As a Western Canadian team, it’s no surprise that the Calgary Flames have their fair share of prospects inside the Western Hockey League. Near the start of the WHL season in November, I checked on the five Flames prospects playing for the league. Those five are Andrew Basha, Jaden Lipinski, Eric Jamieson, Hunter Laing, and Axel Hurtig.
With the WHL season nearing its end and playoffs about to begin, let’s take a look at how these five have rounded off their seasons.
Andrew Basha
The last time we checked in on Andrew Basha, he had 20 points in 17 games coming off a slowish start. Since then, Basha only played in six more games after returning from his day-to-day injury. In those six games, he produced nine points to bring his season totals to 29 in 23 games. He had points in four of the six games and each of them were multi-point performances.
With that streak, Basha was just under pace of his draft year. Unfortunately, Basha was injured in a game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on December 28 and has been out ever since. He has missed a total of 28 games.
Jaden Lipinski
Jaden Lipinski had just rejoined the Vancouver Giants when we took a look back in November. He was coming off a two-game stint with the Calgary Wranglers and was being welcomed back as one of the Giants’ 20-year-olds. Seven points in nine games is how Lipinski’s statline read at the time.
Since then, Lipinski has joined the Giants for 39 more games, scoring 40 points in them. This brings his season totals to 47 points in 48 games, just shy of a point per game. While better than the start of the season, Lipinski still is a little streaky. Having dominant nights of 3–4 points, then slowing down to stretches of 0–1. We know what Lipinski can do in the WHL and his next big step is joining the Wranglers full time.
Eric Jamieson
The Everett Silvertips captain was off to a pretty solid start. Nothing too flashy on the stat sheet but was bringing his shutdown style. Since then, Eric Jamieson accumulated 25 points in 42 games to add to his seven points in 18 games at the start of the season.
A nice production rise for the stay-at-home defenceman who recently scored a hat trick. Jamieson is serving as a major piece to the Silvertips who are one of the best teams in the WHL. Jamieson is committing to the University of Denver next season as one of the non-over-ager players to go to the NCAA with the new rules.
Hunter Laing
The other Flames’ sixth-rounder of 2024, Hunter Laing is the only Flames prospect to bounce around in the WHL this year. Including in a package to send Ben Riche from the Saskatoon Blades to the Prince George Cougars, Laing was set to find a new home in Saskatoon.
Laing’s season started out in streaks which totalled to 12 points in 20 games. He played 16 more games with the Cougars before the trade and put up 10 points. Laing has settled in decently well with the Blades. He has 12 points—eight of them being goals—in 18 games. Overall, Laing has seen a season of 18 goals and 34 points in 54 games, already out producing his draft season.
Axel Hurtig
Axel Hurtig decided to go local this season and make the move from Sweden to join the Calgary Hitmen. Hurtig isn’t going to produce and that showed with the three points he had in the first 20 games. He’s played in 24 more games with the Hitmen since then and has added an additional 10 points.
The only Flames prospect to represent his country at the World Juniors, Hurtig suited up for Sweden. He played in all of their seven games as they lost to Czechia in the bronze medal game in a shootout. Hurtig and the Hitmen are near the top of the league and are gearing up for a deep playoff run.
A so-so season for Flames WHL prospects
When it comes to Flames prospects in the WHL, there’s nothing crazy to note. It doesn’t help when by far the best player in Andrew Basha has been out for a majority of the year with injury. The only one to seem to take some big steps this year has been Eric Jamieson with improved production and defensive play.
Jaden Lipinski seems to have grown tired of the WHL, putting up about the same pace every single season. Hunter Laing has taken steps forward but nothing that will turn heads. It is nice to see Axel Hurtig having a steady role with the Hitmen.
