Wranglers Beat Firebirds 5-4 in OT as Kerins, Frk, and Gridin Lead Calgary on the Road

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers continued to show their resilience on the road, picking up a 5-4 overtime win against the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Sunday afternoon. It was a game full of swings, momentum shifts, and high-end skill, and Calgary’s top players stepped up when it mattered most.

Coachella Valley opened the scoring just 40 seconds into the game, but the Wranglers answered quickly. Rory Kerins tied it, and Nick Cicek followed with another shortly after to give Calgary its first lead. The Firebirds managed to even the score in the final seconds of the first period, setting up a back-and-forth afternoon.

The second period followed the same pattern. Coachella regained the lead on the powerplay, but Martin Frk responded with a powerplay marker of his own. That goal moved Frk into second place in AHL goal scoring and first in league points, with teammate Matvei Gridin sitting third. Both players continued their red-hot offensive pace.

Gridin put Calgary ahead early in the third, but Coachella tied it again with 10 minutes left. The game headed to overtime, where Kerins delivered the winner, burying his second goal of the day to secure the extra point. Kerins finished with two goals and one assist, while Frk and Gridin each put up three-point nights of their own.

Rookie goaltender Owen Say held strong throughout the high-event game, stopping 31 of 35 shots for a .886 save percentage. It was another composed outing from the young netminder, who continues to give Calgary steady play during this long road stretch.

With the win, the Wranglers move to the halfway point of their 10-game road stand. Calgary now shifts its focus to Wednesday, November 26, when the team visits the San Jose Barracuda at Tech CU Arena. Puck drop is at 8:00 pm MT, and fans can catch the action live on AHLTV via FloHockey.

Calgary’s road-heavy November continues with key Pacific Division matchups ahead, and with Kerins, Frk, Gridin, and Say leading the charge, the Wranglers are building solid momentum as the season approaches December.

Flames Win Shootout Thriller, Wranglers Earn Road Victory, and Calgary Teams Prep for Busy Week

CALGARY — The Calgary Flames and Calgary Wranglers both delivered 3 to 2 victories on Saturday night, giving the city a clean sweep across the NHL and AHL while setting the tone for one of the busiest weeks of the season for Calgary hockey fans.

At the Saddledome, the Flames edged the Dallas Stars 3 to 2 in a shootout, with Nazem Kadri burying the winner and Devin Cooley turning in another composed, confident performance. Cooley entered the night carrying a 1.80 goals against average and a .935 save percentage, and he gave Calgary exactly the kind of calm presence they needed against a Dallas lineup featuring elite offensive threats. Calgary generated timely scoring, defended well late, and finished the job when the skills competition rolled around. Kadri’s finish sealed it, and Cooley shut the door to complete the win.

While the Flames were grinding out their victory at home, the Wranglers were doing the same in San Diego. After giving up the opening goal, Calgary responded with purpose. Martin Frk tied the game in the first period with assists from Matvei Gridin and Rory Kerins. Justin Kirkland followed it up with a powerplay strike to give the Wranglers the lead, and Gridin extended it in the second period with his seventh of the season. San Diego pushed back with a late goal, but Ivan Prosvetov handled the final moments with confidence, finishing with 30 saves on 32 shots. Frk led the way with a three-point night, while both Kerins and Gridin posted two point games.

It was a strong showing from both Flames affiliates, but the schedule now tightens. The Flames are back at it right away with a Sunday night matchup in Vancouver against the Canucks at 7 pm. That game kicks off a tough three-game stretch that includes Tampa Bay on Wednesday, the defending champion Florida Panthers on Friday, and a visit to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday to close out the month of November. It is a challenging run that will test Calgary’s structure, depth, and goaltending.

The Wranglers face their own quick turnaround with a road game today at 3 pm MT against the Coachella Valley Firebirds at Acrisure Arena. After that, they visit the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday as they continue their California swing. With Frk, Kerins, and Gridin producing at a high level, the Wranglers remain one of the most consistent offensive teams in the AHL’s Pacific Division.

Calgary hockey extended beyond the NHL and AHL on Saturday night as well. In major junior action, the Calgary Hitmen fell in a high-scoring 7 to 6 game in Medicine Hat. The Hitmen return home right away for a 4 pm matchup at the Scotiabank Saddledome, giving Calgary fans yet another home event in a packed weekend.

It was a full night for hockey in Calgary, and both the Flames and Wranglers delivered results that matched the effort. With big games coming across every level of the sport in the next few days, the city is stepping into one of the most compelling stretches of the season.

Wranglers blank Abbotsford 3–0 to open back-to-back road set

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. -- The Calgary Wranglers opened their back-to-back in Abbotsford with a 3–0 win over the Canucks on Tuesday night. The first two periods produced no scoring before Calgary broke through in the third.

Yan Kuznetsov opened the scoring eight minutes into the period. Aydar Suniev added a second goal on the power play three and a half minutes later, his first as a professional. Rory Kerins scored the third to finish with a two-point night.

The win was driven by a trio of Russian-born contributors. Kuznetsov, a 6-foot-4 defender from Murmansk, set the tone. Suniev, a 20-year-old wing from Kazan in his first season pro after a 38-point year at UMass, doubled the lead. In goal, Moscow native Ivan Prosvetov made 33 saves for his seventh career AHL shutout in his 150th appearance.

The Wranglers and Canucks complete the two-game set in Abbotsford on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. MT. Calgary then returns home to host Bakersfield in a Saturday–Sunday set at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Nov. 1 and 2, before San Jose visits on Nov. 6.

