Jonathan Castagna walked into Flames practice Wednesday with a nameplate that said Castagna, but around the room he’s already George.
That’s the nickname Calgary’s been using since the 21-year-old centre signed his entry-level deal in March, after the Flames acquired him from Utah earlier that month. Head coach Ryan Huska said the first reaction was a little confusion, especially when Castagna admitted he’d never watched Seinfeld.
“We call him George, I’m sure you understand why,” Huska told reporters Wednesday morning. “He didn't actually, when we first started calling him (that), he said he never watched Seinfeld, if you could believe that.
“I know. But that is his nickname now.”
The name may be new to him, but everything else has come pretty naturally so far. Castagna scored twice for the AHL’s Wranglers in his pro hockey debut last Friday, a strong first step in the organization for the Etobicoke, Ont., product.
He wasn’t about to make too much of it.
“I would say it's been pretty good,” Castagna said of his first strides in the Flames organization. “You know, there's still growing pains everywhere, (but I’m) just trying to be the best I can be.
“But the coaching staff has been really awesome to me. The older players have taken me under their wing, and I think we have a really good team there - the Wranglers - and the culture has been awesome. So you could say I had a good start or whatever, but I think it's just a testament to how we are as a team.”
Wednesday’s skate with Aydar Suniev and Adam Klapka hinted that Castagna could be next in line for an NHL debut Thursday night, when Calgary hosts Colorado at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
There’s a natural opening for a centre on the Flames’ fourth line, with Martin Pospisil moving up to skate with Sam Honzek and Ryan Strome at practice. But Huska made it clear that Castagna’s value goes beyond simply filling a spot.
“I think he understands the type of player that he is and wants to be,” Huska said. “I think he's a bigger, heavier, harder young man. And I think his game got better, or his practices and (preseason) games got better every day that he was here.
“He’s an interesting package, that's for sure. We need some bigger, heavier centres, guys that can win some faceoffs, and he does fit that mould, for sure.“
That faceoff work is a real calling card. Castagna won nearly 64% of his draws last season at Cornell, finishing in the top 10 in the nation in overall draws won.
And the possibility of this moment has been on his mind for a while. Injury kept him out once his 2025-26 collegiate season ended, which only gave him more time to picture what an NHL debut might actually feel like.
“I get to actually wear (the gear) this time, so it's pretty cool,” he said with a laugh, referring to a quick stop in Denver at the end of last season when he made introductions but didn’t get on the ice. “I’m excited. I'll say that a lot, probably, because I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything here.
“I’m just trying to bring the best I can, because you don't get these chances very often.”
In Other News...
Flames Suddenly Have A Young Forward Decision Fans Didn't Expect
The Flames made a notable young-forward shuffle this week, parting with former first-round pick Connor Zary after placing him on waivers. The move sent a ripple through a Calgary roster that has been leaning on internal competition for depth, and it also opened the door for two more prospects to get a look with the NHL club as the schedule tightens.
Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna have both been brought up from the Wranglers, giving Calgary a chance to see what each can add in a forward group that needs energy and production. Suniev has flashed offensive upside in preseason and AHL play, while Castagna has earned his way into the conversation with strong work in the minors, making this one of those early-season decisions that could quietly shape the teams depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Already Face An Early Roster Decision With Scoring At Stake
The Flames are already facing an early test of roster balance, with scoring depth suddenly at the center of the discussion. With the club looking for help up front, the next move is expected to come from the Calgary Wranglers, where a few forwards have put themselves on the radar with recent play and fit the kind of need Calgary is trying to address.
Aydar Suniev, Tyson Gross, Jonathan Castagna, Alex Nylander and Rory Kerins are all being viewed as possible options for an NHL promotion, and the teams decision could say plenty about how it wants to handle its forward group in the short term. Nothing has been made official yet, but the anticipation alone underscores how quickly the Flames may need to sort through their options if they want to keep enough offense in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Scoring Problem Puts One Veteran Option In Focus
Three games into the 2026-27 season, the Flames are already facing an offense that has produced just three goals, and that has naturally pushed help-seeking conversations into the open. On TSNs Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun reported that Calgary has at least discussed the idea of adding veteran winger Patrik Laine, a free agent who is still recovering from injury and would bring instant name value to a lineup that has struggled to find it early.
For now, though, the focus appears to be internal, with the team inclined to see what its young options can provide before making a bigger move. Aydar Suniev, Rory Kerins and Alex Nylander are among the Wranglers players the Flames want to evaluate, which leaves Laine as a potential fix rather than an immediate one. The interest is there, but the urgency to act on it does not seem to be. [Read more 🡒]