The 2024 NHL Draft was special, not just for the players who heard their names called, but more specifically for the Calgary Flames organization. Following a regular season that saw the Flames play below-average hockey (even with rebound campaigns from big-name players), they were rewarded with a high first-round draft pick. With general manager Craig Conroy’s adeptness in the trade market, they acquired more picks to select players with plenty of value in the middle to later rounds.

One of those players was Luke Misa, who had a very successful draft year but was passed over by plenty of teams before being selected in the fifth round.

Luke Misa

Center, shoots left
Born November 25, 2005 (age 18) in Oakville, Ontario, Canada
5’10″, 174 pounds
Drafted in the fifth round (150th overall) by Calgary in the 2024 NHL Draft

Born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, Misa (the older brother of highly-touted 2025 NHL Draft prospect Luke Misa) began his journey to being drafted with the Oakville Rangers Triple-A squad. He made his mark at the U15 level before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

After the pandemic, Misa began his play for the Mississauga Steelheads beginning in the 2021-22 season. As a 16-year-old, Misa found himself receiving plenty of opportunities to play at the OHL level, registering 62 games played with 26 points scored. He managed to score at half-a-point-per-game pace in the postseason, though, tallying only one goal but also four assists for five points in 10 games, tied for fourth on the team in that regard.

The following season saw a jump in his production (but not the biggest jump of his OHL career as we would later learn). In two more games played (64), he more than doubled his goal total from the previous season, jumping from four to 14, and finished with eight more assists, sitting with an even 30 by season’s end. His final point total was 43 points. The Steelheads’ postseason run was four games fewer than the last year, and Misa’s production took a dip as well, scoring only one assist.

This past season is where Misa took his game to a whole new level, especially on the offensive side. He tied for 18th in the OHL in scoring with 26 goals, 55 assists, and 81 points in 66 games. That total was first on the Steelheads by 10 points despite playing six more games than the next highest player, Porter Martone. He also has some in-family bragging rights, too, beating out his brother Michael who played for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit and finished with 29 goals and 46 assists for 75 points in 67 games.

Looking at the numbers, it’s easy to think that the offensive upside is much higher than that of a fifth-round pick. Misa also loves to use speed, so he could be an exhilarating prospect for Flames fans to watch develop over the coming seasons. However, after contacting McKeen’s Hockey’s Brock Otten to give us the low-down on a player that many viewed as a steal in this position, he gave us some important information on the Flames’ selection:

“I think most of us OHL followers were really pining for Misa to come off the board with each passing pick in Vegas, following his “fall.” I was never as high on Misa as some of my contemporaries, but he’s a tremendous selection in the fifth round. His game is all about speed. He loves to play with pace, loves to attack the offensive zone head on, using sharp cuts and linear crossovers to build speed and back down defenders. He’s also a highly tenacious player. He competes for touches. He has the potential to be a high end two-way player. He did a much better job working to the middle without the puck this year, earning chances in the slot and near the crease by outworking defenders. I think there’s a real need for him to slow the game down. His attacks can be too predictable and his hands don’t always work in sync with his feet. I’m not sure he’s a center at the NHL level. His game is probably better suited for the wing, where he can simplify things and play a strict North/South game. Ultimately, I think he’ll profile best as a Paul Byron type as I don’t necessarily see the offensive upside (again) that my contemporaries see.”

Expectations for 2024-25

With the Steelheads moving from Mississauga to Brampton, Misa will be right in the thick of it, attempting to lead his team to the postseason for a fourth consecutive season. The expectation for him is not only to increase his offensive output but also to iron out the flaws in his game that Otten alluded to. Misa isn’t the tallest player in the world, standing only at 5-foot-10, so he must carry out his two-way game, continue to become more dynamic with and without the puck, and add more strength as his body matures. Suppose he’s able to accomplish all of those things, and scouts can see a dominance that is even more tangible. In that case, the season should be considered a success, adding him to an already long list of players who can move up through the organization and become a potential key piece moving forward.