Wranglers edge Reign 3–2 behind Suniev’s winner and Prosvetov’s strong night at the Dome

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers closed their homestand with a hard-fought 3–2 win over the Ontario Reign on Wednesday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, powered by a shorthanded strike from captain Clark Bishop and a third-period game winner from rookie forward Adar Suniev.

Calgary opened the scoring late in the first when Martin Frk finished a quick passing sequence at 17:19. Matvei Gridin carried the puck on the entry, slipped it wide, and the puck eventually moved through Dryden Hunt to Frk at the edge of the crease for his fourth goal of the season. The Wranglers carried a 1–0 lead into the intermission with a 10–8 advantage in shots.

The second period delivered most of the night’s emotion. After Gridin was called for tripping as part of a sequence that included offsetting roughing minors, Calgary found itself shorthanded. Bishop turned the situation into an opportunity, jumping on a loose puck and scoring one-handed on the breakaway at 6:41 for his third of the year. David Silye recorded the lone assist.

Ontario responded with a strong push of its own. Akil Thomas cut the lead to 2–1 at 13:45, walking down the right side and snapping a high shot past Ivan Prosvetov. Martin Chromiak picked up the assist, and the Reign carried that momentum into the intermission despite trailing on the scoreboard. Calgary held a 22–12 shot advantage through forty minutes.

Ontario tied the game during a lengthy two-man advantage in the third. Jakub Dvorak pounced on a rebound at 17:17 to make it 2–2, with assists from Francesco Pinelli and Kenny Connors.

The Wranglers answered quickly. On the power play at 9:03, Suniev hammered home a cross-slot feed for his fourth of the season, restoring Calgary’s lead. The assists went to William Strömgren and Hunter Brzustewicz, who moved the puck sharply across the top before the decisive finish.

Prosvetov preserved the win with a sprawling right-pad save minutes later as Ontario threatened to tie the game again. The Reign pulled their goalie with 90 seconds left and generated pressure, but Calgary’s defensive group closed the final shift without surrendering another clean look. Shots finished 32–23 for the Wranglers.

The win sends the Wranglers into a three-week road swing that spans 10 games before their next appearance at the Saddledome. Calgary opens the trip on Nov. 15 and 16 in Henderson, followed by stops in Bakersfield (Nov. 18), San Diego (Nov. 22), Coachella Valley (Nov. 23), San Jose (Nov. 26), Abbotsford (Dec. 2 and 3), and a back-to-back in Ontario (Dec. 6 and 7). The Wranglers return home on Dec. 9 to face the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Three Stars

1. Clark Bishop, CGY

2. Adar Suniev, CGY

3. Ivan Prosvetov, CGY

Wranglers Drop 4–1 Decision to Barracuda on Hockey Fights Cancer Night at the Saddledome

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers fell 4–1 to the San Jose Barracuda Saturday afternoon at the Scotiabank Saddledome, as San Jose completed the two-game sweep in front of a strong crowd for the team’s annual Hockey Fights Cancer game.

The Barracuda struck first at the 8:00 mark of the opening period, when Egor Afanasyev (#11) cut in over the blue line and snapped a low shot far side past Ivan Prosvetov. The goal was the first of the season for the 6'4" left winger from Tver, Russia, who was drafted 45th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2019 and traded to San Jose earlier this year.

San Jose added to their lead after Calgary forward Rory Kerins was called for interference. On the power play, Pavol Regenda (#84) sent a puck into traffic that eventually found Kasper Halttunen (#14), who buried it to make it 2–0. Just minutes later, Halttunen scored again — this time on a clean shot from the left circle for his second of the game and third of the season. The Helsinki-born forward was a second-round pick (36th overall) in 2023 and is currently in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract.

Calgary’s best chance of the first came in the dying seconds, when a Wranglers forward broke in alone, but goaltender Gabriel Carriere stood tall. San Jose outshot Calgary 11–5 in the first.

Tempers flared late in the period as Alex Gallant and Anthony Vincent dropped the gloves, although the fight didn’t escalate beyond a quick exchange. Jimmy Huntington, who had earlier laid a heavy hit on Hunter Brzustewicz, was involved in a scrap of his own later in the second with Calgary’s Nick Cicek — possibly in response to that earlier collision.

Calgary found some life late in the second. After several chances turned away by Carriere, the Wranglers finally broke through with 2:17 left in the period. Aydar Suniev’s shot from the right dot deflected off Sam Morton and then off Lucas Ciona (#17), who redirected it in for his first goal of the season. That cut the deficit to 3–1 heading into the third.

The Wranglers had two power play opportunities in the game but were unable to convert, falling to 6-for-40 on the season (15.0%). San Jose went 1-for-2, improving their power play efficiency to 13-for-50 (26%).

In the third, Calgary pushed hard. Parker Bell had multiple rushes, Matvei Gridin had several looks, and Brzustewicz nearly scored on a wraparound. Carriere was sharp throughout, including a glove save on Regenda shorthanded and a key stop on Brzustewicz walking in from the point.

With time running down, Calgary pulled Prosvetov for the extra attacker, but Colin White sealed the game with an empty net goal — his second goal of the year — making it 4–1 San Jose.

