The Calgary Flames came into 2026-27 training camp with a smaller group than usual, but a much more seasoned one.
They opened camp with 52 players on the main roster and have already trimmed that to 48. That is a noticeable drop from previous years, when the number at camp often climbed into the 65-to-70 range. Even so, this year’s group carries more NHL mileage than you might expect.
The key number is 41. That’s how many players the Flames have on active NHL contracts this season.
Of those, 37 have already appeared in NHL games. Even the organization’s AHL signee brings NHL experience to the table.
In goal, the experience is spread across the board. Kirill Zarubin is entering his first year of North American pro hockey and has no NHL games yet.
Arsenii Sergeev has one. Devin Cooley, the current backup, has 37.
Dustin Wolf, the starter, has 128.
The blue line is even deeper in experience. Axel Hurtig is the lone defenceman under contract without an NHL game on his resume, and he’s also entering his first year of North American pro hockey. Everyone else has at least some big-league time.
A few are just getting started: Abram Wiebe has 4 NHL games, Jake Livingstone 5, Mike Benning 18, Hunter Brzustewicz 35, Zayne Parekh 38 and Yan Kuznetsov 58.
Then there’s the larger group with a more substantial body of work: Simon Nemec has 155 games, Brayden Pachal 177, Andreas Englund 200, Kevin Bahl 297, Joel Hanley 314, Jake Middleton 381 and Zach Whitecloud 399.
Up front, the same pattern holds. The Flames have 23 forwards on active contracts, not counting Theo Stockselius, whose deal will slide this season.
Andrew Basha and Jonathan Castagna are both in their first full years of North American pro hockey and have no NHL games yet. Every other forward in the system has at least some NHL action on his ledger.
There are plenty of players in the early stage of that climb: William Stromgren has 3 NHL games, Sam Morton 4, Tyson Gross 6, Aydar Suniev 7, Rory Kerins 9, Sam Honzek 23, Matvei Gridin 37, Brennan Othmann 44 and Ben Jones 56.
The next tier brings more established resumes. Adam Klapka has 116 games, Maxim Tsyplakov 126, Martin Pospisil 166, Connor Zary 191, Matt Coronato 192 and Dryden Hunt 238.
And then come the veterans. Morgan Frost has 392 NHL games, Yegor Sharangovich 438 and Joel Farabee 497. Ryan Strome has 916, Jonathan Huberdeau 962 and Mikael Backlund leads the group with 1,148.
Luke Philp, who is on an AHL deal, also has 3 NHL games. Alex Nylander, on a professional try-out, has 126.
The upshot is simple: if the Flames need a call-up during the season, they’ll have a lot of players who already know what NHL hockey looks and feels like.
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For a young player whose next stop should still be junior hockey, simply being around the main camp is a meaningful step, and it has not gone unnoticed. Flames goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera and others around the team have been impressed by Harringtons shot, a skill that can stand out quickly when a teenager is trying to make an impression among professionals. [Read more 🡒]
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The reaction has not stayed quiet. Mary Loewen has emerged as one of the most visible voices opposing the signing, leading a petition aimed at the Oilers decision and helping fuel the protests and vocal criticism that have followed the move. For a division rival like Calgary, it is the kind of cross-border controversy that adds another layer to the seasons early backdrop, with the hockey itself now only part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Farabee And Frost Just Landed Huge Chances In Calgary
Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost are getting a real look in Calgary as the Flames open preseason against the Seattle Kraken, and both forwards enter the year with a chance to carve out major roles in their second full NHL seasons with the club. Farabees assignment points to a more responsible lane on the wing, while Frost is stepping into a prominent center job that suggests the coaching staff wants to see what he can do with added touches and more demanding minutes.
Farabee is lining up next to Mikael Backlund, a spot that should test his defensive detail as much as his offense, while Frost is being counted on in a more offensively tilted setup with Matt Coronato and Matvei Gridin. Both players have made it clear they want to contribute in a meaningful way this season, and the early preseason look will give Calgary a first sense of how much those expectations can hold up once the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]