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Flames To Begin Building New Arena

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The Calgary Flames are expected to reveal plans for, and finally break ground on, a new arena this coming Monday, shares Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (Twitter link). Francis adds that the Flames’ new stomping grounds will include 18,000 seats, a community rink, indoor and outdoor event plazas, and a parking deck. The new arena will cost $926MM and be built two blocks north of the current Saddledome, with the hope of being operational for the 2027-28 season.

Sportsnet adds that $330MM of the funds for this arena will come from the Alberta government, who also plan to demolish the existing Saddledome as a part of their plans.

This news finally puts into motion the Flames’ move out of the Scotiabank Saddledome, where they’ve played since 1983. It stands alongside Madison Square Garden as the two oldest arenas in the league – with the Saddledome not receiving major renovations since 1995.

That’s beginning to change, with the team set to receive a new scoreboard this summer, though the Saddledome is still missing many of the amenities that had the Flames pushing for a new arena in 2017. The team could not reach an agreement with the city at the time, sparking strong comments from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who said in an interview with TSN, “This building was built in the 1980s, they don’t build buildings like this any more… it’s historic in many ways. But these aren’t the facilities that our hockey teams typically have.” Bettman’s comments came amid Detroit’s move to Little Caesars Arena and Seattle’s bid for the top-of-the-line Climate Pledge Arena.

Calgary will now join the list of top-end facilities, though they’ll be leaving a truly incredible arena behind. The Saddledome’s sloped roof and expansive, high-ceiling interior made it quickly iconic. It would enter hockey legend within a decade of being built, after hosting parts of the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1989 Stanley Cup-winning Calgary Flames. The arena, which also hosts the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers and WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, has stood as a testament to hockey’s history in Calgary – giving any new build a hefty past to live up to.

Brett Sutter Announces Retirement

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After playing in parts of seven NHL seasons, Brett Sutter has officially retired. The forward made the announcement via a statement from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, whom he’d captained since 2022-23. He said he’d be staying with the Flames’ affiliate as an assistant coach.

“Following 17 seasons as a player, I’m very proud and excited to leave the game and have the opportunity to step directly into this role with the Flames organization,” Sutter said. “Saying goodbye to playing isn’t easy, the game has treated my family and I so well for so long but the opportunity to stay within the organization that my family loves, makes this transition easier. I’m grateful to the Flames for the opportunity.”

Calgary selected Sutter in the sixth round of the 2005 draft, during which his father, Darryl Sutter, was both the Flames’ general manager and head coach. He made his NHL debut in the 2008-09 campaign and played 18 games in a Flames uniform before being traded to the Hurricanes in November 2010. That kicked off a run of three and half seasons in Carolina that saw the minor-league fixture see the most NHL time of his career, scoring once and adding four assists in 36 games before reaching free agency in 2014. He landed with the Wild, and his six games in Minnesota during the following campaign ended up being the last of his career.

But Sutter was still in the early stages of one of the lengthier careers the AHL has ever seen. After being traded to the Kings in 2015-16, Sutter signed a series of minor-league contracts to stay on with their affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He stayed for parts of seven seasons before landing back where his professional career began in Calgary in 2022. He was the Reign’s captain from 2017-18 until his departure.

Sutter retires with 1,090 AHL games played under his belt in parts of 17 seasons, fourth-most in league history. He was never a truly premier offensive talent at that level, as his 463 career points don’t even rank in the top 100 among AHLers. But his run of captaining three different clubs, including serving as one for seven straight to end his career despite last being under NHL contract eight years ago, is telling of his impact. He was awarded the Fred T. Hunt Award for the player “who best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship, determination and dedication to hockey” while with Ontario in 2018-19.

Now nearly 20 years after he was drafted, Sutter will again attempt to work his way up the ladder to NHL ice, this time as a coach. He’ll look to follow in the footsteps of his father, who spent parts of six seasons behind the Calgary bench as a head coach across two separate stints, leading them to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final. Darryl spent another five years with the Flames solely in a GM capacity from 2006 to 2011. All of us at Pro Hockey Rumors congratulate Sutter all the best as he embarks on his coaching career.

