The Calgary Flames are about to open their 2026-27 exhibition schedule Sunday night at home against the Seattle Kraken, and they’ll do it under a new set of pre-season rules that already change the way teams have to manage their rosters.
With the first year of the new collective bargaining agreement now underway, the NHL has kept the restriction that limits players with 100 or more career games to two pre-season appearances. But it has also broadened the definition of who counts as a “veteran player” for exhibition purposes, giving clubs a little more flexibility while still forcing them to plan carefully.
Under the updated rules, the veteran categories now include players with 400 or more combined NHL and AHL career games, skaters who played in 30 or more NHL games last season, first-round picks from the last five drafts, and second-round picks from the last three drafts. For the Flames, that means 31 of the 48 players currently in camp fall into one of those veteran groups.
The list includes Alex Gallant and Ben Jones in the 400-plus combined games category. Matvei Gridin, Yan Kuznetsov, Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz qualify because they played in 30 or more NHL games last season. Samuel Honzek is the lone Flames player in the first-round pick category, while Andrew Basha and Chase Harrington are included as second-round selections from the last three drafts.
There are no Flames goalies in the veteran pool under the pre-season rules.
The league’s old definition was narrower. It included skaters with 30 or more NHL games last season, goalies with 30 or more NHL games played or 50 or more dressed last season, first-round picks from the most recent draft, and players with 100 or more career NHL games.
Teams must dress at least eight players from these veteran categories in each pre-season game. And because players with 100-plus career NHL games can only appear in two exhibition games, clubs have to spread those appearances around if they plan to use their likely opening night lineup in the final pre-season game.
That leaves the Flames with some careful bookkeeping to do over their first three exhibition dates. It’s a juggling act, and one Calgary - along with the rest of the league - will have to sort through as the new CBA takes hold.
In Other News...
Connor Harrington Is Giving Flames Fans A Reason To Look Ahead
An 18-year-old winger who was taken 36th overall, Connor Harrington has already found a way to get Flames fans thinking beyond the immediate training camp churn. He has been working with the NHL group in Calgary, picking up reps against bigger, older players and getting a firsthand look at the pace the organization expects, even though he is expected to head back to Spokane for the WHL season soon.
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 🡒]
Oilers Signing Has Already Turned Into A Public Backlash
Alex Formentons first appearance in an Edmonton Oilers sweater came with the kind of attention that had little to do with preseason hockey. The forward, who was previously acquitted of sexual assault charges tied to a 2018 incident involving five players from Canadas World Junior team, was signed by the Oilers and quickly drew public pushback from fans and survivors who questioned the decision. Even before the games matter, his addition has become one of those moves that spills well beyond the rink.
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 🡒]