The Calgary Flames used the 36th pick in the 2026 Draft on Chase Harrington, and early in 2026-27, he’s starting to look like the kind of player who can force his way into the conversation. The 6-foot-1, 203-pound forward has brought the physical edge expected from him, piling up 105 penalty minutes last season, but he’s also shown real touch with six goals and 13 points in seven games this year.
That production has come with a new title attached. Before the season, Harrington was named captain of the Spokane Chiefs, and he’s helped steer a team that has won seven of its first eight games. Spokane sits first in the Western Conference of the Western Hockey League and ninth in the Canadian Hockey League power rankings.
Harrington’s path to Calgary came with a little draft-year wrinkle. He was born in Prince George, British Columbia, on Oct. 30, 2007, which pushed him into the 2026 Draft instead of 2025, when most players from his birth year were already selected. That draft was packed with late-birthday prospects, including first overall pick Gavin McKenna and second overall pick Ivar Stenberg.
For most of his time with Spokane leading into the draft, Harrington’s offence wasn’t loud enough to make him a premium name. He still put up 28 goals last season, but his game was never built on pure scoring polish. His calling card was the work away from the puck - a nonstop motor, a heavy forecheck, and the kind of pressure that wears teams down shift after shift.
That style showed up everywhere in the offensive zone. Harrington was repeatedly able to strip pucks thanks to his reads on defenders and their outlet passes, then get right to the net front and make life miserable for goalies and defensemen alike.
Part of why his numbers didn’t spike even more was the company he kept. Harrington spent plenty of time skating alongside Seattle Kraken forward Berkly Catton, who put up 109 points in 2024-25. Even so, Harrington led Spokane in scoring last season with 57 points in 61 games, while the Chiefs slid to 73 points overall, a 19-point drop from the year before.
There isn’t much in his game that jumps out as a major weakness. He can skate, he can create with better linemates or without them, he forechecks hard, and he holds his own in the defensive end.
He also brings the edge that comes with 105 penalty minutes last season, a jump of 64 minutes from 2024-25, including some fighting majors. After three solid seasons with Spokane, he landed at 36th overall as a second- to third-round type of prospect for the Flames.
So far, the captaincy hasn’t looked too big for him at all. Spokane opened with a 3-2 win over the Tri-City Americans, and Harrington set the tone with a Gordie Howe hat trick: one goal, two assists, and a fight. He followed that with another two points and another fight against the Portland Winterhawks in game two.
He then opened the season with a five-game point streak before being held off the scoresheet against the Everett Silvertips. The response came the next time out against Everett, when he erupted for three goals and five points in a 7-1 win. That surge has him tracking toward a new personal best in points while still playing the same puck-hunting style that makes him such a difficult opponent.
For the Flames, it’s a promising sign from a player who entered the draft without a ton of flash but plenty of substance. Harrington is showing he can lead, produce, and keep bringing the exact kind of relentless game that got him drafted in the first place.
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