2025 Draft Rundown

Flames GM Craig Conroy's Draft Summary:

"I would say it was the draft of the centres. But I think we wanted to take players that we thought were complete players that could help us with skill, hockey sense, speed. The one thing I know people are going to say that some of the guys aren't as big, but that's OK because they compete. They have big hearts and they're going to battle. They don't play like their size. They play bigger than their size. And that's what we're going to need them to have to do. It's going to be hard because the NHL is the best league in the world and you've got some big men out there, but some of these guys have that inner drive that we've seen and we think that's going to push them forward and make them top players, hopefully, in the NHL one day.

"I know we talked a lot about centres. It might not be next year, it might be a little bit, but I feel comfortable that we have some really, really good centres coming. They're in the pipeline (now). We haven't drafted centres very often in the last - well, quite a few years. So, to actually put some into the pool now, we're very excited.

"If it wasn't going to happen, that was OK. But to have it happen the way it did, I think it was the right time for us and now we can move forward and we feel like every position has some real, good young players coming."

Day 1 (Round 1)

1st Round, 18th Overall - Cole Reschny (Centre - Victoria Royals, WHL)

Player Profile:

• Totaled 26-66-92 (62 GP) to complete the 2024-25 season with the sixth-most assists and tied for the ninth-most points across the WHL. Reschny set a Victoria Royals record for most assists in a single season and tied the second-most points in a single season in franchise history.
• Recorded a 14-game point streak this past season (7-25-32 in 14 GP), which was tied for the seventh-longest run across the WHL.
• Recorded 9-16-25 through two rounds of the 2025 playoffs and finished with the second-highest points-per-game average (2.27) across the WHL postseason.
• Posted 21-38-59 in 61 GP for the Royals in 2023-24 to finish fifth across the WHL in points by a rookie and fourth in assists. His season was highlighted by a 14-game point streak and a hat trick performance.
• Drafted third overall by Victoria in the 2022 WHL Bantam Draft.
• Won a gold medal at the 2025 Under-18 World Championship, where he recorded the second-most goals for his country (5-3-8 in 5 GP), and at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he registered 3-4-7 in 5 GP, which led the team in points (tied) and was the fourth-highest total across the tournament. He also played for Team Canada Red at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Scouting Report via NHL Central Scouting:

"Smart top line center who plays effectively on both special teams. Good in the face-off circle. High IQ type of player with good instincts on both sides of the puck. Effective playing the strong side on the power play where everything runs through him. More playmaker than shooter but will put pucks to the net to generate scoring chances. Not overly physical but takes away time and space with good positioning and a good stick. Not the quickest or fastest player but his skating compliments his excellent hockey IQ allowing him to be in the right spot on both sides of the puck."

GM Craig Conroy's Take:

"With Cole, he brings the skill, hockey sense, that competitive drive. As his year went along, he just got better. And when we got to the crucial points in the playoffs, he was unbelievable. I was over at the U-18s when he got there, and to come in a little late and be one of the top players for Canada over there, it just seems like his game is evolving and getting better.

"People talk about his offensive play, but the d-zone play that really impresses me, too. I think it's going to get undervalued a little bit because of all the offence, but he can play at both ends and is super competitive. Not the biggest guy, but a guy that you can win with."

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"Skill. Hockey sense. Compete. Winner. That’s how you describe Cole Reschny."

1st Round, 32nd Overall - Cullen Potter (Centre - Arizona State, NCHC)

Player Profile:

• Was one of three 17-year-olds to play in the NCAA this season and topped that cohort after collecting 13-9-22 in 35 GP with Arizona State Univ. He was named to his division’s all-rookie team.
• Finished first in points on Team USA’s NTDP Under-17 team during the 2023-24 campaign with 17-29-46 in 54 games.
• Earned silver with USA at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he posted 1-7-8 (7GP) and co-led the tournament in assists. Potter also won bronze at the 2025 Under-18 World Championship, where he finished tied with the third-highest point total on his team (4-4-8 in 7 GP).
• His mother, Jenny, helped lead USA to the first gold medal ever awarded for Olympic women’s hockey at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, and holds the US Olympic women’s hockey records for most points in a career (32) and a single Olympics (11). She’s been to four Olympic Winter Games (gold in 1998) and 10 World Championships (gold in 2005, 2008, 2009 & 2011).

Scouting Report via NHL Central Scouting:

"A quick and clever center who is noticeable game in and game out. An elite skater with an excellent burst of speed and quickness, both with and without the puck. A very good first step allows him to separate from opponents and utilize his pull away gear on plays. Competes hard and plays a 200-foot game, forechecks with a purpose and back checks with intensity. Crafty and heads up when carrying the puck to recognize scoring chances and shooting opportunities. Always a dangerous scoring threat when on the ice. Creates scoring chances for himself and teammates using his high-end skating and puck skills. The type of player who wants the puck on his stick and finds ways to contribute when the team needs a goal."

