Young Stars Preview - Flames vs. Canucks

Hockey season has finally arrived.

The Calgary Flames kick off the 2023 Young Stars Classic tonight in Penticton, B.C., taking on the Vancouver Canucks at 8:30 p.m. MT.

In its 10th year, the tourament sees prospects from the Flames, Canucks, Oilers, and Jets square off over the course of four days at the South Okanagan Events Centre. For fans in the area, tickets are available HERE.

Tonight's game will be streamed on CalgaryFlames.com and on the Flames' social media platforms with Flames TV host Brendan Parker providing colour commentary for the broadcast.

THE ROSTER

The Flames have a mix of players with experience in the Young Stars Classic and several new faces that will make their tournament debut this evening.

On the veteran side, Adam Klapka, Lucas Ciona, Rory Kerins, Jeremie Poirier, Yan Kuznetsov, and Ilya Nikolaev are returning to Penticton after playing in last year's tournament.

2021 first-round pick Matt Coronato, who signed his entry-level deal with the organization following his Harvard season coming to an end last spring and made his NHL debut on Apr. 12, will be making his first appearance in Penticton this evening.

Calgary's 2023 NHL Draft class is well-represented in Penticton with first-round pick Sam Honzek, second-round selection Etienne Morin, and fourth-round pick Jaden Lipinski all on the roster.

In net, it will be a trio of new faces with recent AHL signees Matt Radomsky and Connor Murphy and tryout Jari Kykkanen in the mix.

PLAYER TO WATCH

The 2022-23 season was one to remember for Lucas Ciona.

Named captain of the Seattle Thunderbirds, the power forward guided his club from a tremendous regular season run, leading the Western Conference with a 54-11-3 record, into a spectacular playoff push that saw them capture the WHL Championship with a 16-3 record.

The Edmonton product also inked his first NHL contract, signing an entry-level deal with the Flames on Oct. 30, 2022.

With his junior career coming to a close this past spring, his sights are now set on the pro game. This tournament will be a springboard into the next step in his career.

THE OPPOSITION

The Canucks enter the tournament with seven returning players from their 2022 roster while 20 players will be making their Young Stars Classic debut this weekend.

Arshdeep Bains, Marc Gatcomb, Danila Klimovich, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Chad Nychuk, Quinn Schmiemann, and Ty Young are the veteran group that will be counted upon to provide leadership to the young group throughout the course of the three-game tournament.