Life's a Peach

PENTICTON, B.C. - Hockey is officially back!

After months of anticipation, a new campaign is on the horizon and it all starts with the Young Stars Classic. 

The tournament runs Sept. 15-18 at the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) in Penticton, composed of four teams competing in a round-robin format featuring prospects from the Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Winnipeg Jets.

The Flames will take to the ice for three games with each tilt livestreamed on CalgaryFlames.com and will also be available on Flames social channels: YouTube, X and Facebook.

THE FORWARDS

All eyes will be on a pair of recent first-round selections - Matt Coronato and Sam Honzek - along with handful of prospects who experienced their first taste of pro hockey this past campaign.

Coronato will hit the ice for his first Young Stars Classic experience after making his NHL debut last season against the San Jose Sharks in the regular season finale on April. 12. The 20-year-old racked up 72 points and 38 goals in his two seasons with Harvard, with 20 of his markers this past season tied for second on the squad.

Fans will get their first chance to watch Honzek in Flames colours, after the winger was selected 16th overall in the past draft. The 18-year-old finished second in team scoring with the Vancouver Giants with 56 points in 43 games, his first season playing in North America.

Parker Bell and Lucas Ciona both enjoyed successful years with their respected ‘Dub clubs. Bell placed second in team scoring with the Tri-City Americans with 64 points in 55 games, and appeared in two games with Wranglers, collecting a point.

Ciona crushed his previous best of 35 with 75 points and added nine points in the post-season to help lead the Thunderbirds to a WHL Championship. The sixth-round pick in 2021 chipped in with four points in the Memorial Cup.

William Stromgren, a second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, skated in 45 games with Brynas in the SHL before skating in two games with the Wranglers to get a taste of North American pro hockey.

Jaden Lipinski joins friend and teammate Honzek, after being selected in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. Lipinski finished third in team scoring with the Giants, setting a career high 51 points after posting 17 In his rookie season.

Adam Klapka, Rory Kerins and Ilya Nikolaev all played pro hockey. Klapka played in first season the Wranglers, with Kerins and Nikolaev splitting time in the AHL and ECHL. Klapka had 25 points in the regular season and added four goals in the post-season. Kerins, a sixth-round selection in 2020, collected 26 points with the Rapid City Rush, and added two points in six games with the Wranglers. Nikolaev skated in five games in the AHL, and appeared in 40 with the Rush, ending with 33 points in 40 tilts.

Mark Duarte, Oliver Peer, Nathan Pilling and Oliver Tulk are all back from their time at Flames Development Camp. Duarte, having signed with the Wranglers this past summer, ended his OHL career with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, collecting a career best 48 points. Peer’s 45 assists were good for third on the Windsor Spitfires roster, and his 67 points were a massive jump from the nine in his rookie year. Pilling started the 2022-23 year with the Moose Jaw Warriors, scoring seven goals in 23 games before being dealt to the Edmonton Oil Kings where he scored three times in 12 skates. Tulk enjoyed a successful sophomore year with the Hitmen, finishing second on the squad with 68 points, improving on the 19 the year prior, and added three points in five playoff clashes.

THE DEFENCEMEN

The blueline will see new faces looking to make a splash, along with a couple vets of the tourney and an exciting recent draftee.  

Yan Kuznetsov is coming off his first full season of pro hockey, after skating in 12 AHL games during the 2021-22 season, posting a 19 points in 63 games with the Wranglers last season and also chipped in with two assists in five playoff tilts. 

Jeremie Poirier is fresh off his rookie season in the AHL, scoring an impressive 41 points in 68 games, good for second among rookie rearguards. The 2020 third-rounder added 10 points in eight playoff clashes. 

Etienne Morin will don the Flaming C for the first team, after being selected in the second round, 48th overall, in the 2023 NHL Draft. The mobile blueliner was electric for the Moncton Wildcats, tied for the team lead with 72 points in 67 games, and 17 in 12 playoff contests.

Rounding out the blueline includes Jarrod Gourley, who signed an AHL/ECHL two-way deal this past off-season and is coming off a year split with the Utica Comets and Adirondack Thunder. Also on D is Charles Cote, Mikael Diotte, Tyson Galloway, Quinn Mantei and Donovon McCoy, who  return from taking part in Dev Camp. Cote posted 21 points in 66 games with Rimouski, while Diotte led all Drummondville rearguards with 27, including eight goals. Tyson Galloway set a career best 29 points with the Hitmen, in his fourth season with the club as he enters his overage season. Mantei more than doubled his production from his rookie season a year ago, with 25 points in 67 clashes, leading all Wheat Kings defence in assists. McCoy played an important role in helping Peterborough capture the OHL crown, and nearly matched his 13 points in the regular season, ending with 10 in just 22 playoff tilts.

THE GOALTENDERS

The trio of Jari Kykkanen, Matt Radomsky and Connor Murphy will be tending the twine. 

Kykkanen, a free-agent invite, took part in Flames Development Camp earlier in the summer and is coming off a year that saw him post a 14-12-3 record with an .896 save percentage in the regular season with the Kelowna Rockets. During the post-season he set an impressive .924 save percentage. 

Matt Radomsky recently signed with the Wranglers, after completing his collegiate career. His last year was spent with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, collecting a 22-10-2 mark with his wins total good for sixth in the NCAA. 

Connor Murphy suited up his last season with Union College as captain, appearing in 31 games with a 12-17-1 record and .889 save percentage. He signed with the Wranglers this summer after 91 career games played in the NCAA between Union and Northeastern University.