Fans can watch Wednesday’s road meeting live on AHLTV via FloHockey at https://flosports.link/46YqCIJ.

Wranglers Fall 5–4 in Overtime to Coachella Valley in Home Opener

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers dropped their home opener 5–4 in overtime to the Coachella Valley Firebirds on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, giving up a late tying goal before Jacob Melanson ended the game 44 seconds into the extra frame.

Clark Bishop from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, opened the scoring in the first period on Calgary’s fifth shot of the game and later added a shorthanded goal in the third, finishing with two of the Wranglers’ four goals. Rory Kerins and Matvei Gridin also had multi-point efforts, each recording one goal and one assist, while William Stromgren added two assists in the loss.

Coachella Valley cut into the Wranglers’ lead on a first-period rebound goal by Jakov Novak to make it 2–1 after one. Calgary regained a two-goal cushion when Gridin redirected a point shot in the second period to make it 3–1, before Jagger Firkus answered in the third to bring the Firebirds within one.

Bishop restored the two-goal lead at 4–2 with his shorthanded marker, but Coachella Valley responded again when Logan Morrison capitalized from in tight. With 2:32 remaining in regulation, Firkus scored his second of the night to force overtime.

In overtime, Coachella Valley completed the comeback when Melanson carried the puck down the left side and beat Calgary goaltender Owen Say with a backhand finish at 0:44, sealing the 5–4 decision.

Say made 21 saves on 26 shots in the loss. The Wranglers held a 31–18 shot advantage at one point in the third period but were unable to close out the game in regulation.

Multiple Calgary players recorded their first points on home ice this season, with Bishop scoring the Wranglers’ first home goal of 2025–26 and the club’s first shorthanded goal of the year. Kerins’ two-point performance moved him to five points on the season, while Gridin recorded his third goal of the campaign.

With the overtime loss, Calgary moves to 1-2-2 on the season. Coachella Valley (2-2-1) has now won back-to-back games and they sit fifth in the Pacific Division.

The Wranglers and Firebirds will meet again on Saturday night for a rematch at 6:00 p.m. at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The game will be available for streaming on AHLTV via FloHockey.

Wranglers Look to Even Series in Colorado

CALGARY — The Calgary Wranglers will look to bounce back Saturday night in Colorado after opening their 2025–26 season with a 7–4 loss to the Eagles on Friday at Blue FCU Arena.

Despite the final score, there were bright spots for Calgary in the opener. The top line of William Stromgren, Rory Kerins, and Dryden Hunt powered the offense, combining for five points and generating consistent pressure throughout. Martin Frk provided the team’s lone power-play goal, while goaltender Ivan Prosvetov turned aside 36 of 42 shots for an .857 save percentage in his Wranglers debut.

Special teams were the difference in Game 1, as Colorado converted on three of four opportunities with the man advantage. The Wranglers, meanwhile, finished 1-for-4 on the power play and will be looking to tighten up their penalty kill and defensive coverage in front of Prosvetov for tonight’s rematch.

Friday’s assists from Jeremie Poirier and Rory Kerins moved both players into a tie with Adam Klapka for second on the Wranglers’ all-time points list (97), just one behind Ben Jones (98). Poirier, entering his third full season with the club, remains one of the team’s key transition catalysts and is expected to log heavy minutes again tonight.

Head coach Brett Sutter’s group will try to re-establish its defensive rhythm while building on the offensive chemistry that showed flashes in the opener. Calgary’s transition game and power-play execution will be focal points against a Colorado team that thrives on tempo and puck retrieval.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. MT at Blue FCU Arena. After tonight’s contest, the Wranglers hit the road to Tucson for back-to-back games against the Roadrunners next weekend before returning home to the Scotiabank Saddledome on October 24 to face the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

AHL’s Top 5 Goal Scorers From 2024–25: Kerins Breaks Through for Wranglers

CALGARY — The American Hockey League once again served as a proving ground for scoring talent in 2024–25. Five forwards stood out above the rest, combining consistency, durability, and finishing ability to separate themselves from the pack.

At No. 5 was Bradly Nadeau of St-François-de-Madawaska, New Brunswick. The 19-year-old rookie forward scored 32 goals in 64 games for the Chicago Wolves, immediately putting himself on the radar as one of the league’s most promising young players.

Fourth place went to Rory Kerins of Caledon, Ontario, who delivered a breakout year with 33 goals in 63 games for the Calgary Wranglers. Now entering his fifth year in the Flames organization, Kerins’ progress has Flames fans wondering if he can take the next step and earn a full-time spot with the NHL roster in 2025–26.

Two players tied for second with 36 goals. Alex Steeves, born in St. Paul, Minnesota and raised in Bedford, New Hampshire, scored 36 goals in 59 games for the Toronto Marlies, continuing to make his case as one of Toronto’s most reliable scoring options at the AHL level. Sharing second was John Leonard of Amherst, Massachusetts, who matched Steeves with 36 goals while appearing in all 72 games for the Charlotte Checkers.

The league’s top scorer was Matěj Blümel of Tábor, Czechia. Blümel found the net 39 times in 67 games for the Texas Stars, earning the Willie Marshall Award as the AHL’s leading goal scorer. Dallas will be watching closely to see how quickly his production can translate to the NHL.

From Nadeau’s rookie splash to Kerins’ Calgary breakthrough and Blümel’s award-winning season, the AHL’s top scorers in 2024–25 showed the depth of young talent pushing for NHL opportunities.

For Flames fans, Kerins’ emergence may prove one of the most intriguing storyline as the organization continues to build its roster for the 2025–26 season.