Wranglers fall 5 to 2 in Bakersfield as Condors surge late for home victory
The Calgary Wranglers opened strong but dropped a 5 to 2 decision to the Bakersfield Condors on Tuesday night. Martin Frk and William Strömgren scored for Calgary while Josh Samanski and Isaac Howard led Bakersfield’s offense. Calgary outshot the Condors but could not close the gap in the third period.
CALGARY -- The Calgary Wranglers could not turn early momentum into a road win on Tuesday night, falling 5 to 2 to the Bakersfield Condors in a game that slipped away during a tough second period. Calgary opened the scoring and traded goals through forty minutes, but Bakersfield’s depth and timely finishing took over late as the Condors pulled away with two empty netters to seal the result.
Martin Frk opened the scoring for Calgary just over four minutes in, finishing a touch pass from Matvei Gridin, the 2024 first round pick who continues to show poise and creativity. Bakersfield answered quickly and the teams went into the intermission even.
William Strömgren restored the lead for the Wranglers early in the second period on the power play, set up by Frk and goaltender Ivan Prosvetov who earned his first assist of the season. But Bakersfield surged with two goals in just over a minute, including a power play strike from Quinn Hutson, shifting the game’s momentum for good.
Josh Samanski, the German Canadian forward who joined the Edmonton Oilers organization in 2025, added a goal and an assist to lead the Condors. Isaac Howard scored twice, including an empty netter, while Roby Järventie also hit the vacant cage to put the game out of reach. Calgary outshot Bakersfield 27 to 26 but could not solve the Condors’ structure in the third period.
Gridin continued to be a bright spot for the Wranglers, building on the strong start to his AHL career as a Flames first round pick. Frk added a multi point night, and Strömgren’s power play goal marked another important step in his development.
The Wranglers now look to regroup as they continue their road stretch and aim to tighten their defensive details heading into their next matchup in San Diego on Saturday night.
Blue Jays advance to ALCS as Flames win Battle of Alberta and Wolf dominates early season
CALGARY — It was a defining week for Canadian sports — and once again, Calgary was right in the centre of it.
The Toronto Blue Jays punched their ticket to the American League Championship Series with a convincing win over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Toronto now awaits the winner of Tigers–Mariners Game 5, which will decide who they face when the ALCS opens Sunday at 6 p.m. Mountain.
Back in Alberta, the Flames delivered an early-season statement. Down 3–0 to the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary stormed back to win 4–3 in an eight-round shootout, taking the first Battle of Alberta of the season. Matvei Gridin, Connor Zary, and Blake Coleman provided the regulation goals, with Coleman capitalizing on yet another misplay by Stuart Skinner. Nazem Kadri scored the shootout winner and added an assist, while Adam Klapka and Matt Coronato also picked up helpers.
Goaltender Dustin Wolf once again proved why he’s the cornerstone of Calgary’s crease, stopping 32 of 35 shots through regulation and overtime — plus seven more in the shootout — for a .914 save percentage. Despite being the difference-maker, Wolf was curiously left off the game’s three stars list.
For Edmonton, the same narrative continues. With two of the league’s top forwards, the Oilers’ ongoing goaltending instability remains their biggest barrier to serious contention.
Calgary dropped the second half of their back-to-back the following night in Vancouver, falling 5–1 to the Canucks. Morgan Frost notched the lone goal for the Flames, assisted by Yegor Sharangovich and Joel Farabee.
The Flames return home to the Scotiabank Saddledome for their home opener Saturday at 2 p.m. against the St. Louis Blues, aiming to climb back above .500 for the second time this season. Meanwhile, the Calgary Wranglers kick off their AHL campaign with a two-game set in Colorado against the Eagles.
Between the Jays chasing a pennant and the Flames showing early-season resilience, Canada’s sports momentum is surging — and in Calgary, the fire’s only getting brighter.
Flames and Oilers clash in season’s first Battle of Alberta tonight
CALGARY -- The 2025-26 NHL season rolls into its second night with four games on the schedule, led by the year’s first Battle of Alberta as the Flames visit the Oilers at Rogers Place.
Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. MT in Edmonton, where Calgary opens its campaign on the road before heading to Vancouver tomorrow. The Flames return home Saturday for a 2 p.m. matinee against the St. Louis Blues at the Scotiabank Saddledome, marking their 2025-26 home opener.
The rivalry spotlight isn’t exclusive to Alberta tonight. In Toronto, another classic matchup kicks things off at 5:00 p.m. MT as the Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena. No matter the standings, Toronto-Montreal never feels like just another game — it’s Canadian hockey’s longest-running feud.
At 5:30, the Boston Bruins meet the Washington Capitals in D.C., while the Los Angeles Kings play their second straight night after dropping a 4-1 decision to the Colorado Avalanche in their season opener. They’ll face the Vegas Golden Knights in the late game from T-Mobile Arena.
Calgary’s AHL affiliate, the Wranglers, also open their season Friday night in Colorado against the Eagles, beginning a stretch that will see Flames and Wranglers players in action across four cities in four days.
The 2025-26 season is only two nights old, but the emotion, rivalries, and storylines are already taking shape — and tonight, the spotlight belongs to Alberta.
Flames Prospects Hold Off Oilers 5–4 to Sweep NextGen Showcase
CALGARY — The Calgary Flames prospects capped the NextGen Showcase with a 5–4 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday at the Scotiabank Saddledome, sweeping the weekend home-and-home series between the provincial rivals.
Edmonton struck first just over two minutes in, when Tommy Lafrenière (#54) converted from the slot to give the visitors an early lead. Calgary answered late in the opening frame. Mael Lavigne (#85) tied the game at 1–1, finishing a play set up by Kadon McCann (#73) and Simon Mack (#88).
The first period also featured a heavy hit from defenseman Mace’o Phillips (#92) that energized the crowd, as well as a key stop from goaltender Arsenii Sergeev (#40) to keep the game even heading into intermission.
Second Period
Nathan Brisson (#82) put Calgary ahead midway through the period, converting on a rush created by Jacob Battaglia (#60), with Mack earning his second assist of the night. Matvei Gridin (#51) then extended the lead, hammering a one-timer home off feeds from Carter King (#95) and Sam Honzek (#29).
Lafrenière responded with his second of the game on an Edmonton power play, cutting the Flames’ lead to 3–2 after forty minutes.
Third Period
Calgary wasted little time adding insurance. At 2:51, Colton Alain (#71) snapped a shot from the high slot after a setup by David Silye (#83) and Aydar Suniev (#36) to make it 4–2.
Edmonton’s Josh Samanski replied minutes later, finishing off a setup from Quinn Hutson to make it 4–3, but the Flames restored their cushion on the power play. Hunter Laing (#53) finished off a passing play from Parker Bell (#87) and Suniev to push the lead to 5–3.
Von Richter’s point shot brought Edmonton back within one, but Sergeev shut the door in the dying seconds. With the Oilers pressing and their goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Calgary held firm through a frantic scramble in front to seal the win.
Top Performers
Nathan Brisson (CGY): Scored the go-ahead goal in the second and added an assist.
Simon Mack (CGY): Two assists, steady presence on the back end.
Aydar Suniev (CGY): Involved in multiple plays, including a key setup on the Laing power-play goal.
Hunter Laing (CGY): Power-play goal that ultimately stood up as the game-winner.
Tommy Lafrenière (EDM): Two goals to pace the Oilers’ attack and keep them within striking distance.
Arsenii Sergeev (CGY): Steady in net, closing the door during a wild final scramble.
Final Score: Flames 5, Oilers 4
What’s Next
The NHL preseason begins next weekend. On Saturday, September 20, the Dallas Stars host the St. Louis Blues (5 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. ET). The following day is a busy one across the league, with 14 games on the schedule, including split-squad matchups between the Flames and Oilers. Both games are set for Sunday, September 21, with puck drop at 6 p.m. MT / 8 p.m. ET.