FN’s 2025 Flames summer prospect rankings – #14: Arsenii Sergeev

The Calgary Flames have a new netminder between the pipes for their American Hockey League team starting in 2025-26.

Arsenii Sergeev signed his entry-level deal in the middle of April and ranks as FlamesNation’s 14th-best prospect in the system. Now a professional, the 22-year-old will likely spend the 2025-26 season in the AHL.

Let’s get to know the top-ranked netminder in the Flames’ system.

Arsenii Sergeev

Goaltender, catches left
Born Dec. 16, 2002 (age 22) in Yaroslavl, Russia
6’3”, 195 pounds
Drafted in the seventh round (205th overall) by Calgary in the 2021 NHL Draft

Sergeev ranked as our 14th-best prospect, with his highest ranking being ninth overall (it was me). The first thing you notice about Sergeev is that he’s a towering presence in the net, but he doesn’t sacrifice any athleticism. As you’ll soon learn, Sergeev nearly single-handedly dragged his Penn State Nittany Lions to their first-ever Frozen Four.

Born in Yaroslavl, Russia, Sergeev moved to the United States as a teenager and played in the country’s junior leagues, including the United States Hockey League. Collegiately, he attended the University of Connecticut for two seasons, posting a .912 save percentage and a 2.61 goals against average in 20 games during the 2022-23 season, and a .913 save percentage and a 2.70 goals against average in 16 games the following season.

Before the start of the 2024-25 season, the netminder transferred to Penn State University, where his career took off. Overall, he finished with a .919 save percentage and 2.54 goals against average in 33 games. With Sergeev between the pipes, Penn State finished the 2024-25 season with a 12-3 record in conference, after starting 0-7-2.

Sergeev also helped the Nittany Lions make their first-ever Frozen Four, knocking off UConn to earn that right. Was Sergeev the only reason they made it to the semifinals of the National Tournament? Probably not, but he is the biggest reason. His performance to drag the team could have a butterfly effect, as Gavin McKenna committed to Penn State. Who knows if McKenna would have committed to Penn State if they didn’t make the Frozen Four?

The day he signed his entry-level deal (Apr. 14), Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis wrote about him and a handful of other Flames prospects. Here’s what he had to say about Sergeev.

“Sergeev had to be excellent down the stretch to get Penn State as far as they did. He actually saved some of his best games of his collegiate career for last. He had to do a ton of heavy lifting over his three-year college tenure, so he knows how to deal with heavy expectations. But when Sergeev is in the zone, he’s dialed in. The Flames have their long-term No. 1 in Dustin Wolf, but Sergeev has good size, athleticism and mobility and should be considered for a backup role sometime down the line.”

Expectations for 2025-26

After three seasons in college, the biggest question heading into the 2025-26 season is how Sergeev will adjust to the professional game. He’s big and athletic, two traits that a modern goaltender needs.

Sergeev will more than likely start his 2025-26 season with the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL, and will probably split the crease alongside fellow former collegiate netminder Owen Say. Devin Cooley and Ivan Prosvetov are two other netminders who could play for the Wranglers at some point next season, which is to say the competition for playing time will be steep.

Still, Sergeev has “future backup” written all over him, and who knows, maybe he’ll exceed expectations.