Flames prospect round-up: Jacob Battaglia, Hunter Laing, and Axel Hurtig return to their CHL teams

A few Calgary Flames’ prospects have started their Canadian Hockey League season.

This is the Sept. 22-28 edition of the Flames prospect round-up, where we look at how Flames prospects have done on a weekly basis. Specifically, we’ll look at players playing overseas, in junior hockey, or the college levels, as the American Hockey League prospects will have an article of their own in the Wranglers recap.

Let’s take a look at how Flames’ prospects have done this past week!

Theo Stöckselius

This past week, Theo Stöckselius and the Djurgårdens IF U20 played two games, defeating MoDo Hockey U20 3-2, but falling 5-4 to IF Björklöven U20.

Stöckselius picked up one assist over the two games, assisting on Djurgårdens’s second goal in their 3-2 win. For the season, the 18-year-old left-shot centre has seven assists in six games. He’s yet to score, which is a bit concerning given potted 22 goals last season.

This week, Djurgårdens faces off against Timrå IK U20 on Thursday and Brynäs IF U20 on Friday.

Mace’o Phillips

Left-shot defenceman Mace’o Phillips returned to the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers after being cut from the Flames training camp. He made his season debut on Friday, as the Gamblers were shut out 3-0 by the Muskegon Lumberjacks.

The following day, the Gamblers fell to the Lumberjacks once again, but managed to score twice in a 3-2 loss.  Phillips, drafted by the Flames in the third round of the most recent draft, was held pointless, picking up a two-minute minor and finishing the week as a -2.

This coming week, the Gamblers host the USA National Team Development for two games, one on Oct. 4 and the other on Oct. 5.

Jakob Leander

Jakob Leander and his HV71 U20 played two games this past week, losing both. The first game was on Saturday, as they dropped a 6-5 decision to Färjestad BK U20 in a shootout. They had a significantly worse second game, falling 8-0 to Örebro HK U20.

Leander was held pointless in both games, giving him two assists through six games. It’s worth noting that the right-shot defenceman now has 35 penalty minutes, just 14 fewer than what he finished with in 39 games last season.

Their lone game this week sees HV71 U20 playing host to Linköping HC U20 on Wednesday.

Yan Matveiko

Yan Matveiko and CSKA Red Army Jr. played just one game this past week, defeating Anurskie Tigry 5-1 on Wednesday. The Flames’ seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft picked up an assist, giving him four goals and 10 points in nine games this season.

This coming week, CSKA Red Army Jr. faces AKM-Yunior on Wednesday, followed by a matchup with HC Kapitan on Friday. Both games will be on the road.

Jacob Battaglia

Jacob Battaglia was cut from the Flames’ training camp, promptly returning to the Ontario Hockey League’s where he was named the Kingston Frontenacs’ captain. Battaglia made an immediate impact, scoring his first goal of the season late in the first period on Friday. In a 5-4 shootout loss to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, Battaglia finished with a goal and an assist.

In the Frontenacs’ 2-1 victory over the North Bay Battalion, Battaglia scored the opening goal, giving him two goals and three points over his first two games. This coming week, the Frontenacs will host the Oshawa Generals on Friday and the Erie Otters on Sunday.

Kirill Zarubin

This week, Kirill Zarubin’s Mikhailov Academy played two games, splitting two games with Dinamo-Shinnik, winning the first game 2-1 and losing the other one 2-0. Zarubin started in their win, saving 31 of 32 shots for a .969 save percentage and 1 goal against average.

So far this season, the Russian netminder has a .925 save percentage and 2.33 goals against average in five games played. Last season, Zarubin had a .935 save percentage and 2.34 goals against average in 21 games.

This week, Mikhailov Academy hosts Kuznetskie Medvedi on Friday.

Hunter Laing

Hunter Laing had a strong training camp but was eventually cut and returned to the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades. In his return, the Blades defeated the Lethbridge Hurricanes 5-3, picking up a goal and assist in what was a come-from-behind victory. Laing was held off the scoresheet on Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to the Medicine Hat Tigers.

This week, the Blades host the Red Deer Rebels on Friday, before heading to Brandon, Manitoba, to face the Wheat Kings on Sunday.

Yegor Yegorov

Yegor Yegorov’s JHC Spartak MHA played two games this past week, but the Flames’ goaltending prospect was held out of both games. They fell 3-0 to Sputnik on Tuesday, before defeating AKM-Novomoskovsk 4-2.

In total, the Flames’ sixth-round pick in 2023 has played three games this season, authoring a .914 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average. This week, JHC Spartak MHA plays three games, one against Krylya Sovetov on Monday, and back-to-back games against Sakhalinskie Akuly on Thursday and Friday.

Axel Hurtig

Lastly, Axel Hurtig was cut from the Flames’ training camp and has returned to the WHL Calgary Hitmen. The left-shot defenceman played just one game, scoring the first goal of his season in a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings.

From Sep. 20 until Oct. 4, the Hitmen have just three games on the schedule. Next up is a match-up on Oct. 4 against the Tigers.