The NCAA is incredibly competitive early this season

Folks, we’re into November, which means that college hockey has been up and running for a month and change now. The 2025-26 season was the first year where Canadian junior players could head into the NCAA, which resulted in a frankly bonkers year of hockey.

The games were good, there were wild swings in the standings and the rankings, and it was a blast to follow.

Well, things are even nuttier this year. The Calgary Flames have even more college players than they did a year ago, and we’re seeing some really fun, competitive games and some impressive performances. Saturday night featured a neutral site game as North Dakota faced Michigan State in Austin, Texas in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Game. The Spartans beat Michigan State by a 5-3 score in a back-and-forth game, with Cullen Potter netting an assist and using his speed really nicely away from the puck.

It’s early in the season, so it’s still tough to get a handle on who the best teams are, but we’ll advise everyone to keep an eye on Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Denver and Western Michigan, the current top five teams in the USCHO college rankings. But don’t sleep on North Dakota or Quinnipiac either.

Considering the quality of the games and how many top Flames prospects may be going pro once their college seasons end, the NCAA is worth your attention.

Onto your stats updates!

Egor Barabanov – C, University of Massachusetts Minutemen, NCAA

20; Calgary’s fourth round pick (100th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’0″ 175 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	9	2	3	5	5	2	2	21	10.02
2025-26 (OHL)	68	28	63	91	60	52	35	197	35.44

Barabanov had two assists this week, in the same game, as UMass split a set against Harvard.

Andrew Basha – LW/C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

20; Calgary’s second round pick (41st overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 174 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s 11th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	1	1	2	1	0	0	12	7.65
2025-26 (WHL)	32	18	32	50	31	29	20	116	38.69

Basha had no points this week.

Mike Benning – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

24; Florida’s fourth round pick (95th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 5’9″, 176 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	2	5	7	4	7	4	14	26.79
2025-26 (AHL)	57	8	23	31	23	26	21	112	21.67

Benning had an assist this week.

Hunter Brzustewicz – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

21; Vancouver’s third round pick (75th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vancouver; 6’0″, 190 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	1	4	5	2	1	0	20	19.13
2025-26 (AHL)	34	4	9	13	9	7	5	75	18.22

Brzustewicz had no points this week.

Carson Carels, D, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA

18; Calgary’s first round pick (6th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 194 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s 1st-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	7	0	4	4	1	0	0	14	13.59
2025-26 (WHL)	58	20	53	73	51	29	24	219	31.17

Carels had no points this week. He had an injury scare, taking a knee-on-knee hit against Michigan State, missing a couple shifts, and then returning for the rest of the game.

Jonathan Castagna – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

21; Arizona’ third round pick (70th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Utah; 6’2″, 203 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s 14th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	2	0	2	2	1	1	3	45.92
2025-26 (NCAA)	33	15	19	36	25	22	13	103	23.66

Castagna is in the NHL.

Max Curran – C/LW, University of Massachusetts Minutemen, NCAA

20; Colorado’s fifth round pick (161st overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 194 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s 20th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0.00
2025-26 (WHL)	31	14	27	41	32	25	20	73	32.75

Curran missed this week due to injury.

Tyson Gross – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

24; free agent signing; 6’3″, 194 pounds; shoots right; DFO Calgary’s 13th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	3	3	6	4	6	4	25	22.96
2025-26 (NCAA)	36	18	23	41	33	20	18	92	41.00

Gross had no points this week.

Chase Harrington, LW, Spokane Chiefs, WHL

18; Calgary’s second round pick (36th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 202 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s 12th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	6	16	22	16	15	12	46	25.56
2025-26 (WHL)	61	28	29	57	44	34	28	164	23.14

Harrington registered five assists across two games this week.

Jack Hextall, C/RW/LW, Michigan State University Spartans, NCAA

18; Calgary’s first round pick (30th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 195 pounds; shoots right; DFO Calgary’s 6th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	6	2	2	4	3	1	0	10	15.85
2025-26 (USHL)	59	20	38	58	39	25	23	146	22.57

Hextall had no points this week.

Trevor Hoskin – RW, Merrimack College Warriors, NCAA

22; Calgary’s fourth round pick (106th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 175 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	8	2	9	11	10	6	6	11	38.34
2025-26 (NCAA)	34	13	22	35	26	18	14	68	33.17

Hoskin had three assists over two games this week. (He had a fourth, but it was wiped out after a stat correction.)

