Flames prospect round-up: Yan Matveiko off to a strong start in Russia

A handful of Calgary Flames’ prospects have started their season.

This is the first edition of the Flames prospect roundup in 2025-26, 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 started their season!

Theo Stöckselius

Since the start of the season, Theo Stöckselius and his U20 Djurgårdens IF have played four games. In their opener, they defeated Lulea’s U20 team 5-3. However, they’ve lost their last three games, 7-3 to Skellefteå’s U20 team, 4-3 to Mora IK’s U20 team, and 2-1 to Leksand’s U20 team.

The Flames’ second-round pick in 2025 picked up two assists in each of the first three games, but was held pointless in their most recent game. For the season, Stöckselius has six assists, no goals, and two penalty minutes in four games. Last season, the Swedish centre had 22 goals and 51 points as Djurgårdens IF U20 won the league’s championship.

Djurgårdens IF U20’s next game is on Sep. 27 against MoDO Hockey U20, followed by a game on Sep. 28th against IF Björklöven U20.

Jakob Leander

Also in Sweden, one of the Flames’ two seventh-round picks in the 2025 draft, Jakob Leander, has gotten off to a solid start. HV71’s U20 team fell in their opener, falling 4-1 to Södertälje SK U20’s team. They rebounded with an 8-2 win over Västerås IK U20’s, followed by a 4-2 victory over Växjö Lakers HC U20’s team. They lost their most recent game to Frölunda HC U20 by a score of 4-1.

Both of Leander’s points this season came in the 8-2 victory, as he picked up an assist on HV71’s fifth and eighth goals. Not too shabby for the right-handed defenceman.

Their next game is on Sep. 27 against Färjestad BK U20, followed by a game against Örebro HK U20 on Monday.

Yan Matveiko

Switch gears to Russia, the Flames’ other seventh-round pick in 2025, Yan Matveiko, has played seven games since the start of the season with SKA-1946. The first was a 3-1 victory, the second a 4-3 overtime loss, before a 6-2 win and a 5-3 win. His team is on a two-game losing streak, falling 7-1 before a 2-1 shootout loss.

On an individual level, the 19-year-old winger has had a great start to his season, scoring four goals and nine points over his first seven games, where he’s a +8. He’s on pace to blow by his career-high of 10 goals and 24 points in 42 games last season

SKA-1946’s next game is on Wednesday against JHC Dynamo-Kareliya at 10 AM MT.

Kirill Zarubin

Also in Russia is 2024 third-round pick Kirill Zarubin. He’s back with the Mikhailov Academy and is off to a solid start over his first four games. They started on a three-game losing streak, although two games were lost in overtime. In their last three games, they’re 2-1, outscoring the opposition 20-4.

But what about Zarubin? In Mikhailov Academy’s opener, he allowed four goals on 25 shots, but has rebounded well since then. In their next game, the 20-year-old saved 34 of 36 shots, followed by 27 of 29 shots in the next game. In the 12-2 victory, their most recent game, Zarubin saved 22 of 24 shots, giving him a .913 save percentage and 2.68 goals against average through four games.

Next up for Tula Mikhailov Academy is back-to-back games against Dinamo-Shinnik on Sunday and Monday, both at 8 AM MT.

Yegor Yegorov

The last prospect who has played games this season is fellow Russian netminder, Yegor Yegorov. After playing last season with Krylya Sovetov of the MHL (Russia’s junior league), he’s played three games with the MHL’s JHC Spartak MHA.

His first game this season was on Sep. 4, a 3-2 victory over HC Kapitan, with the 20-year-old saving 22 of 24 shots. In their 3-2 loss to JHC Dynamo SPB, Yegorov stopped 34 of 37 shots, his best performance this season. In his most recent game on Sep. 18, a 4-2 loss to SKA-1946, Yegorov stopped 40 of 44 shots. Yan Matveiko was held pointless in the game.

Yegorov has played in three of the four games JHC Spartak MHA have played, with their next game coming on Sep. 23 at 9:30 AM MT against Sputnik, the hockey team, not the satellite. They’ll also play AKM-Novomoskovsk on Friday and Yegorov’s former team, Krylya Sovetov, on Monday.

What about everyone else

Starting with the 2025 draft class, Cole Reschny will play for the University of North Dakota this season, playing their first game against St. Thomas on Oct. 10. Cullen Potter and the Arizona Sun Devils begin their season on Oct. 3 against Gavin McKenna and the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Mace’o Phillips was cut from the Flames’ roster on Monday, returning to the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers, who are 0-1-1 so far this season. Ethan Wyttenbach begins his 2025-26 season on Oct. 3, as Quinnipiac take on Boston College. Aidan Lane and Harvard University begin their season against the University of Connecticut on Halloween.

Switching gears to the 2024 class, Zayne Parekh remains with the Flames and will likely make the roster. If not, the Saginaw Spirit are off to a 1-0-1 start. Matvei Gridin is also with the Flames, with his Shawinigan Cataractes also starting 1-0-1. Jacob Battalgia’s Kingston Frontenacs have started the season 1-1-0, but Battaglia remains with the Flames.

Henry Mews begins his first season with the University of Michigan on Oct. 3, as they host Mercyhurst. After one season at Niagara University, Trevor Hoskin transferred to Merrimack College, who will also begin their season on Oct. 3. Luke Misa will begin his Penn State tenure, with the Nittany Lions starting their season with a matchup with the Arizona Sun Devils on Oct. 3.

Unless Hunter Laing does the improbable and makes the Flames’ roster, he’ll return to the Saskatoon Blades, who have started the season 1-1-0 in their two games. Eric Jamieson begins his first season with the University of Denver on Oct. 10 against Air Force. 

Moving to the 2023 class and who’ll feature in these articles, we have Jaden Lipinski. He’ll play for the University of Maine, who begins its season against Holy Cross on Oct. 10. Axel Hurtig will likely return to the Calgary Hitmen, who have started their season 1-1-0.

The Flames selected Cade Littler in the seventh round of the 2022 draft, and he’ll play for the University of Dakota alongside Reschny this season. Étienne Morin and Andrew Basha are both eligible to return to the Canadian Hockey League, but will likely play in the American Hockey League this season.