Aydar Suniev wasted no time making his case Sunday night.
In the Flames’ first tune-up game ahead of the regular season, the 21-year-old winger stood out in a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, scoring twice and ringing another chance off the post. Through two pre-season appearances, he’s now accounted for all three of Calgary’s goals.
“It was awesome, I worked on my shot all summer and just the little things. I’m glad it’s paying off,” Suniev said post-game.
That kind of start is exactly what turns a camp battle into something real. Flames head coach Ryan Huska has said the opening night roster still has room for competition, even if it looks mostly set.
A year ago, Matvei Gridin played his way into the NHL picture with a strong camp, and Sam Honzek did the same in 2024. Suniev is trying to follow that path.
The performance also fit with what Huska has seen from him over time.
“Every year that Suni’s come back, there’s been a lot of growth in his game,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “That’s what we’re excited about, he just seems like he keeps starting to understand the game a little bit better and he’s more of a man, if that makes sense. He’s maturing, both mentally and physically.”
Huska was clear that Suniev’s shot is already a calling card.
“He can shoot a puck, we know that,” Huska said. “When he gets opportunities it’s nice to see him have success. Three goals so far and he’s got all three, good on him.”
If Suniev was the night’s headliner, Honzek wasn’t far behind. Huska named him the team’s best forward against Seattle, and it was easy to see why. The 23-year-old was active all over the ice and helped set up Suniev’s first goal.
For Honzek, the bigger story is simply being back.
He missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, and Sunday marked a welcome return to form for the Slovak winger.
“It actually felt pretty unreal,” Honzek said. “It started with warmup, seeing the fans and getting the excitement going. I enjoyed every second of it and I’m glad that I felt well and my shoulder was good and overall my body felt 100%.”
He has been skating on a line with Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee early in camp, and that looks like the spot he’ll open the regular season in.
Huska liked what he saw from him, too.
“He was back like he hadn’t missed a year,” Huska said. “It’s nice to see him out there.
He brings an element to our team that we don’t have a lot of. A little bit of size but he’s got some real speed.
When he’s on the ice he’s noticeable, not just for his ability to forecheck or put pressure on his opponents, but tonight he made some really nice plays on the puck, as well.”
Not everyone’s night lasted very long. Brennan Othmann was ejected a little more than five minutes into the game after a high hit on Seattle’s Ville Ottavainen drew a five-minute major for elbowing and a game misconduct.
Before that, though, he had already made his presence felt. Othmann dropped the gloves with John Hayden and also drew an interference penalty on his first shift.
“For the short time that Othmann was in the game, he had impact,” Huska said. It’s too bad he ended up getting tossed out like that, because he was very noticeable. “
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