If the Wranglers are looking to go in a veteran direction for their next captain, Clark Bishop is right there. As essentially, Sutter’s right-hand man the last two seasons, Bishop has got to have picked up a thing or two. Bishop is also one of the oldest players on the team at the age of 28. Bishop has the ability to play up and down the lineup and has worn a rotating A as an alternate captain for the team the last two seasons.

Bishop is signed through the 2024-25 season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer. Bishop does have 47 games of NHL experience as well. This helps with the developmental side of things and provides some insight into prospects on that journey with the Flames.

Clark Bishop has the traits of a leader as the coaching staff has already identified. He also has the experience to back it up. He was alternate captain for a season and captain for two seasons for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles while he was back in the QMJHL. He also wore the A, for a season while he was with Charlotte Checkers and rotated with the Wranglers. If the team is looking for as close to a Sutter replacement as they have, Bishop is their guy.

Justin Kirkland

It might be a bit of an odd choice to bring in a new guy to lead the team. However, Justin Kirkland is not that new to the organization. He is just two years removed from Calgary AHL hockey as he was a longtime member of the Stockton Heat. Some of his former teammates include Dustin Wolf, Jakob Pelletier, Alex Gallant, Ilya Solovyov, and Yan Kuznetsov. Not to mention other AHL graduates such as Martin Pospisil, Connor Zary and Walker Duehr.

Kirkland was with the Anaheim Ducks organization right after departing from the Heat then played with the Arizona Coyotes organization last season. Over those two years, he has played in nine games in the NHL and 75 games in the AHL. As of early August, Kirkland turned 28 and is the same choice as the option before him, Clark Bishop. He is signed with the Flames on a one-year two-way contract next season as of early July.

Kirkland is still very much in an offensive stage of his career and played his best professional season back in 2021-22 with the Stockton Heat. He knew the preceding system that went into the transition from the Heat to the Wranglers and the culture previous coaches established. Kirkland was one of the rotating alternate captains for the Tucson Roadrunners last season and a letter change might be an interesting challenge to ease back into his old organization.

Cole Schwindt

Cole Schwindt has also not worn a letter in his career but has matured and grown in his two seasons with the Wranglers. Out of the three options, Schwindt would be the highest performer points-wise. Last season, he was fourth overall in scoring behind Adam Klapka, Ben Jones, and Matt Coronato. Two of the three above him will likely bounce back and forth to the Flames and the other is signed with another team.

Schwindt has some NHL experience with seven games between the Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames. He might still make a case for himself to be a semi-regular part of the Flames roster come training camp time too. Schwindt is 23, so still young enough to relate to the rookies but old enough to help ease them into the life of professional hockey.

Schwindt has 218 games in the AHL over four seasons and having the title of captain may be another way to help keep himself on the Flames’ radar outside his play. This centreman has shown his competitive spirit and a challenge like a leadership position could transform his game and allow him to take the team into his own hands. The only issue with this pick is Schwindt is not currently signed for next season. He is a restricted free agent and while his contract is expected to be worked out sooner rather than later, there still is an outside chance he will land somewhere else.

Taking into consideration that some 2023-24 Wranglers will graduate to the Flames and others have left the organization, these three represent a core that has remained (or returned) and are capable of continuing the successful values this team was built on.