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The playoff picture is getting clearer for many Flames prospects
Photo credit: Medicine Hat Tigers
Folks, we’re about to hit the homestretch for the 2025-26 hockey season.
The Olympic hockey tournaments are ongoing, and once that’s done we’re gonna be in the midst of a march to the post-season for a lot of hockey clubs affiliated with the Calgary Flames. Not the NHL team, of course, but for many others.
The Wranglers are the Flames’ top affiliate, and they have a bit of a hill to climb down the stretch to make the post-season. The top seven teams in the AHL’s Pacific Division make the cut, and the Wranglers are currently ninth. They’re roughly eight point off Tucson’s pace in seven spot, so they have some work to do down the stretch
In Canadian major junior hockey, Medicine Hat (Andrew Basha) and Flint (Jacob Battaglia) have already clinched playoff berths. The Hitmen (Axel Hurtig) and Saskatoon (Hunter Laing) are both safe bets to make it, too. In American junior hockey, Green Bay (Mace’o Phillips) are also close to a playoff lock in the USHL.
College hockey is kinda easy, in that the vast majority of teams get automatic berths in their conference tournaments. As such, Quinnipiac, Harvard, Maine, Merrimack College, North Dakota, Michigan, Penn State and Denver are all essentially shoo-ins. Arizona State, now without the injured Cullen Potter, at battling it out with Omaha for the final NCHC tournament slot.
The NCAA national championship picture is more complicated, but we can get to that later.
Onto the updates!
Andrew Basha – LW/C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL/Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL
20; Calgary’s second round pick (41st overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 174 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 8th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
AHL season to date | 27 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 18 | 7.38 |
WHL season to date | 18 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 62 | 35.77 |
2024-25 (WHL) | 23 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 24 | 12 | 9 | 73 | 31.22 |
Basha’s scoring pace has slowed a little bit over the last couple of weeks, but he’s scoring at a higher pace than he was last season and he’s showing some promise at centre on a pretty impressive Medicine Hat squad. They just clinched a playoff berth and could be well-positioned to try to repeat as WHL champions.
Jacob Battaglia – LW/RW, Kingston Frontenacs/Flint Firebirds, OHL
19; Calgary’s second round pick (62nd overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 196 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 7th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 50 | 23 | 17 | 40 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 143 | 21.19 |
2024-25 (OHL) | 68 | 40 | 50 | 90 | 67 | 57 | 45 | 239 | 35.06 |
Battaglia’s definitely had his struggles this season, partly because of how hollowed out Kingston got over the off-season and adjusting to his trade to Flint. He’s starting to find his stride, though, and he’s starting to put up points consistently.
Parker Bell – LW/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Calgary’s fifth round pick (155th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 192 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 38 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 45 | 4.19 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 61 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 67 | 7.84 |
Bell remains a fourth line fixture for the Wranglers.
Hunter Brzustewicz – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Vancouver’s third round pick (75th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vancouver; 6’0″, 190 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 3rd-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 27 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 36 | 19.19 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 70 | 5 | 27 | 32 | 19 | 20 | 13 | 75 | 18.22 |
Brzustewicz remains with the Wranglers, at least for the next while, on their top pairing.
Nick Cicek – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
25; free agent signing; 6’3″, 201 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 48 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 5 | 47 | 11.62 |
2024-25 (DEL) | 50 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 10 | 16 | 9 | 75 | 9.81 |
Cicek continues to be a really versatile blueline presence for the Wranglers.
Lucas Ciona – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Calgary’s sixth round pick (173rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 210 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 37 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 43 | 6.46 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 68 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 91 | 12.89 |
Ciona remains a fourth line fixture for the Wranglers.
Matvei Gridin – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
19; Calgary’s first round pick (28th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 182 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 4th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 36 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 102 | 32.10 |
2024-25 (QMJHL) | 56 | 36 | 43 | 79 | 58 | 40 | 32 | 236 | 32.85 |
Gridin put up an assist, appeared at the AHL All-Star Classic, and was called back up to the NHL.
Artem Grushnikov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Dallas’ second round pick (48th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Dallas; 6’1″, 203 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 43 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 0.93 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 61 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 43 | 3.27 |
Grushnikov was scratched once.
