The Wranglers are figuring things out early in the 2025-26 season

Gang, the first few weeks of American Hockey League games can be wild. In good ways and bad.

For various reasons, many of them financial and logistical, a lot of AHL teams do not play pre-season games. The Calgary Wranglers are among those teams. And so the first few weeks are when you see coaching staffs start to figure things out with their lineups.

The Wranglers lost both of their games against the Colorado Eagles last weekend, with freshman head coach Brett Sutter doing a lot of experimenting with his lines and pairings. We suspect the experimenting will continue as Sutter figures out what groups have chemistry and which don’t.

Sutter has a lot of things to balance – trying to win, trying to develop players, and learning how to run a bench as a head coach – so try to have some patience in the early part of the schedule. There will likely be some bumps along the way, as evidenced by their 7-4 opening-night loss to the Eagles. It’s a process.

Onto this week’s update!

Andrew Basha – LW/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

19; Calgary’s second round pick (41st overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 174 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 8th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
2024-25 (WHL)	23	9	20	29	24	12	9	73	31.22

Basha played a pair of games in the Wranglers’ middle six. He played one game with Parker Bell and Clark Bishop, and the other with Aydar Suniev and Carter King.

Jacob Battaglia – LW/RW, Kingston Frontenacs, OHL

19; Calgary’s second round pick (62nd overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 196 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 7th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	5	5	3	8	7	5	5	24	42.38
2024-25 (OHL)	68	40	50	90	67	57	45	239	35.06

Battaglia didn’t play a ton as Kingston had a light schedule, but he had a hat trick (and an assist).

Parker Bell – LW/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

21; Calgary’s fifth round pick (155th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 192 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
2024-25 (AHL)	61	7	5	12	9	12	9	67	7.84

Bell played the Wranglers’ first game, playing on a line with Clark Bishop and Andrew Basha. He was a scratch for their second game.

Hunter Brzustewicz – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

20; Vancouver’s third round pick (75th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vancouver; 6’0″, 190 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 3rd-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	19.93
2024-25 (AHL)	70	5	27	32	19	20	13	75	18.22

Brzustewicz had an assist over the weekend. He played the first game on a pairing with Yan Kuznetsov and the second with Nick Cicek.

Nick Cicek – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

25; free agent signing; 6’3″, 201 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.00
2024-25 (DEL)	50	3	14	17	10	16	9	75	9.81

Cicek played the first game with Jeremie Poirier and the second with Hunter Brzustewicz.

Lucas Ciona – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

22; Calgary’s sixth round pick (173rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 210 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.00
2024-25 (AHL)	68	8	14	22	18	17	14	91	12.89

Ciona played both Wranglers games on a line with David Silye. They were joined by Carter King in the first game and Alex Gallant in the second.

Artem Grushnikov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

22; Dallas’ second round pick (48th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Dallas; 6’1″, 203 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
2024-25 (AHL)	61	1	4	5	3	4	3	43	3.27

Grushnikov played the first Wranglers game paired with Simon Mack. He was scratched for the second game.

Trevor Hoskin – RW, Merrimack College Warriors, NCAA

21; 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	2	1	0	1	1	1	1	3	16.11
2024-25 (NCAA)	36	12	27	39	29	28	23	80	17.23

Hoskin scored his first Hockey East goal this weekend. He’s playing on the right side of Merrimack’s fourth line.

Axel Hurtig – D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL

20; 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	3	1	0	1	1	1	1	2	8.25
2024-25 (WHL)	55	5	11	16	12	14	10	66	7.20

Hurtig returned from a brief injury absence and returned to the Hitmen’s top pairing.

Eric Jamieson – D, University of Denver Pioneers, NCAA

20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 200 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	1	2	3	1	2	1	5	54.00
2024-25 (WHL)	66	14	22	36	26	27	19	175	13.51

Jamieson is playing on Denver’s top pairing and he had three points in their second game of the week.

Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

23; Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 175 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 15th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	2	2	2	2	2	6	39.85
2024-25 (AHL)	63	33	28	61	52	40	35	135	38.59

Kerins had two assists in the Wranglers’ opener. He was on a line with William Strömgren and Dryden Hunt on opening weekend.

Carter King – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

23; free agent signing; 5’11”, 190 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.00
2024-25 (NCAA)	44	21	22	43	31	16	14	116	35.18

King played his first game with Lucas Ciona and David Silye and the second with Aydar Suniev and Andrew Basha.

Yan Kuznetsov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

23; Calgary’s second round pick (50th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 209 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 19th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	1	0	1	1	1	1	2	19.93
2024-25 (AHL)	72	6	15	21	12	16	10	95	11.62

Kuznetsov played one game with Hunter Brzustewicz and one game with Jeremie Poirier.

Hunter Laing – C/RW, Saskatoon Blades, WHL

19; Calgary’s sixth round pick (170th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’5″, 205 pounds; shoots right

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	6	4	4	8	5	4	4	21	33.02
2024-25 (WHL)	64	25	23	48	40	35	29	153	18.57

Laing played once and missed the second game with an unspecified injury.

