scoring opportunities. The finishing ability shows itself the most when he doesn’t have the puck. He finds space in the offensive zone which allows him to unleash his powerful one timers or quick snapshots.
Over at Dobber Prospects, their Whittaker Heart wrote this scouting report of Kindel in January:
“Ben Kindel has been a revelation this year out of the WHL, asserting himself as one of the draft’s smartest players. Kindel pre-scans his decisions, runs effective routes, and positions himself inside lanes with terrific poise. He has some great defensive moments with excellent timing and a sneaky stick. Kindel uses his IQ to create offence for his teammates, delivering pucks between coverage for scoring chances. The pace he’s producing at is outstanding considering his meticulous 2-way approach. Kindel has the skating, puck skills, and brain for the NHL level and a limitless ceiling. He is a bit undersized but that shouldn’t hinder his chances at a top-20 selection in June.”
In his April draft rankings, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis provided this rundown on Kindel:
“Kindel has been one of the WHL’s hottest prospects this season, and he’s quickly becoming one of the most popular names in the public scouting sphere. He’s equally good as a shooter and a playmaker and is the driving force of Calgary’s attack. Kindel does a great job of finding open space and exploiting it and he has a shot he can unleash from just about anywhere. Below-average skating and a lack of a physical edge knock him down a few pegs, but many teams should consider him for his pure puck skills and solid all-around improvement.”
Is Kindel a big dude? Nope. But he’s not a “small” forward, in that he’s not terribly skinny, nor does he play on the perimeter. He uses his speed and positioning to win races, and because he’s able to do those things, he’s able to do a lot to drive play and create offence. More than anybody else this season, the Hitmen attack ran through him, and his ability to play centre and the wing well provided his team with a lot of options for how to use him.
The numbers
As a rookie in 2023-24, Kindel had 15 goals and 45 assists for 60 points. In 2024-25, in his draft eligible season, he had 35 goals and 64 assists for 99 points.
His 99 points led all WHL draft eligible players. 35 goals was third among draft eligibles (behind Carter Bear and Cameron Schmidt). His 64 assists were second among draft eligibles (behind Cole Reschny). He led all draft eligibles outright in goals and points at even strength.
99 points was also good for seventh among all WHL players. He was sixth in the league in even strength points and tied for ninth in even strength goals.
Relative to both players his age and WHLers of any age, Kindel was one of the most productive offensive players in the league.
Availability and fit
The Flames are tentatively projected to draft around 18th (with New Jersey’s pick) and 23rd (with Florida’s pick). Kindel is generally ranked between 15th and 25th on most draft rankings. Of note: he’s 21st on Elite Prospects’, 27th on FC Hockey’s, 20th on Daily Faceoff’s and TSN’s Craig Button has him 21st.
What do the Flames need? Right shot forwards, preferably centres, that can drive offence. Kindel checks all those boxes. The only knock on him is that he’s not a huge human being. But Matt Coronato is about the same size – they’re both listed at the same height – and he’s turned into a really effective NHLer. Drafting another Coronato-esque player could be a pretty attractive proposition for the Flames, especially one that’s a centre.
For what the Flames need, Kindel may be their ideal choice at 18th or 23rd overall.
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