The Calgary Flames recalled defenceman Ilya Solovyov from the Calgary Wranglers on Wednesday. The 6-foot-3 Belarusian will get another opportunity to make his mark with the big club after getting his feet wet in 10 games of NHL action last season.

The saying ‘progress isn’t always linear’ can be applied directly to Solovyov’s young career thus far, as his journey has been one of peaks and valleys. Ilya was playing in a Belarusian development league in his draft year, the 2017-18 season, so his 29 points in 47 games weren’t enough to get him onto scout’s radars and he went undrafted. In 2018-19 Solovyov made the jump to the top league in his hometown, but struggled, posting just eight points in 53 games and sporting a -39 plus-minus. After being passed over in two straight drafts and now 19 years of age, Ilya’s last-ditch effort was to head to North America and attempt to make a name for himself on this side of the world.

Solovyov was selected by the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL 53rd overall in the 2019 CHL import draft. The Belarusian then went on to have a breakout season in his first stint in North America, scoring seven goals and 33 assists across 53 OHL contests. His efforts were just enough to turn the heads of NHL scouts, and the Flames made him the 205th of 217 players drafted in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

The now 20-year-old Solovyov had finally gotten his break, he was drafted, albeit with the 13th-last pick, he had his foot in the door of an NHL organization regardless. This was about the time that the COVID-19 pandemic turned the hockey world onto its head, terrible timing for Solovyov whose pro career had just begun to gain traction.

As a result of the pandemic, hockey was banned in North America for some time. In search of somewhere to play, Solovyov opted to take his talents to Russia, along with fellow young Belarusians such as current Capitals forward Aleksei Protas. Solovyov, along with Protas suited up for the Belarusian-based Minsk Dynamo of the KHL. Ilya fared well in his first pro action, producing nine points over 41 games from the back-end.

The CHL to KHL route is a road less travelled for aspiring NHL players, but unique circumstances allowed Ilya to travel home with many of his comrades. This route proved successful in preparing Solovyov for his first season of professional North American hockey, where he played 51 games for the then-Stockton Heat of the AHL. The big-bodied blue-liner then circled back for another 68 games of AHL play in 2022-23, this time having a measurable impact on the team, accumulating 18 points while serving in a shut-down defensive role. Solovyov replicated his AHL success last season and was rewarded by the Flames, who brought him up to make his NHL debut on Oct. 23, 2023. All told, Calgary recalled Solovyov for three separate NHL stints in 2023-24, he registered three points in 10 games played, while playing on the bottom pairing.

By the 2024 off-season, it appeared as though Solovyov’s development had stagnated, he hadn’t taken the major developmental strides that the Flames were likely hoping he would in the American League. Management were either unbothered at the risk of losing him or were confident he wouldn’t be claimed when they placed him on waivers for the purpose of reassignment on Oct. 1.

Solovyov did clear waivers and has since enjoyed his best AHL season to date, amassing 21 points over 41 games and serving as a safety valve on the Wranglers’ backend. ‘Solo’ has shown his versatility in his ability to play up and down the lineup and remain an effective defender throughout.

The Flames rewarded Solovyov with a call-up Wednesday morning, slating him to get in on his first NHL action this season. Injuries and the recent porous defensive play at the NHL level warranted Solovyov’s call-up. When Flames head coach Ryan Huska was asked about what he’s looking for out of Solovyov he spoke of the Belarusian defender’s large frame, left-hand shot and ability to kill penalties.

The call-up seems like a no-brainer from the Flames’ perspective, they add a defensive-minded blueliner who has been an effective penalty-killer all season at the AHL level. Solovyov can help mend an ailing blue line that gave up countless odd-man rushes in Tuesday’s contest against the Maple Leafs, and has struggled on the penalty kill all season, which has operated at an atrocious 72.1% clip.

Regardless of whether or not Solovyov ends up carving out a role on Calgary’s blue line this season, his story is quite remarkable and it’s somewhat of a miracle that he’s seen any NHL action at all, considering the tumultuous nature of his journey.

Solovyov served as an extra on Thursday against the Avalanche but seems likely to get into the lineup versus the Kraken on Saturday.