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FN AHL Report Cards: Simon Mack was a useful depth signing out of college
Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Jun 22, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 21, 2026, 22:12 EDT
Simon Mack joined the Calgary Wranglers defensive depth as a college signing at the end of the 2025-26 season. The 5’10” right shot defenceman got a couple of games to show his stuff and ended up getting signed to an AHL contract in early September. Due to the types of guys ahead of him pushing for NHL spots like Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Daniil Miromanov, his competition for playing time during the season would be hefty.
What were the expectations for Simon Mack in 2025-26?
For Simon Mack, it was uncertain what the Wranglers could fully expect out of him for his first professional season. Coming in off an NCAA career with Penn State University and captaining the squad his senior season, they knew at least they had someone with leadership experience and someone who could produce from the blue line. Mack’s last season with Penn State was a 30 point season in 30 games, comprised of three goals and 27 assists.
Mack only had a two game preview with the Wranglers after signing an ATO at the end of his collegiate career and in that time, he put up one assist. Mack felt like a good defenceman to take a chance on and see what some pro development would do for his game. He was expected to split some time between the AHL and ECHL, depending on the demands of the teams.
How did Simon Mack perform in 2025-26?
Mack started the season with the Wranglers and was a healthy scratch for the home opener. He played in three games in October, then was sent down to the Rapid City Rush at the end of the month for four games. He was able to return to the Wranglers in November when Yan Kuznetsov and Hunter Brzustewicz jumped up to the Flames and didn’t return to the Rush until late February. Mack played in six more games in Rapid City then finished off the season with the Wranglers.
Simon Mack’s numbers looked really good in the ECHL with two goals and five assists in his 10 games. With the Wranglers, he was playing further down the lineup and ended up skating in 26 games and put up two assists. What stood out for Mack was his attitude and positivity. He knew what his role was on this team and did his work to keep guys fresh in practice when he wasn’t going to be getting into the games. Mack was a teammate of Arsenii Sergeev’s at Penn State and surely they leaned on each other over the course of the season to ease the transition to pro.
What’s the future outlook for Simon Mack?
Mack would have been an easy guy to justify keeping around on an AHL deal, but he’s actually just recently signed a contract to join HK Spisska Nova Ves in the top league in Slovakian men’s hockey, the Tipsport Extraliga. He’ll likely get a bigger role there than he would have with the Wranglers, and time will tell if he finds his way back to North American hockey in the coming years.
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