logo
FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Wranglers netminder Waltteri Ignatjew took a big step in second half of 2024-25 season
alt
Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers
Paige Siewert
Jun 11, 2025, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Jun 10, 2025, 22:29 EDT
Comments
Waltteri Ignatjew was a newcomer to the Wranglers last fall and had the chance to step in for the team on many occasions. It was tough to know what to expect out of an international goaltender entering North American hockey for the first time, but after some adjustments, he kept his team in games and brought confidence to his play. 
Ignatjew was born in Helsinki, Finland and played local hockey for junior and into the KHL years. In the 2021-22 season, he made a one-game appearance with a HockeyAllsvenskan team then he played the 2023-24 season with Mora IK. That previous season, he played in 45 regular season games, earning a 2.34 GAA and a .918 save percentage and was recognized as Goalie of the Year. His regular session record finished at 26-18-0. He went 6-6-0 in the postseason and managed to keep the same save percentage as he had in the regular season. 
In April of last year, the Flames signed Ignatjew to a one-year, two way contract. He was assigned to the Wranglers and played his whole professional rookie season in the AHL. 

2024-25 expectations

The expectation for this season was that Ignatjew was coming in for an AHL backup role. The expected emergence of Dustin Wolf in the NHL and the later addition of Devin Cooley made it seem that Ignatjew would not be their go-to guy between the pipes unless Cooley was called up and Dan Vladar was traded. The other opportunity being an injury somewhere in the goaltending depth would allow his name to be called. 
The general feeling around the Wranglers was also that Oscar Dansk would not be getting a contract extension, so another body around the team was needed. Ignatjew was used to the workload in the 2023-24 season and was prepared for as many games as he was called on for. 

2024-25 results

Ignajtew had a slower start to the season. Not really fault of his own as Devin Cooley was on such a heater between the pipes for the Wranglers that it was hard to switch things up in net. Ignatjew only played in nine games before the end of 2024. 
Cooley suffered a concussion in Calgary’s game against the Colorado Eagles on Jan. 10 and was out of the lineup for nearly a month. During this time, Ignatjew and Connor Murphy split the workload. Ignatjew finished the regular season with a 14-9-2-1 record, a 3.26 GAA and a .802 save percentage. 
Ignatjew had quite an improvement path from that time forward and when asked about it, he said some specific work was done on slowing down his game and refocusing. 
He said after a win on Feb. 28 that snapped their month-long losing streak:
“We came up with a new game plan and I feel like now the last couple of weeks or the last month, I’ve been able to execute the game plan. Follow the game plan and play with the game plan. That’s a huge thing for me.”
Ignatjew even hit a personal milestone this season by earning his professional shutout in the season closer against the San Jose Barracuda on Apr. 20. He was just a mere minutes away a month before. Once he was successful, it was a really good feeling for him to hit that milestone but said post-game, “It’s just about the team wins. That’s the most important thing for me.”
In the playoffs, the Wranglers carried three goaltenders, including Igantjew, Devin Cooley and Connor Murphy. Ignatjew helped the team qualify down the stretch and deserved his shot in the post-season. He played very well in the two playoff games against Coachella Valley, especially in a triple overtime. However, the Firebirds took the series and the Wranglers were done by the end of April. His Calder Cup stats were 1.90 GAA and a .928 save percentage. 
The triple overtime was a gruelling effort and Ignatjew didn’t seem to be phased by the amount of time they were spending on the ice. He said at Wranglers exit meetings:
“It’s just fun to play. You don’t even realize how long, it has taken already. I mean, you kind of saw there was no one in the stands anymore. People started leaving, but it was just fun to play. When you’re in the moment, you’re not focusing like anything else, just trying to do your job, trying to get the W.”

Next season’s expectations

Ignatjew is not going to be back with the Calgary Wranglers next year. He was on a one-year, two-way deal that expired at the end of the season. He entered the off-season as a potential restricted free agent with the Flames holding his NHL rights if they make a qualifying offer. Ignatjew ended up signing a two-year deal with Linköping HC of the Swedish Hockey League. They get started in mid-September.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Editorials

Breaking News