Chase Harrington is already making the Calgary Flames look smart.
The Flames took Harrington with the 36th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, selecting the Spokane Chiefs winger after three second-round choices came their way. At the time, the decision stood out because players such as Mathis Preston and Markus Ruck were still on the board. Since then, Harrington has done plenty to justify the swing.
His first test came quickly at Flames training camp, and he made the most of it. Spokane allowed him to skip its camp and report to Calgary, where he spent longer than most rookies typically do and even skated with the group made up mainly of NHL players. He caught the coaching staff’s attention right away before eventually being sent back to the WHL.
Back in Spokane, the accolades kept coming. Harrington was named captain of the Chiefs for this season, becoming the 18-year-old leader of a team he has played for throughout his three WHL seasons.
The Chiefs have made the playoffs every year he has been there. Flames prospect Cole Reschny also drew a captaincy this season, with Reschny named captain of the University of North Dakota.
Harrington wasted no time producing with the C on his sweater. In his first game as captain, he scored once and added two assists in a 3-2 win. Through six games, he has eight points - three goals and five assists - to lead the Chiefs and put himself on pace for 90 points in his D+1 season.
The production has come with edge, too. Harrington has piled up 14 penalty minutes in those six games, tops on the team, and he has kept his pest-style game very much intact.
That’s the part of his game that makes him stand out. He hunts pucks hard, leans into battles in the corners and along the boards, and isn’t shy about driving the net for rebounds.
He brings energy and intensity every shift, and that kind of presence is exactly what Calgary is missing in both its lineup and its prospect group. He can finish, too, converting chances when they come his way.
The physical side remains the foundation, though. Harrington handles the gritty work, but he has also sharpened the rest of his game into something more complete.
Across all three zones, he looks dependable and relentless, always chasing the puck and never giving the opposition much room. For the Flames, he already looks like a strong pick - and if this pace keeps up, it will be another example of Craig Conroy and company hitting a home run.
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