For a lot of young hockey players, they have an idea of how they want their progression to go. Sure, life throws you curve balls, but a lot of youngsters sort of plot out the steps they want to take as they hopefully work towards becoming pro hockey players and, eventually, National Hockey League players.

But sometimes, plans change.

For Calgary Flames blueline prospect Henry Mews, the 2025 half of the 2024-25 season was a time of change. He ended up changing junior teams for the first time in his career, and then ended up changing the trajectory of his next hockey season.

A product of Ottawa and a third-round pick of the Flames in 2024, Mews played for his hometown Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League, joining them in 2022 as a 16-year-old. He played nearly three full seasons with the 67’s, but with his time in junior likely winding down and the 67’s out of the playoff mix, he was traded to the Sudbury Wolves in January.

“Yeah, I mean it was a good move,” said Mews, during Flames development camp. “Obviously, I kind of knew it was gonna be my last year in the OHL so I wanted to get the most of my opportunity winning a championship and we weren’t gonna be able to do that in Ottawa. They didn’t make the playoffs. Going to Sudbury gave me a chance to do that, and we had a really good team there and I enjoyed my time there and learned a lot and it was a great season.”

Mews was in the midst of a strong offensive season with Ottawa at the time of the trade, posting 50 points in 38 games, but he slowed down a bit as he adjusted to Sudbury, posting 32 points in 30 games. (Yes, Mews was scoring at a high enough rate that being a couple points above a point-per-game pace is considered slowing down.) The Wolves just couldn’t get traction in the OHL playoffs, though, getting eliminated in the first round by Jacob Battaglia’s Kingston Frontenacs.

10 days after his OHL season ended, Mews officially announced his commitment to the University of Michigan for the 2025-26 season. He was one of the first major NHL-drafted CHL prospects to commit to play college hockey. He shared that when the NCAA changed their rules to allow CHL players to go to college in 2025-26, the trajectory of his player development plan changed a bit.

“That rule [change] happened in November and I kind of knew right away that’s what I wanted to do,” said Mews. “Me and the development team here in Calgary we discussed it and we thought that was the best option for me. I had three really good years in the OHL, especially this year was a really good year, and I think it’s time for the next step. And college is the next step and I got a really good setup in Michigan and you see the alumni they produce there, especially on defence. So I’m hoping to be the next chapter of that.”

The list of blueliners that the Wolverines have produced for the NHL in recent years include Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski and Owen Power. If you’re a puck-moving defender like Mews, perhaps in need of a bigger challenge – and a chance to spend more time in the gym during the season due to the lighter college schedule – Michigan seems like a really good fit.

“Yeah, it’s crazy, you know, my goal going into the year was you know have a really good year, which I did, and sign a contract in the year with Calgary,” said Mews. “And that rule change obviously happened and so my mind switched a bit to that. But I think it’s just the gym, the time in the gym. That’s what I need the most and the reps in the gym, just lifting heavier weights getting bigger in the gym and turning into my man’s body. I’m still in my kid’s body and stuff, so I got years to produce, some size and mass and I think playing against older guys as well will help me a lot.”

“And I’m going to be playing with, our whole team will be pretty much drafted, so we’re a really good team. I’m going to be playing with a lot of guys in the same situation as me trying to get better. So every practice, every game is going to be competitive and I’m in the right environment for it.”

In addition to Mews, the Wolverines have added CHLers Jack Ivankovic (Brampton), Malcolm Spence (Erie) and Matthew Mania (Flint). They’ve also bolstered their roster with some additions from the transfer portal, most prominent among them being Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron from North Dakota.

In the old system, Mews would have probably signed an entry-level deal with the Flames and then spent 2025-26 running roughshod over the OHL once more. But with the college option now open, he’ll have an opportunity to play in a completely new level of hockey, on a completely new team. It’s a brave new world, and a new challenge for Mews.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Mews. “Kind of nervous, I don’t know what to expect right off the bat. But I’m going to get there a few months early before the season starts and get comfortable and stuff like that, so not to worry about that. I’m really excited just going to have fun on the ice and work on my game. I’m really excited to see how much I develop this year next year to get moving towards getting pro.”