Reunion Seems Far Off For Flames, Oliver Kylington

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The Calgary Flames have made a long list of additions to their defense since the calendar turned to 2024, bringing in each of Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, Kevin Bahl, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal. The litany of defenders will compete for the holes left by Nikita Zadorov, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev. That crowded competition leaves unsigned defenseman Oliver Kylington on the outside looking in, shares Sportsnet’s Eric Francis on the Big Show Podcast. Francis’ sentiment was seconded on Sportsnet 960’s Flames Talk, where host Pat Steinberg agreed he doesn’t think Calgary should add to their logjam.

Kylington has gone unsigned through the first 11 days of free agency, despite being one of the youngest UFA defensemen on the open market. That’s likely thanks to his recent extended absence, returning for 33 games this season after missing all of the 2022-23 season and the first half of this year. He began to bounce back before the end of the year, ultimately totaling eight points as he fought to find his footing in the lineup. This year marked Kylington’s first showing since a career year in 2021-22, when he managed nine goals and 31 points in 73 games – playing through his first full year in the NHL. He earned the spot after fighting his way up form the minor leagues, then out of the team’s seventh-defender role.

At his best, Kylington is a smooth-moving, two-way defender who does well at pushing the puck across the red line. He’s been able to hone that skill to NHL-sharpness, though he still seems to be missing a true breakout season; even despite flashes of potential. Now 27 and two years removed from a full season, Kylington is undeniably hard to gauge. That downfall isn’t helped along by the rumor of a long-term ask, with Steinberg adding that Kylington reportedly had talks of a four-year extension with the Flames at one point.

That would be a hefty extension, and likely ensure Kylington an NHL role – both difficult guarantees for the league’s other 31 teams to provide a defender yet to take advantage of his prime. Kylington is no stranger to having to climb his way up a depth chart on short-term deals, a role he seems much more likely set for next season. He’s totaled 91 points in 192 career AHL games, predominantly coming between 2015 and 2019. That strong minor-league track record will be a great safety net for Kylington, as he shops his lanky NHL resume around the rest of the league – with Calgary’s blue-line seemingly full.

Flames Sign Zayne Parekh, Two Others To Entry-Level Deals

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The Flames have simultaneously signed a trio of prospects to three-year, entry-level contracts, including 2024 ninth-overall pick Zayne Parekh (as relayed by Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson). Right winger Matvei Gridin, who they took with the 28th overall pick last week, and 2023 second-rounder Étienne Morin also signed their rookie deals.

Parekh, 18, stands the greatest chance out of the trio to be on the opening night roster in October, although it would still be a surprise. The right-shot defenseman has arguably the highest offensive ceiling of any blue liner in this year’s class, even ahead of the Blackhawks’ second-overall pick, Artyom Levshunov. He was electric for the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit last season, leading them across the board with 33 goals, 63 assists and 96 points in 66 games with a +39 rating. It would be an impressive feat for any draft-eligible skater, but especially from the back end.

He went a bit later than most people expected him to go, too, so there’s a fair bit of steal potential with the pick. Elite Prospects ranked him as the No. 5 prospect in the class, while TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts yielded him at No. 8. He was the third defenseman off the board after Chicago took Levshunov and the Senators selected Carter Yakemchuk.

If Parekh does make the NHL squad out of camp, it’ll likely be on a nine-game trial to avoid burning the first year of his entry-level deal. At such a young age, another year with Saginaw would be beneficial to round out his two-way game. His ELC is eligible to slide twice, and he won’t be eligible for a full-time AHL assignment until 2026-27.

The 18-year-old Gridin also put pen to paper on his ELC, confirming he won’t be attending the University of Michigan in the fall as previously expected. Instead, the Flames will loan him to his junior club. The QMJHL’s Val-d’Or Foreurs took him first overall in the CHL Import Draft later this week, but they’re expected to deal him to the Rimouski Océanic before training camp begins, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports. That would mean he’d play in the 2025 Memorial Cup, with Rimouski hosting the event. Only a few scouting sites pegged him as a late first-round pick – many more had him going in the second round. He was ranked 37th in McKenzie’s year-end polling. Gridin, a native of Kurgan, Russia, had 38 goals and 83 points in 60 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL last season.

