Gang, the Calgary Wranglers really missed forward Rory Kerins when he was out of their lineup.

It’s no secret that Kerins is a really effective offensive player, but when he’s gone, he leaves a hole. He was injured in the Wranglers’ Feb. 25 game against San Jose and he missed their next 12 games – from Feb. 27 to Mar. 27. With Kerins sidelined, the Wranglers went 1-9-2 and pretty much slid entirely out of the Western Conference’s playoff picture.

When Kerins returned to the lineup on Mar. 29, there was undoubtedly a sigh of relief. He had a goal in his first game back against the Colorado Eagles. Then, this weekend, he had two goals and two assists on Friday against Laval and then another goal and two helpers in Saturday’s game against Laval.

For this weekend’s offensive excellence, which paced the Wranglers to a 5-2 win on Friday and a 4-3 shootout loss on Saturday, on Monday Kerins was named the AHL Player of the Week. He joins teammate William Strömgren, who was awarded back in February, in winning AHL weekly honours.

A product of Caledon, Ontario, Kerins was a star with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds and a sixth-round pick by the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft. Kerins has had a weird developmental path, starting with the OHL flat-out not having a season in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Kerins spending that campaign primarily practising with the Stockton Heat – who were playing in Calgary that season, also for pandemic-related reasons. Then he popped off for an impressive 118 points with the Greyhounds in 2021-22.

For his first two pro seasons, 2022-23 and 2023-24, Kerins struggled to translate his impressive OHL output to the AHL level with any consistency. But in 2024-25, after a strong summer of training, things clicked for him. He had 61 points in 63 AHL games that season, and he earned a five-game NHL call-up where he logged three assists. This season he’s played two NHL games, and tallied 53 points in 53 AHL games, too.

The Flames have one call-up remaining at their disposal. Kerins seems like a strong contender for that spot. And getting named the AHL Player of the Week is a great way to bolster his case for another NHL look.

The Wranglers are back in action on Friday when they host the Abbotsford Canucks. The Flames are back in action on Tuesday night when they visit the Dallas Stars.