Trevor Hoskin – RW, Merrimack College Warriors, NCAA
21; Calgary’s fourth round pick (106th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 175 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 26 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 48 | 32.23 |
2024-25 (NCAA) | 36 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 80 | 17.23 |
Hoskin missed this week’s games with a lower body injury of unclear severity.
Axel Hurtig – D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL
20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 202 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 50 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 9 | 71 | 7.43 |
2024-25 (WHL) | 55 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 66 | 7.20 |
Hurtig remains a fixture on the Hitmen’s top defensive pairing.
Eric Jamieson – D, University of Denver Pioneers, NCAA
20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 200 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 32 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 62 | 15.75 |
2024-25 (WHL) | 66 | 14 | 22 | 36 | 26 | 27 | 19 | 175 | 13.51 |
Jamieson’s offensive impacts have slowed a bit recently, but he remains a fixture on Denver’s top two defensive pairings.
Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 175 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 15th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 46 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 27 | 26 | 19 | 95 | 33.79 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 63 | 33 | 28 | 61 | 52 | 40 | 35 | 135 | 38.59 |
Kerins had three goals over the past couple of weeks.
Carter King – C/LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; free agent signing; 5’11”, 190 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 45 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 53 | 7.08 |
2024-25 (NCAA) | 44 | 21 | 22 | 43 | 31 | 16 | 14 | 116 | 35.18 |
King’s impact for the Wranglers is mostly as a solid two-way forward, but he’s been adding goals a bit more frequently lately.
Hunter Laing – C/RW, Saskatoon Blades, WHL
19; Calgary’s sixth round pick (170th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’5″, 205 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 49 | 20 | 21 | 41 | 32 | 21 | 19 | 125 | 20.72 |
2024-25 (WHL) | 64 | 25 | 23 | 48 | 40 | 35 | 29 | 153 | 18.57 |
Laing continues to chip in points pretty consistently for the Blades.
Aidan Lane – RW, Harvard University Crimson, NCAA
18; Calgary’s sixth round pick (176th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 192 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 26 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 48 | 9.71 |
2024-25 (OHL) | 13 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 36 | 26.49 |
Lane has carved out a spot for himself as a middle six winger for Harvard.
Jakob Leander – D, HV71, U20 Nationell
18; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 196 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 30 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 38 | 4.37 |
2024-25 (J20) | 39 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 33 | 2.52 |
Leander remains a fixture on HV71’s top defensive pairing.
Jaden Lipinski – C, University of Maine Black Bears, NCAA
20; Calgary’s fourth round pick (112th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 204 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 25 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 36 | 12.89 |
2024-25 (WHL) | 59 | 17 | 41 | 58 | 45 | 30 | 27 | 134 | 24.34 |
Lipinski is a steady fourth line centre as a freshman for Maine.
Cade Littler – C, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA
21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (219th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 197 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 28 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 45 | 14.14 |
2024-25 (NCAA) | 33 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 30 | 9.82 |
Littler is a steady fourth line centre for North Dakota.
Yan Matveiko – C, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL/Zvezda Moskva, VHL
19; Calgary’s seventh round pick (211th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 150 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
MHL season to date | 39 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 21 | 27 | 17 | 65 | 9.92 |
VHL season to date | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
2024-25 (MHL) | 42 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 68 | 6.70 |
Matveiko’s offensive production has slowed a little bit, but he’s still one of Krasnaya Armiya’s most consistent players.
Luke Misa – LW/C, Penn State University Nittany Lions, NCAA
19; Calgary’s fifth round pick (150th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 170 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 13th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 28 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 70 | 13.65 |
2024-25 (OHL) | 67 | 34 | 51 | 85 | 58 | 63 | 43 | 211 | 33.60 |
Misa continues to put up points here and there for Penn State.
Etienne Morin – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL/Rapid City Rush, ECHL
20; Calgary’s second round pick (48th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’0″, 180 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 10th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
AHL season to date | 22 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 5.43 |
ECHL season to date | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 13.12 |
2024-25 (QMJHL) | 62 | 14 | 44 | 58 | 29 | 40 | 24 | 222 | 21.79 |
Morin rotated back into the Wranglers’ lineup recently, taking Artem Grushnikov’s third pairing spot.
