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The mystery behind Flames prospect Jonathan Castagna’s unique nickname has been solved

Photo credit: Photo Credit: Darren Scott Francis/Abbotsford Canucks

By Ryan Pike

Oct 5, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Oct 5, 2026, 01:20 EDT

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Friends, it’s no secret that the hockey world loves nicknames.

But it’s also no secret that a lot of hockey nicknames are pretty bland. Take the first syllable of a player’s last name, add an “s,” “y” and/or “er” and there you go. For example, the Calgary Flames feature players affectionately dubbed “Backs” (Mikael Backlund), “Klapper” (Adam Klapka), Wolfy (Dustin Wolf) and Bahler (Kevin Bahl) by their teammates.

So when the first episode of season three of The Chase was released by the Flames media team, everyone’s ears perked up a bit when the name “Georgie” was mentioned by both head coach Ryan Huska and general manager Craig Conroy to refer to prospect Jonathan Castagna during training camp.

“Georgie” does not fit the template for a typical hockey nickname. So where did it come from?

According to Castagna, the culprit behind this creative nickname was veteran Flames forward and alternate captain Ryan Strome.

On Friday, following a two-goal performance in his professional debut with the Calgary Wranglers, Castagna was asked about his new moniker.

Yeah, I think it precedes me a little bit, but the show Seinfeld, the character George Costanza, so I think it was Ryan Stromer who looked at me, and he was like, “what’s your last name?” I was like, “oh, Castagna.” He’s like, “all right, we’re going to call you George.”
So I was like, all right. I didn’t really know what it was, to be honest, but I figured it out. And it’s kind of funny and it’s stuck.

Apparently “George” became slightly modified to “Georgie,” and the rest is history.

For you youngsters in the fanbase unfamiliar with the program, Seinfeld was a sitcom that aired on NBC between 1989 and 1998, featuring iconic comedic characters Jerry Seinfeld (playing himself), Cosmo Kramer (played by Michael Richards), Elaine Benes (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and George Costanza (played by Jason Alexander). The show aired its final episode in May 1998, just before Strome’s fifth birthday, but it lives on via various streaming services.

Seinfeld was one of television’s highest-rated shows and won seven Primetime Emmy Awards during its stint. Its legacy lives on via co-creator Larry David’s subsequent works, including Curb Your Enthusiasm, and in the form of one of hockey’s more creative nicknames.

Castagna, and the Calgary Wranglers, return to action on Friday night when they host the Bakersfield Condors.

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