After the game, Barracuda GM Joe Will praised his forward depth, saying several players could contribute at the NHL level this season. He also noted confidence in both of San Jose’s AHL goalies — Carriere and Škarek — to step in and help the big club if needed.

Wranglers edge Coachella Valley 4–3 as Morton and Brzustewicz lead the way

CALGARY — Sam Morton led the way with a three-point performance and Hunter Brzustewicz scored twice as the Calgary Wranglers defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds 4–3 on Saturday night to close out their home-opening weekend at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Morton opened the scoring in the first period and later helped tee up Brzustewicz for one of his two goals in what became the defenceman’s first multi-goal night as a pro. Matvei Gridin and Dryden Hunt each recorded two assists, while Hunt extended his run to four multi-point performances in his last five games.

Coachella Valley pushed throughout the night, outshooting Calgary 27–26. Ivan Prosvetov turned aside 24 shots to record his first win as a Wrangler.

Calgary protected its lead through a final push by the Firebirds, who scored with 7.2 seconds left to make it 4–3 before time ran out.

The win closes out the weekend split after Friday’s overtime loss and moves Calgary to 2–2–2 on the season.

The Wranglers now pivot to a four-game stretch in six days, beginning with a road back-to-back against the Abbotsford Canucks on Tuesday and Wednesday. Puck drop for both games is 8:00 p.m. MT at Abbotsford Centre. Calgary then returns home to host the Bakersfield Condors for matinee games at the Scotiabank Saddledome on November 1 and 2.

Fans can watch the upcoming road series live on AHLTV via FloHockey at https://flosports.link/46YqCIJ.

Kerins, Coronato Lead Calgary Past Seattle in Preseason Win

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames leaned on a mix of youthful energy and veteran stability Tuesday night, skating to a 4–1 preseason win over the Seattle Kraken at Scotiabank Saddledome.

Yegor Sharangovich opened the scoring midway through the first period, deflecting a Hunter Brzustewicz shot to give Calgary an early edge. Seattle answered before the intermission, knotting the game 1–1.

Early in the second, Rory Kerins restored the Flames’ lead. After Connor Zary carried the puck into the zone, a broken play left the puck bouncing loose in front. Kerins pounced and snapped a shot past the Kraken goaltender from close range to make it 2–1 Calgary. The 23-year-old prospect, who scored 33 goals last year for the AHL Wranglers, added an assist later in the night to cap a strong outing.

On fresh ice to start the third, Matt Coronato struck quickly. Stationed below the left circle, he one-timed a slick low cross-slot feed from Morgan Frost, beating the Seattle goalie clean to push the Flames ahead 3–1. Jonathan Huberdeau also picked up an assist on the play.

Sam Morton sealed it with an empty-netter at 17:26, created by a sharp defensive play from Sam Honzek, who broke up a Seattle rush and turned the puck the other way before sliding it ahead for Morton’s finish.

Brzustewicz finished with two assists and two shots on goal, continuing to impress with his poise from the back end. Sharangovich, Huberdeau, and Frost each chipped in helpers to round out a balanced offensive showing.

Between the pipes, Dustin Wolf stopped 12 of 13 shots before giving way to Owen Say, who turned aside all seven attempts he faced to close out the win.

The victory offered a glimpse of Calgary’s depth in action — with veterans setting the tone and young players like Kerins, Brzustewicz, and Honzek making strong cases to stick around as roster battles intensify heading toward opening night.

Countdown to Flames & Wranglers Hockey: Wolf, Brzustewicz, and Calgary’s Next Chapter

Few players in the Flames system draw more attention right now than Dustin Wolf and Hunter Brzustewicz.

Wolf is coming off his first full NHL season, where he played 53 games, won 29, posted a .910 save percentage, and earned recognition as a Calder Trophy finalist. At 24, he has shifted from top prospect to a starter who gives the Flames a level of consistency in goal that had been missing in recent years.

Brzustewicz, meanwhile, is pushing from the AHL. After a 92-point season with the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League, he posted 32 points as a rookie with the Wranglers and made his NHL debut late in the year. His poise with the puck and ability to drive play from the blue line make him one of the most intriguing young players in the organization.

Their development provides an added layer of interest as the new season approaches. Calgary opens its preseason September 21 with a split-squad doubleheader against Edmonton, one game at the Saddledome and the other at Rogers Place. The regular season begins October 8 in Edmonton, followed immediately by a visit to Vancouver on October 9. That means the Flames will start their year with back-to-back road games before finally returning home October 11 to face St. Louis in front of the C of Red.

The Wranglers open their season October 10 with a two-game set in Colorado, continue with another pair in Tucson, and then return to Calgary for back-to-back games against Coachella Valley on October 24 and 25. That stretch represents six games across three cities in just over two weeks, a demanding way to open the year and a reminder of how quickly the AHL schedule tests a roster.

Wolf and Brzustewicz don’t define the future on their own, but they represent where the Flames and Wranglers are headed: a stronger connection between the NHL roster and the pipeline below it. One is already carrying NHL responsibility. The other is forcing his way into the conversation. Together, they are part of the bigger picture as hockey returns to Calgary this fall.