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The Flames could send a pair of youngsters to the AHL for the Olympic break
Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Gang, it’s almost time for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
National Hockey League players will return to the Olympic men’s hockey tournament for the first time since 2014. As a consequence, the league is shutting down from Feb. 6-24. While some players are off to the Olympics, others will be taking some time off to recover from the gruelling NHL schedule until NHL clubs return to practice on Feb. 17.
However, the gap in the NHL schedule offers an opportunity for teams to send some of their younger players down to the American Hockey League to keep getting game reps in.
Over at PuckPedia, our pals have dug into what restrictions there are on player movement during the Olympic roster freeze, which runs from 1 p.m. MT on Feb. 4 to 9:59 p.m. MT on Feb. 22.
No Trades are permittedPlayers can be sent down if they are waiver exempt, except for players that played in 16 of the team’s 20 NHL games prior to the freeze, or have been on the NHL roster for 80 league days prior to Jan 21Players can be placed on waivers during the freeze, but if the player was waived after their NHL team’s final game before the freeze, they do not have to report to their new team until February 17.
So… who can the Flames send down during the freeze?
Matvei Gridin and Hunter Brzustewicz are the only waiver exempt players on the big club’s roster.
Gridin was called up from the Wranglers on Jan. 17 and, as of Jan. 21, he had spent 15 days on the NHL roster dating back to the start of the season. With four games left before the break, he’s played in five of the past 16 games, so he’ll be eligible to be sent to the Wranglers even if he plays in every remaining game.
Brzustewicz was called up from the Wranglers back on Dec. 8 and, as of Jan. 21, he had spent 45 days on the NHL roster dating back to the start of the season. With four games left before the break, hes’ played in 12 of the past 16 games. If he plays in every remaining game, he won’t be eligible to be sent to the Wranglers. If he misses one or more, he’ll be able to be sent down during the break. (There’s a decent chance that he may be sent down earlier, as the Flames will have eight blueliners on their roster once Zayne Parekh returns from his conditioning stint.)
In nine games this season, Gridin has a goal and two assists. In 17 games this season, Brzustewicz has a goal and an assist. They would definitely add some firepower to a Wranglers roster that’s gotten a little lean given a slew of call-ups and injuries this season.
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