Morin, 19, is a left-shot defenseman who went 48th overall in the 2023 draft. He’s a physically involved two-way threat who had a bit of a step back in his post-draft season, posting 12 goals and 37 assists for 49 points with a -9 rating in 58 games for the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL. He’d posted better offensive and defensive results the year prior, with 72 points in 67 games with a +29 rating. Calgary is expected to loan Morin back to Moncton for his final season of junior hockey this season, sliding the beginning of his ELC to 2025-26.

Flames, Justin Kirkland Agree To Two-Way Deal

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The Flames have signed center/left winger Justin Kirkland to a two-way deal, per a team announcement. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Kirkland, 27, has seen NHL spot duty the last two seasons after playing the previous six in the AHL without a call-up. After skating in his first seven NHL games with the Ducks in 2022-23, Kirkland landed a one-year, two-way deal with the Coyotes last summer after reaching UFA status early via a Group VI designation. In Arizona, he added two major league games to his career tally, laying five hits and averaging 7:14 per game in an early January call-up.

He remains a strong minor-league scoring forward, even if he’s still in search of his first NHL point. A third-round pick of the Predators back in 2014, he made 43 appearances for AHL Tucson last year, recording eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points.

Kirkland now returns for his second stint in the Flames organization, where he had a career-high 25 goals and 48 points with AHL Stockton in 2021-22. He spent three seasons in Stockton on consecutive one-year, two-way deals from the Flames beginning when the Preds didn’t qualify him upon completion of his entry-level contract in 2019.

He’s the second major veteran addition to Calgary’s group of projected minor-leaguers this fall, joining 30-year-old Czech sharp-shooter Martin Frk. They’ll help anchor an AHL Calgary offense that’s likely to include a pair of first-round picks in Matthew Coronato (2021) and Samuel Honzek (2023).

Two-Way Signings: Schueneman, Aspirot, Gaudette, Gambrell, Poolman, Richard, Entwistle

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The first day of NHL free agency saw over $1B spent for the first time in league history. Much of that went to stars across the league, though general managers are also having to focus on building up their farm programs. Here are five smaller names signed on Tuesday. Each of these deals carry a $775K cap hit at the NHL level, unless otherwise specified.

  • The St. Louis Blues have signed defenseman Corey Schueneman to a one-year contract. Schueneman, 28, appeared in 64 games with the Colorado Eagles this season, netting four goals, 22 points, 24 penalty minutes, and a +2. He’s a quick-paced, hard-shooting defender who carries a lot of heft in his frame, even at 5-foot-11. He’s already made his NHL debut, appearing in 31 games with Montreal between 2021 and 2023 and scoring two goals and seven points. Schueneman is likely set for a role on the Springfield Thunderbirds lineup, where he’ll compete for ice time with Blues prospects like Marc-Andre Gaudet and Hunter Skinner.
  • The Calgary Flames have re-signed defender Jonathan Aspirot to a one-year contract. Aspirot, 25, spent 66 games with the Calgary Wranglers last season, scoring a career-high 33 points and adding 80 penalty minutes and a -6. It was Aspirot’s first year in Calgary, after spending four years with the Belleville Senators. He totaled 63 points in 161 games with Belleville, and will now be set to reassume his top-end role with the Wranglers next season.
  • Belleville is due for their own reinforcements, with the Ottawa Senators signing Adam Gaudette to a one-year deal (Twitter link). Gaudette, 27, led the AHL with 44 goals last season, in his pursuit of 71 points across 67 games with the Springfield Thunderbirds. It was a breakout year for Gaudette, after totaling 27 goals and 51 points in 65 games between the Toronto Marlies and Thunderbirds in 2022-23. Gaudette was formerly a top prospect in the NHL, appearing in 220 games across six seasons in the NHL. He’s only managed 27 goals and 70 points in those appearances, though his recent scoring could suggest upside still untapped. The Senators will hope that’s the case, as they position Gaudette for a premier role in the AHL next year.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed forward Dylan Gambrell to a one-year deal. Gambrell spent all of this seaosn in the minor leagues, playing in 66 games with the Marlies. He managed 14 goals and 36 points – his highest AHL scoring since the 2018-19 season. Gambrell has been based much more in the NHL over the last six seasons, totaling 233 games and 40 points. He’ll be set for a top line role with the Cleveland Monsters, and push for a spot near the bottom of Columbus’ NHL lineup.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Colton Poolman to a one-year deal (Twitter link). Poolman, 28, has spent the entirety of his four-year pro career in the Flames organization to date. The younger brother of Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman had three goals and three assists in 66 games for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers last season.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Anthony Richard to a two-year deal (Twitter link). Richard spent 59 games with the Providence Bruins last year, netting 25 goals and 55 points. It was a small step down for Richard, after netting 30 goals and 67 points last year. He’s also totaled 24 NHL games since 2018, scoring eight points. Richard should be set for a starring role with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, with a chance to push for the NHL roster.
  • The Florida Panthers signed MacKenzie Entwistle to a one-year deal. Entwistle, 24, has spent most of the last three seasons on the Chicago Blackhawks lineup, though he’s managed just 33 points in 188 games. He’ll now join the reigning Stanley Cup champions, though his two-way deal suggests he’ll have to work his way up to the NHL from an AHL start.