Mace’o Phillips – D, Green Bay Gamblers, USHL / United States Junior Selects, WJAC
18; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’6″, 228 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 30 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 53 | 5.36 |
2024-25 (USHL) | 25 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 31 | 2.76 |
Phillips keeps playing his part for Green Bay.
Cole Reschny – C, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA / Canada National Junior Team, WJC
18; Calgary’s first round pick (18th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 183 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 2nd-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 26 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 50 | 36.00 |
2024-25 (WHL) | 62 | 26 | 66 | 92 | 70 | 48 | 46 | 213 | 36.75 |
Reschny, thankfully, didn’t miss any games after leaving a recent game after crashing into the boards awkwardly.
Theo Stockselius – C, Djurgårdens IF, U20 Nationell/SHL
18; Calgary’s second round pick (54th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 181 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 12th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
U20 season to date | 10 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 34 | 22.96 |
SHL season to date | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0.00 |
2024-25 (J20) | 40 | 22 | 29 | 51 | 38 | 35 | 29 | 93 | 20.91 |
Stockselius has been playing left wing on Djurgardens’ SHL team’s fourth line lately.
William Strömgren – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Calgary’s second round pick (45th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 175 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 16th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 43 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 47 | 28.73 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 70 | 14 | 35 | 49 | 35 | 26 | 20 | 107 | 27.90 |
Strömgren has put up some points recently and his scoring pace is ahead of last season’s.
Aydar Suniev – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 198 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 9th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 38 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 54 | 13.63 |
2024-25 (NCAA) | 35 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 31 | 21 | 17 | 119 | 34.99 |
Suniev keeps generating chances, but his production has quieted down a bit over the past few weeks.
Gavin White – D, Texas Stars/Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; Dallas’ third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; Acquired in trade with Dallas; 6’0″, 196 pounds; shoots right
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 28 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 51 | 7.12 |
2024-25 (AHL) | 46 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 60 | 9.53 |
White has been steady for the Wranglers, but he’s still yet to register his first point.
Abram Wiebe – D, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA / United States Collegiate Selects, Spengler Cup
22; Vegas’ seventh round pick (209th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vegas; 6’3″, 209 pounds; shoots left
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 30 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 54 | 25.20 |
2024-25 (NCAA) | 38 | 4 | 20 | 24 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 74 | 22.74 |
Wiebe has had a couple strong weeks, being named his conference’s top blueliner in back-to-back weeks.
Ethan Wyttenbach – RW, Quinnipiac University Bobcats, NCAA
18; Calgary’s fifth round pick (144th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 180 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 20th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 32 | 21 | 30 | 51 | 39 | 30 | 22 | 78 | 36.59 |
2024-25 (USHL) | 44 | 24 | 27 | 51 | 42 | 38 | 30 | 127 | 26.61 |
Wyttenbach is the top scorer in the NCAA.
Daniil Chechelev – G, Olympia Kirovo-Chepetsk, VHL
24; Calgary’s fourth round pick (96th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 201 pounds
GP | TOI | SV% | |
Season to date | 10 | 496 | .917 |
2024-25 (VHL) | 11 | 399 | .888 |
Chechelev remains Olympia’s third goalie. He backs up sometimes and occasionally gets to start a game.
Arsenii Sergeev – G, Rapid City Rush, ECHL / Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 192 pounds
GP | TOI | SV% | |
AHL season to date | 13 | 669 | .897 |
ECHL season to date | 12 | 714 | .922 |
2024-25 (NCAA) | 33 | 1982 | .919 |
Sergeev is backing up Wranglers starter Ivan Prosvetov. With Owen Say done for the year, he’ll be with the Wranglers until the end of the season.
Yegor Yegorov – G, MHK Spartak-MAX, MHL
20; Calgary’s sixth round pick (176th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 183 pounds
GP | TOI | SV% | |
Season to date | 29 | 1674 | .924 |
2024-25 (MHL) | 20 | 1032 | .904 |
Yegorov has been part of a goalie rotation with Spartak-MAX.
Kirill Zarubin – G, AKM Tula, MHL
20; Calgary’s third round pick (84th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 178 pounds; FN’s 18th-ranked prospect 2025
GP | TOI | SV% | |
Season to date | 37 | 2039 | .933 |
2024-25 (MHL) | 21 | 1157 | .935 |
Zarubin is quietly one of Russian junior hockey’s best, and most-used, goaltenders.
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