Jakob Leander – D, HV71, U20 Nationell

18; 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	9	0	2	2	2	2	2	12	3.64
2024-25 (J20)	39	1	5	6	3	5	3	33	2.52

Leander played twice and didn’t register any points.

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

20; 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	2	2	2	4	3	4	3	3	64.45
2024-25 (WHL)	59	17	41	58	45	30	27	134	24.34

Lipinski started his NCAA run with two multi-point games for an impressive Maine squad.

Cade Littler – C, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA

21; 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	2	1	2	3	2	3	2	3	54.00
2024-25 (NCAA)	33	7	2	9	8	9	8	30	9.82

Playing on North Dakota’s fourth line, Littler had a two point game in their opener and an assist in their second game.

Yan Matveiko – C, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL

19; 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
Season to date	14	6	8	14	8	11	6	24	11.73
2024-25 (MHL)	42	10	14	24	20	21	17	68	6.70

Matveiko had a pair of quiet games offensively this week. He’s still scoring way ahead of last season’s pace.

Henry Mews – D, University of Michigan Wolverines, NCAA

19; Calgary’s third round pick (74th overall) in the 2024 NHL Draft; 6’0″, 181 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 6th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	4	0	5	5	1	1	0	11	34.13
2024-25 (OHL)	68	14	68	82	51	40	27	233	31.94

Mews has been a big part of a scary-good Michigan power play to start the season. He’s getting many second assists on their power play.

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	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0.00
2024-25 (OHL)	67	34	51	85	58	63	43	211	33.60

Penn State played just one game this week and Misa is still waiting to register his first NCAA point.

Etienne Morin – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

20; Calgary’s second round pick (48th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 6’0″, 180 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 10th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.00
2024-25 (QMJHL)	62	14	44	58	29	40	24	222	21.79

Morin was scratched for the first Wranglers game and played in the second, on a pairing with Simon Mack.

Mace’o Phillips – D, Green Bay Gamblers, USHL

18; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’6″, 228 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	6	1	1	2	1	1	1	16	7.65
2024-25 (USHL)	25	2	1	3	3	3	3	31	2.76

Phillips scored his first goal of the season this past week. He’s scoring at a higher clip than he was a season ago – on the stacked U.S. National Under-18 Team – so that’s positive. He’s also taking a ton of penalties, though.

Jeremie Poirier – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

23; Calgary’s third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 196 pounds; shoots left

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	1	1	0	1	0	3	19.93
2024-25 (AHL)	71	5	37	42	23	26	15	132	23.57

Poirier had a game paired with Nick Cicek and a game paired with Yan Kuznetsov. He had a tough first game, taking two first period penalties that resulted in power play goals for the opposition.

Cullen Potter – C, Arizona State University Sun Devils, NCAA

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

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	4	0	2	2	1	2	1	17	18.00
2024-25 (NCAA)	35	13	9	22	16	17	13	118	22.63

Potter didn’t hit the scoresheet in Arizona State’s weekend of games.

Cole Reschny – C, University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks, NCAA

18; Calgary’s first round pick (18th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 183 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 2nd-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	1	1	2	2	1	1	6	36.00
2024-25 (WHL)	62	26	66	92	70	48	46	213	36.75

Reschny had a busy first weekend in college hockey. He had his first goal, his first assist, and his first injury scare after a knee-on-knee hit. (He returned to the game and actually set up a goal late in that game.)

Theo Stockselius – C, Djurgårdens IF, U20 Nationell/SHL

18; Calgary’s second round pick (54th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 181 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 12th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
U20 season to date	7	1	8	9	6	7	5	23	21.09
SHL season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
2024-25 (J20)	40	22	29	51	38	35	29	93	20.91

Djurgardens had a 10-day game in their schedule, which spanned this past week.

William Strömgren – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

22; Calgary’s second round pick (45th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 6’3″, 175 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 16th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	1	1	0	1	0	3	19.93
2024-25 (AHL)	70	14	35	49	35	26	20	107	27.90

Strömgren played both games with Rory Kerins and Dryden Hunt.

Aydar Suniev – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL

20; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 198 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 9th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.00
2024-25 (NCAA)	35	20	18	38	31	21	17	119	34.99

Suniev played one game with Sam Morton and Martin Frk and the second game with Carter King and Andrew Basha.

Ethan Wyttenbach – RW, Quinnipiac University Bobcats, NCAA

18; Calgary’s fifth round pick (144th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 180 pounds; shoots right; FN’s 20th-ranked prospect 2025

	GP	G	A	P	P1	5v5 P	5v5 P1	SH	NHLe
Season to date	3	2	2	4	4	4	4	3	30.61
2024-25 (USHL)	44	24	27	51	42	38	30	127	26.61

Wyttenbach had three points over two games and was named the ECAC conference’s rookie of the week.