Minor Free Agent Signings: Pacific Division

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With over 180 deals signed during the first day of free agency yesterday, some smaller names may have gotten lost in the shuffle. Here’s a list of names that have inked two-way deals with Pacific Division clubs since the market opened yesterday, per CapFriendly. Some of these may have been included in our main coverage yesterday, while others went under the radar. All contracts carry the league-minimum $775K cap hit unless stated otherwise). Those listed here are likely to begin 2024-25 with each team’s AHL affiliate.

Anaheim Ducks

none

Calgary Flames

G Devin Cooley (two years)
F Martin Frk (one year)

Edmonton Oilers

D Connor Carrick (one year)
G Collin Delia (one year)
F James Hamblin (two years)
D Noel Hoefenmayer (one year)
F Noah Philp (one year)

Los Angeles Kings

F Glenn Gawdin (two years)
F Tyler Madden (one year)
F Jack Studnicka (one year)
D Reilly Walsh (one year)

San Jose Sharks

D Lucas Carlsson (two years, $800K cap hit)
D Jimmy Schuldt (one year)

Seattle Kraken

F Brandon Biro (one year)
D Nikolas Brouillard (one year)
D Maxime Lajoie (one year)
F Mitchell Stephens (two years)

Vancouver Canucks

G Jiří Patera (one year)
F Nathan Smith (one year)

Vegas Golden Knights

F Zach Aston-Reese (one year)

Flames Sign Ryan Lomberg, Martin Frk

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Free agent enforcer Ryan Lomberg is heading back to where his NHL career began, signing a two-year deal with the Flames. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, it carries a $2MM cap hit. They’ve also inked winger Martin Frk, who boasts one of the hardest shots in the world, to a one-year, two-way deal, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. It has a $775K cap hit, the team announced.

Lomberg had a very limited role in Calgary in his first stint with the team when he was primarily a minor leaguer.  However, he eventually worked his way into a full-time spot with Florida.  The 29-year-old had 12 goals and eight assists in 2022-23, becoming one of the more valuable fourth liners that year.  However, he wasn’t able to produce at a similar level last season, being held to five goals and two assists in 75 games although he did record a career-best 179 hits.  Lomberg also got into eight playoff games along the way to Florida’s first Stanley Cup title.

Florida had hoped to re-sign Lomberg but pulled out of talks when it became clear he was going to cost more than what they could afford.  Considering this is a 150% increase on his previous contract, this was clearly out of the Panthers’ price range.  Lomberg should have a regular role on Calgary’s fourth line and will give them some grit and energy as they kick off what looks to be a multi-year rebuilding process.

