The Calgary Flames are amid a season where there’s just no telling what they’ll get on the ice game in and game out. On the one hand, they’ve played some terrible games, on the other, they’ve won some good ones too. This is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a team that’s rebuilding and you just have to take each game in stride.
However, the farm team has been on a tear in the AHL as the Calgary Wranglers have on nine straight games and are aiming for a double-digit streak this coming week. The month of October started with a season-opening loss for the Wranglers, but they’ve won every game since.
Powering the Wranglers’ win streak
This Wranglers team has a healthy mix of seasoned players, mature prospects, and brand-new up-and-comers. It’s the first season the team has played without a captain since Brett Sutter retired after the 2023–24 campaign.
Rory Kerins
The player with the biggest impact so far has been Rory Kerins, whose rise up the depth charts has reached new heights this very season. He’s the AHL’s goal scoring leader with nine goals (and two assists) in 10 games. Kerins had a bit of a weird development path where he probably spent a bit too long in the ECHL in 2022–23, but after a full season in the AHL last year, it looks like he’s ready to take his game to the next level.
If Kerins can continue his play, don’t be surprised if he finds himself playing in a couple of NHL games this season.
He’s already gotten recognition in the AHL as he was named the league’s Player of the Month.
Scoring by committee
Ten players in the NHL have double-digit points right now. Four of them are Wranglers. Kerins is joined by teammates Walker Duehr (six goals, five assists), Dryden Hunt (two goals, eight assists), and Jakob Pelletier (10 assists). Right behind them is Clark Bishop as well with six goals and three points.
This top-end firepower has seen the Wranglers rack up goals in a few games during their win streak, with their biggest offensive outburst coming in their most recent 6–2 over the San Diego Gulls. Their 36 total goals currently lead the AHL although the San Jose Barracuda will likely pass them when they reach an equal number of games.
The Wranglers have a scoring pace of 3.60 goals a game. While this likely will not last, this is still a huge improvement over last season’s 2.81 goals per game pace.
Great goaltending
The biggest change for the Wranglers this season was definitely their crease. Last year’s tandem is long gone with Oscar Dansk now playing in the AHL for the Anaheim Ducks, and of course the promotion of Dustin Wolf into the NHL, quite possibly for good.
Replacing them are Devin Cooley, who was challenging Wolf and Dan Vladar as the third goalie in the preseason, and Waltteri Ignatjew who signed a one-year contract with the Flames.
The duo of Cooley and Ignatjew have been steady in net for the Wranglers. While they’re not top-end goalies in the league, they’re getting good results. Helped by the win streak—or rather, helping the team get their win streak—Cooley leads the AHL with six wins. He has a 0.946 SV%, a solid 1.86 GAA, and one shutout to his name so far.
Ignatjew has three wins, a 0.927 SV%, and a 2.34 GAA. This season is his first time playing in North America, so getting these numbers while adjusting to an entirely new life is commendable. Prior to signing with the Flames, Ignatjew spent his career playing in various European leagues, a mix of Finnish, Russian, and, most recently, Swedish leagues.
Between Cooley and Ignatjew, they’re allowing just 2.00 goals a game. Couple this with the team’s scoring power mentioned above, and this is a strong recipe for success.
A great start to the season
The Wranglers are always a joy to watch and follow. They’ve had highs and lows in their short history playing out of Calgary, and the changes that the team has seen each passing season don’t make it easy to stay competitive.
The team is clicking in all the right ways right now with the injection of new hungry talent across the lineup and this win streak should have the Flames organisation and Flames fans excited that there’s still plenty of potential in the prospect pipeline.
The Wranglers will continue their homestand when they go for 10 straight wins, welcoming the Bakersfield Condors to the Saddledome on November 5 at 7 p.m. Let’s see if Calgary can get the job done!
