NHL Prospect Watch: Calgary Flames

Ahead of the 2025-26 hockey season, we’re diving into the WHL prospect pool for each of the NHL’s 32 teams. This series will highlight current and former WHLers who are signed to an NHL contract, have recently been drafted by an NHL team, or meet the NHL’s definition of a rookie.

The Calgary Flames saw Everett Silvertips graduate Dustin Wolf named a Calder Trophy finalist in 2024-25- could one of these WHL prospects follow in his footsteps?

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Andrew Basha

Hardworking winger Andrew Basha turned what could have been a lost season into a killer comeback and championship campaign. The 2024 NHL second-round draft pick signed his entry-level deal with his hometown Flames in late September before putting up nine goals and 20 assists for 29 points in 23 games. But an ankle surgery and long recovery kept him off the ice for roughly four months. Basha broke back into the powerhouse Medicine Hat Tigers’ lineup for Game 1 of the 2025 WHL Championship Series and promptly scored the first goal of the finals on his first shift, less than a minute into the match. The Tabbies’ alternate captain ended up with two goals and three assists in five playoff games to lift the Ed Chynoweth Cup. The 6-foot, 187-pound winger also had one assist in four games to reach the 2025 Memorial Cup Final. Basha, 19, now owns 64 goals and 120 assists for 184 points in 201 regular-season games as he eyes a new campaign at 100% health.

WHO ELSE BUT ANDREW BASHA?!

The @NHLFlames prospect opens the scoring at the #WHLChampionship in his FIRST shift back from injury!

📺🇨🇦 | @TSN_Sports
📺🇺🇸| @victoryplustv#FeedingtheFuture | #Flames | @tigershockey pic.twitter.com/sLvFrK09u5

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) May 10, 2025

Parker Bell

Six-foot-five, 205-pound winger Parker Bell made his presence felt in his first season of professional hockey. The 21-year-old tallied seven goals and five assists for 12 points in 61 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in 2024-25. Bell scored his first pro goal against the Bakersfield Condors on October 22, 2025, and finished second in goals among all Wranglers rookies. The Estevan, Sask. product suited up for the Tri-City Americans for five seasons, racking up 184 points (77G-107A) in 239 regular season games in addition to six playoff points (2G-4A). He was drafted by Calgary with the 155th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft and enjoyed two brief stints in the AHL at the end of his 2023 and 2024 junior seasons.

BELLSY!! 🔔

A night full of wins! Parker Bell gets his first pro goal that kept the Wranglers in the fight! pic.twitter.com/CepXdjogKi

— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) October 23, 2024

Lucas Ciona

Another big-bodied winger at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Ciona more than doubled his offensive output while piling up the second-most penalty minutes on the Wranglers in 2024-25. He netted 22 points (8G-14A) in 68 regular-season appearances before scoring his first professional postseason goal in the 2025 AHL Playoffs. He may have been an agitator on the ice, but Ciona also nabbed a huge honour when he was named the Wranglers’ AHL Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the community during his sophomore season. Ciona, 22, played his entire major junior career with the Seattle Thunderbirds and captained the team to a WHL Championship in 2023. The Edmontonian bagged 50 goals and 86 assists for 136 points in 195 career regular-season games over parts of five seasons, in addition to 23 points (14G-9A) in 43 postseason tilts. Calgary chose Ciona with the 173rd overall pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

CIONA FINDS IT!!! pic.twitter.com/xF10Q3AQC0

— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) April 23, 2025

Samuel Honzek

There are a lot of positives for Samuel Honzek to take away from his first pro season. The 20-year-old rode a fantastic preseason showing all the way to the Flames’ opening night roster, and, eventually, five games with the big club before returning to the AHL to fine-tune his craft. While his first NHL point is still on the horizon, Honzek snagged his first pro goal against the Oilers’ affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, on November 11, 2025, and ended up with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points in 52 games. The 2023 16th-overall pick led all Wranglers rookies in goals and finished second in points and assists. The 6-foot-4, 194-pound forward bookended his season by representing his native Slovakia at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in Sweden, where he registered a goal and an assist in six outings. Remembered as the first European Captain of the Vancouver Giants, Honzek buried 33 goals and 54 assists for 87 points in 76 regular-season WHL games over two seasons in the Lower Mainland, while tacking on six playoff points (3G-3A) in nine tilts.

