The Future On Display

WINDSOR, Ont. - The Calgary Flames are a franchise under construction, with signs of progress coming every day.

There's the continued build of Scotia Place in Calgary, expected to open in time for the start of the 2027-28 season.

And some of the building blocks for the team that will play in that building are being put into place here this week at the World Junior Summer Showcase.

The Flames have an NHL-best eight prospects taking part in the week-long event, which features Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States practicing and playing games at WFCU Centre, and is the first step in those countries picking their teams for the 2027 IIHF World Junior Championship.

"It's exciting," Flames general manager Craig Conroy said. "Because when you see these guys ... you know this is the future of the Calgary Flames. They know they're the future of the Calgary Flames. So it's exciting to see them all together."

Among the future Flames here is forward Cole Reschny, selected with the No. 18 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old had 35 points (six goals, 29 assists) in 36 games as a freshman at the University of North Dakota last season, and also had five points (four goals, one assist) in seven games to help Canada finish third at the 2026 WJC.

Reschny had three assists in the second period of a 5-3 win against Finland on Thursday, and was Canada's captain.

"It's exciting," Reschny said of all the Flames prospects at the WJSS. "Any chance you get to be surrounded in a group with top prospects in your NHL organization, it's surreal. It's special. ... I think it also shows things are turning in the right direction for the Flames."

That future nearly became the present for Reschny and the Flames, with player and team going deep into discussions on him turning pro. But eventually each side felt it better for Reschny to play another college season.

"I definitely took my time with making that decision and going through the process of weighing out the pros and cons of each side," Reschny said. "Ultimately I just thought where I'm at, where the Flames are at right now, and with the team we have coming back to North Dakota, I think we have a special team and a special group of guys."

Among that special group at North Dakota this season will be defenceman Carson Carels, who the Flames selected with the No. 6 pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old tied for fourth among Western Hockey League defencemen last season with 73 points (20 goals, 53 assists) in 58 games for Prince George, and had one assist in 10:12 of ice time in five games for Canada at the 2026 WJC. He's projected to be a top-four defenceman both in college and at the 2027 WJC.

"The big thing with Carson is he can do everything," Flames director of player development Ray Edwards said. "He's sort of a jack of all trades. Is he going to lead the NHL in scoring? Probably not. Is he going to be the top defensive defenceman in the NHL? Probably not. But he's going to be really good at a lot of things. He's going to be a minute muncher, he's going to be a guy you can match up against top players. He a guy that's going to be able to create offence. 

"It's an exciting player because the ceiling is so high for him. The hockey IQ is off the charts, the competitiveness. He checks all the boxes."

Another player checking boxes is United States forward Ethan Wyttenbach, who led the NCAA last season with 59 points (25 goals, 34 assists) in 40 games as a freshman at Quinnipiac University.

That kind of output was a surprise to everyone - except Wyttenbach, a fifth-round pick (No. 144) in the 2025 draft.

"We do goals and objectives for each player ... and he was pretty adamant about the numbers that he wanted to get," Edwards said of a meeting he had with Wyttenbach at Calgary's development camp last season. "And I questioned him a couple times on it, 'Are you sure that's attainable? I don't want to put something down here if it's too far-fetched type of thing.' And he said, 'No, I want you to put it down.' I'm like, 'OK, perfect.'

"Well, he (matched those goals) three-quarters of the way through the season. So I was like, 'I'm never questioning you again when it comes to what you want to do.' "

Wyttenbach had another meeting with Edwards during development camp this season, and set new goals and objectives. The 19-year-old wouldn't reveal them, but winning an NCAA title, adding lower-body strength and playing for the U.S. at the 2027 World Juniors are on the list.

"Individually, just getting ready for the NHL," Wyttenbach said. "I think every kid's dream is to play in the NHL and do it as quick as possible. So for me, it's just coming back to college, hopefully for one more year, and just getting ready for the NHL as quick as possible."

And that possibility could come this season. Conroy said he envisions Carels, Reschny and Wyttenbach playing for the Flames this season after their college seasons end.

And there could be more. U.S. forward Cullen Potter, selected with the No. 32 pick in the 2025 draft, attended the WJSS but did not go on the ice while he finishes his recovery from a knee injury sustained in January and gets ready to play at Michigan State in the fall. Edwards and Conroy believe the 19-year-old, who had 26 points (12 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games at Arizona State before he was injured, is close to being NHL ready.

Other Calgary prospects taking part at the WJSS are defenceman Maceo Phillips and forward Jack Hextall with the U.S., Canada forward Chase Harrington and Sweden forward Theo Stockselius.

The Flames (34-39-9) missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth straight time last season, but the eventual influx of new talent should have hope rising alongside the walls of Scotia Place.

"It should be exciting for the fans," Reschny said. "There's a new building coming up in Calgary, the team's heading in the right direction. Obviously some of us prospects hopefully coming in pretty soon here. It just goes back to the word excitement, and exciting. They should be excited. We're going to do whatever we can to help out the team. Conroy's doing it, all the guys. They're doing what they can, so I think things are heading in the right direction here."