As for Frk, he returns to North America after spending last season in the Swiss NL where he had seven goals and nine assists in 33 games with Bern and Rapperswil.  The 30-year-old has 124 career NHL appearances, the last of which came back in 2021-22 with Los Angeles.  Frk has been relatively productive in that limited action, collecting 2o goals and 21 assists, which could give him a chance to break camp with the Flames in a depth role.  If that doesn’t happen, he should be a key scorer with the Wranglers next season.

Flames To Sign Mantha, Bean, Cooley; Extend Sharangovich

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The Flames are landing UFA winger Anthony Mantha on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. They’ve also signed forward Yegor Sharangovich to a five-year, $5.75MM AAV extension, per his agent Dan Milstein. He was entering the final year of his contract.

Additionally, Calgary is closing in on a two-year deal worth under $2MM annually for defenseman Jake Bean, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. TSN’s Chris Johnston clarifies the AAV is $1.75MM. Milstein also adds they’re signing Devin Cooley for goaltending depth on a two-year deal worth $775K annually. It’s a two-way deal in the first year with a $400K AHL salary.

Mantha is looking to rebound off a disappointing finish in what appeared to be a strong season. In 56 games with the Washington Capitals to start the season, Mantha put together 20 goals and 34 points before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for a pair of draft picks. Unfortunately, the experience in Vegas did not pan out for either side as Mantha collected three goals and 10 points in 18 games after the trade before finally being scratched in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

After a season of change in Calgary, Mantha will be looking to provide a full year of quality production with increased opportunity. The Flames top six has seen multiple changes over the last calendar year and Mantha represents a capable option to plug into the team’s top-six. It’s a low-risk contract for a team that will likely attempt to move on from Mantha at next season’s trade deadline.

In addition to Mantha, the Flames organization made a sizeable commitment to Sharangovich a year after the team acquired him from the New Jersey Devils. Sharangovich played extraordinarily well in his first season in Alberta as he scored 31 goals and 59 points while appearing in all 82 regular season contests. With the extension kicking in July 1st, 2025, Sharangovich will not need a new contract until after the 2029-30 NHL season.

The Flames also pounced on Bean after the Columbus Blue Jackets decided not to tender him a qualifying offer — making him an unrestricted free agent. Bean is set to get more of an opportunity in Calgary as the team could slot him next to Daniil Miromanov in the team’s top four.

Lastly, the Flames organization adds Cooley from the San Jose Sharks organization as a third-string goaltender. Getting his first taste of NHL action last year, Cooley put up a 2-3-1 record over six starts and held a .870 save percentage and 4.98 goals against average.

Oliver Kylington To Test Free Agency

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For the past several weeks, the Flames and Oliver Kylington had been talking about a new contract with a mutual desire to get something done.  Early in the day, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported that Calgary hadn’t given up hope on getting a new deal in place.  However, TSN’s Salim Valji reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner will indeed hit the open market tomorrow.

Kylington is one of the wild cards of this year’s free agent class.  In 2021-22, he had a breakout campaign, collecting nine goals and 22 assists in 73 games while logging over 18 minutes a night.  It looked like he had arrived as a legitimate full-time NHL blueliner, resulting in Calgary giving him a two-year, $5MM agreement.

However, the 27-year-old hardly played on that contract.  He took all of 2022-23 away from the team and missed half of this season to focus on his mental health.  When he did return in January, the Flames were cautious with him, easing him in.  Overall, Kylington played in 33 games, picking up three goals and five assists while averaging 17:15 per contest.

For his career, Kylington has played in just 201 games, recording 55 points.  That’s not a significant body of work for a typical unrestricted free agent to be negotiating off of but TSN’s Darren Dreger relays (Twitter link) that Kylington’s camp is hoping for a two-year deal with a small increase off his $2.5MM AAV from the last two years.

Contending teams might be looking for more certainty when it comes to distributing their largely limited free agent dollars around.  However, teams with more flexibility might be intrigued by the potential upside if they feel Kylington can get back to the level he was at back in 2021-22.  If a few of those feel that way, he might be able to get the type of commitment he’s looking for.

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