"It’s everyone’s dream, but now it’s another step to becoming a full-time NHL player."

Sam Honzek shares his thoughts on being named to the #Flames opening day roster. pic.twitter.com/rN3cbmPuC5

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 7, 2024

Axel Hurtig

How Swede it is! Hurtig hopped the pond to join the Calgary Hitmen mere months after being selected by the Flames in the seventh round of the 2023 NHL Draft in hopes of developing closer to team brass. The 6-foot-5, 208-pound rearguard potted five goals and 11 assists for 16 points in 55 games in his first season in North America. While it was hard to compete offensively on a stacked Calgary blueline, Hurtig’s +39 rating was tied for second-best on the team. His shutdown prowess also helped him snag the Hitmen Defenceman of the Year award. He added another goal and two helpers in 11 postseason tilts as the Hitmen battled to Game 7 of the second round. On the international stage, Hurtig made his IIHF World Junior Championship debut, helping the squad skate to fourth place at the prestigious tournament with one assist in seven games. Now 20 years old, Hurtig is eligible to make the jump to the pro ranks or take another run at a WHL Championship.

AXEL HURTIG CLUTCH FROM THE POINT!🔥@WHLHitmen | @NHLFlames | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/GBoLVkSiSX

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 16, 2025

Eric Jamieson

The Everett Silvertips co-captain posted a career-best campaign to help lead his team to the Scotty Munro Memorial Trophy as 2025 WHL regular season champions. Jamieson scored 14 times and added 22 assists for 36 points in 66 matches. His +38 rating was also tied for third on the powerhouse squad. Notably, Jamieson notched a rare defenceman hat trick (the second in his WHL career) in a 3-2 win over Cole Reschny’s Victoria Royals on February 17, 2025. He also scored the overtime time winner in Game 2 of Everett’s first-round playoff series against the Seattle Thunderbirds and had a trio of assists as the Tips reached Game 7 of Round Two. A 6-foot-3, 203-pound blueliner, Jamieson heard his name called in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft- and much like fellow prospect, he’s a homegrown talent.

Second career hatty for Jamo! 🧢🧢🧢#WHLHatTricks | @WHLsilvertips@NHLFlames | #Flames pic.twitter.com/WdsPM0rpYf

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 18, 2025

Hunter Laing

The Flames love a rangy forward. Six-foot-6, 209-pound Hunter Laing was the centrepiece of a trade deadline deal that saw the 19-year-old head from Prince George to Saskatoon. Not only did he finish the season with 25 goals and 23 assists for 48 points in 64 games, but he also boasted four multigoal games and four game-winning tallies to lead the Blades scoring race. The Kelowna, B.C. product was named Tempo WHL Player of the Week in early March after snagging four goals and an assist in two games to lock in a playoff berth for the usptart Blades. While the postseason would be cut short at the hands of Hurtig’s Hitmen, Laing is trending up with an important new role in the Bridge City. Calgary selected Laing with the 170th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

HUNTER LAING AGAIN 😱😱😱@BladesHockey | #Flames | #WHLWednesday pic.twitter.com/klNye2GPux

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) February 20, 2025

Cole Reschny

After hearing his name called at pick 18 in the 2025 NHL Draft, Reschny ranks as the second-highest drafted player on this list- and for good reason. The 5-foot-10, 187-pound centreman and alternate captain led the Victoria Royals in scoring with 26 goals and 66 assists for 92 points in 62 games, tying for ninth in points among all WHL skaters, sixth in assists and seventh in faceoff wins (724). The Macklin, Sask. product also represented the league at the first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada, where he scored the game-winning goal with minutes remaining in Game 2 against the US National Team Development Program. Reschny saved some of his finest work for the postseason, where he erupted for nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points in just 11 games. His 2.27 points-per-game trailed only Medicine Hat Tigers phenom and 2025 WHL Champion Gavin McKenna. Reschny bookended his season with a pair of gold medals at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (3G-4A) and 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship (5G-3A).

The @victoriaroyals are looking DANGEROUS in Round Two!

Kenta Isogai, Teydon Trembecky, and Cole Reschny adds to the visitors' lead. #WHLPlayoffs | #NHLDraft | #FeedingtheFuture pic.twitter.com/uw87A0F7aB

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 14, 2025