Axel Hurtig – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 202 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	3	1	4	3	4	3	10	15.31
2025-26 (WHL)	64	6	13	19	10	18	9	100	7.35

Hurtig had no points this week.

Joe Iginla – RW, Vancouver Giants, WHL

18; Calgary’s third round pick (65th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 170 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	16	5	5	10	9	8	8	45	8.71
2025-26 (WHL)	59	15	16	31	27	24	19	159	13.01

Iginla had three points over two games this week.

Eric Jamieson – D, University of Denver Pioneers, NCAA

21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 200 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s (tied) 18th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0.00
2025-26 (NCAA)	43	7	11	18	10	15	9	75	15.07

Jamieson is still looking for his first point of the season.

Simon Katolicky – LW, Sarnia Sting, OHL

18; Calgary’s fifth round pick (132nd overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’5″ 197 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	18	5	4	9	7	6	5	33	7.79
2025-26 (U20 SM-sarja)	29	6	11	17	11	10	7	113	9.61

Katolicky had no points this week.

Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

24; Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 175 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	12	5	3	8	8	4	4	25	30.61
2025-26 (AHL)	56	22	35	57	42	37	29	118	40.56

Kerins had no points this week.

Aidan Lane – RW, Harvard University Crimson, NCAA

19; Calgary’s sixth round pick (176th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 193 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	1	0	1	1	0	0	7	11.48
2025-26 (NCAA)	34	6	7	13	9	12	8	56	8.78

Lane scored his first goal of the season on Friday night against UMass.

Bode Laylin – D, Everett Silvertips/Calgary Hitmen, WHL

18; Calgary’s sixth round pick (164th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 178 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	16	2	6	8	5	5	4	21	6.97
2025-26 (USHL)	55	11	27	38	26	21	14	119	15.86

Laylin recorded an assist across three games this week.

Jakob Leander – D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL

19; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 196 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	15	0	2	2	2	1	1	9	1.86
2025-26 (J20)	38	2	11	13	8	11	8	52	5.61

Leander had no points this week.

Jaden Lipinski – C, University of Maine Black Bears, NCAA

21; Calgary’s fourth round pick (112th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 204 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	7	0	1	1	1	1	1	7	3.98
2025-26 (WHL)	30	3	9	12	10	12	10	42	12.89

Lipinski had an assist this week.

Cade Littler – C, Arizona State University Sun Devils, NCAA

22; Calgary’s seventh round pick (219th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 197 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	7	0	3	3	2	2	2	9	10.19
2025-26 (NCAA)	35	5	8	13	11	9	7	52	13.37

Littler had no points this week.

Yan Matveiko – C/LW, Zvezda Moskva, VHL / Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL

20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (211th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 150 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
VHL season to date	17	3	4	7	5	4	4	18	12.49
MHL season to date	5	1	1	2	2	0	0	8	5.25
2025-26 (MHL)	50	15	22	37	23	28	17	89	8.68

Matveiko had a goal this week, and also had an assist added to a prior week’s game after a stat correction.

Henry Mews – D, University of Michigan Wolverines, NCAA

20; Calgary’s third round pick (74th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’0″, 181 pounds; shoots right; DFO Calgary’s 7th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	9	0	5	5	4	3	3	6	13.21
2025-26 (NCAA)	10	0	9	9	3	3	2	19	24.58

Mews had an assist this week. He’ll match last season’s games-played total this week.

Luke Misa – LW/C, Penn State University Nittany Lions, NCAA

19; Calgary’s fifth round pick (150th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 170 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 13th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	7	1	1	2	1	0	0	15	6.79
2025-26 (NCAA)	36	8	11	19	14	11	9	90	14.40

Misa had no points this week.

Mace’o Phillips – D, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL

19; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’6″, 228 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s 15th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	15	1	4	5	4	3	3	28	4.65
2025-26 (USHL)	44	1	10	11	6	9	6	77	5.74

Phillips had an assist this week.

Cullen Potter – C, Michigan State University Spartans, NCAA

18; Calgary’s first round pick (32nd overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 172 pounds; shoots left; DFO Calgary’s (tied) 4th-ranked prospect 2026

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	6	1	2	3	3	1	1	16	11.89
2025-26 (NCAA)	24	12	14	26	23	14	12	78	39.00

Potter had an assist this week, making a nice pass to Canucks prospect Anthony Romani.