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What Wranglers leading scorer Rory Kerins brings to the Flames
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Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
Jan 11, 2025, 16:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 10, 2025, 19:54 EST
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Rory Kerins has been a player that really elevated himself this season with the Calgary Wranglers. Not only from a playing time and positioning perspective but also from a scoring perspective. Kerins has flip flopped between the AHL’s top spot in scoring and his play has earned the attention of his parent club the Calgary Flames.
The Flames announced on Friday that Rory Kerins has been recalled to the Flames and his NHL debut feels as if it is on the horizon.

Historical performance

Rory Kerins is a product of the OHL where he played three seasons with the Soo Greyhounds. His performance skyrocketed his last year in that league in 2021-2022 when he hit 118 points consisting of 43 goals and 75 assists.
Kerins was drafted by the Flames in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft at 174th overall. He played a handful of games with the Stockton Heat in the 2020-21 season but really didn’t turn into a full-time pro player until 2022-23. It was this season where he split his time between primarily the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL and a few games with the Wranglers. 
The following season, he officially graduated from the ECHL but wasn’t quite an everyday player with the Wranglers. He was a fourth liner that would be scratched for other available players when his performance was lacking. He did work his way up to the second line by the end of last season and primarily played on a line with Cole Schwindt and Adam Klapka and occasionally with Clark Bishop and Ilya Nikolaev. Last season his point production finished at 16 goals and 16 assists in 54 games. Kerins only appeared in one playoff game last year and did not register a point.

Current performance

Since Kerins was on an entry-level contract he was enough of a prospect consideration this season to be invited to training camp but was classified in the third group, full of players who did not get many looks and chances in pre-season. Kerins did not skate in any pre-season games and was assigned to the Wranglers in early cuts. That combined with some targeted off-season improvements drove Kerins to the most unprecedented start we’ve seen out of an AHLer in recent years. He was given the opportunity to start on the top line right from the beginning of the season due to Justin Kirkland’s call-up to the Flames, and took it and ran with it. 
To date, Kerins has 34 points in 34 games, which already exceeds his professional career high. He’s registered 21 goals and 13 assists so far this season and has recently been playing alongside Dryden Hunt and William Stromgren on the top line. Jakob Pelletier was also his winger for the opening part of the season before Pelletier got recalled. 
Kerins had eight points in the opening four games and scored his first professional hat trick against Coachella Valley on October 16th. Not an easy opponent either, as the Firebirds were Calder Cup runner-ups last season and knocked Calgary out of the playoffs. 
Kerins also brings a leadership aspect to his game on and off the ice as he has been Alternate Captain for a handful of games this season. The path he’s taken to get where he is today was full of a lot of growth of improvement. 

What he brings to a Flames squad

With Kirkland and now Connor Zary out of the equation for lineup options, Kerins is next in line to evaluate his fit in the NHL. Kerins fills that need at center and holds his own in the faceoff dot. The AHL doesn’t track face-off percentage but his skills are strong enough to slide in on the fourth line to start. If he’s needed on the wing, that’s another spot he has played at a professional level and is comfortable in.
What has been working for Kerins this year is finishing plays. His positioning, physical side and speed have taken a step forward and he is being rewarded for it. Another aspect is confidence. He’s playing at an elevated level of confidence that also pairs with his composure and calm demeanour well.
Kerins isn’t usually the guy to get caught up in fights and bits of roughing. He is a finisher and an asset on the power play. He has a strong shot that he has gotten past some of the AHL’s best on multiple occasions. Between being named to the AHL All-Star Classic and receiving his first NHL call-up, it’s been a huge week for Kerins. It might be time he even adds a rookie lap and NHL playing time to his well earned accomplishments.
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