GM Craig Conroy's Take:

"The speed alone... He's fast. Fast, quick, electric. He's got high hockey sense. To be this young playing in college hockey, it's not easy. He's very competitive, too. That's the one thing. People are going to look at his size, but his overall game and watching him - from his hockey sense to his skill, to his competitiveness, the only thing you're going to say is he's not big. That would be it. But his speed is electric."

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"People are going to debate whether or not he’ll be a centre or winger at the next level, and we said when we drafted him, he’s going to be a centre. ... He’s one of the best skaters in the draft. Great vision, great hands and he’s self-driven; he’s a motivated kid. If you know his background with his mom, an Olympian, the bloodlines are there. Doing the school early to get in and challenge himself, he wanted a better challenge. So, some people you can knock a guy who goes to school early and he doesn’t put up the numbers he might have if he stayed at the program or gone to junior. I look at that as a positive. This kid wanted to challenge himself against bigger, stronger guys and in my opinion, he aced the test. So, really excited to get Cullen. I know Conny told you guys we tried to move up a little bit, we had him obviously higher, we tried to move up last night, but didn’t work and we still got him at 32."

Day 2 (Rounds 2-7)

2nd Round, 54th Overall - Theo Stockselius (Centre - Djurgarden, SWE Jr.)

Player Profile:

• Spent the majority of the season playing in Sweden’s top junior hockey league where he recorded 22-29-51 (40 GP). He finished fourth in the league in points and assists among players age 17 or younger.
• Won gold in 2024-25 in Sweden’s top junior league, where he topped the league in points (8-8-16 in 9 GP). He paced Sweden's top Under-18 league in scoring as well (5-9-14 in 8 GP).
• In 2023-24, he played in Sweden’s Under-18 league, skating in both their highest league where he posted 8-16-24 (15 GP) and in their second division (11-28-39 in 22 GP), where he finished sixth in assists.
• Collected silver with Sweden at the 2025 Under-18 World Championship (1-4-5 in 7 GP) and the 2024 World Junior A Challenge (0-2-2 in 5 GP).

Scouting Report via NHL Central Scouting:

"Highly skilled and creative player who consistently shows strong hockey IQ and the ability to handle the puck in tight spaces. Stands out for his stickhandling, passing and ability to create offense. Finds ways to make an impact without always being flashy. His long reach and wiry frame make him difficult to contain, and he is effective in creating for teammates and finishing himself. However, his physical strength and skating, particularly acceleration and first strides, remain areas needing improvement. Regularly contributes on the scoreboard and has proven to be a productive and reliable player at the junior level. His humble mentality and work ethic are noted strengths, suggesting a high ceiling if he continues developing physically. Overall, he is a technically gifted player with strong upside, especially if he improves his on-ice explosiveness."

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"Left wing, centre. Played a lot of left wing. I saw him play both wings. I know he played centre, I know he’s listed as a centre. You guys will do your back story on him with the cancer a couple years ago. Smart, smart kid. Thyroid cancer. You guys know that? He had thyroid cancer a couple years ago and beat it, so it’s a really neat story. ... Didn’t play on the national team until November this year, played on a strong Djurgarden team with some really good players. Skilled, smart, he’s got reach. He needs physical development, but when we did the whole process with Rick Davis and our doctors, we think he was physically hampered by obviously by going through the cancer treatment. It’s going to come. 6-foot-3 and his brother is a thicker kid, so we think he’s a little behind that way, but we’re not worried about it."

3rd Round, 80th Overall - Mace'o Phillips (Defence - USNTDP)

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"We had subset of defenceman we really liked. It’s almost like the goalies now, where you get those bigger, stronger, long, hard-nosed defenceman and it’s almost the case like the goaltenders. When one of them starts to go, they all start to go. So, we didn’t want to reach with any of them - but when we got there at that pick were taking him now. Our U.S. guys were on board. He’s a long-term guy. We had Marty Gelinas and Ray (Edwards) in the room, so they know all about him, they know where he has to get to. So, he’s going to the University of Minnesota in two years. I don’t know if you guys talked to him, but what an engaging young man. He’s got a unique story, too. He told us at the interview in June that he was either going to go to Portland or Green Bay, but he’s going to wait to see which team drafted him and get their consult to make the final decision. So, that’s where he’s going next year."

5th Round, 144th Overall - Ethan Wyttenbach (Left Wing - Sioux Falls, USHL)

Fittingly, Wyttenbach was the inaugural recipient of the Gaudreau Award this past season - a yearly honour bestowed upon the player in the USHL who best embodies the legacy of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.

Courtesy of the USHL:

The award criteria are grounded in the personal and professional lives of the Gaudreau brothers, combining elements of on-ice excellence with joy, enthusiasm, care and responsibility.

“Johnny and Matthew left an immeasurable impact on the communities where they lived and played. As a New Jersey native, I had the privilege of watching them grow up in our hockey community, with Guy behind the bench and Jane cheering proudly in the stands,” said USHL President and Commissioner Glenn Hefferan. “They were not only exceptional players and teammates but, most importantly, extraordinary people. Their love for the game was only surpassed by their love for their families. As devoted husbands to Meredith and Madeline and loving fathers to their beautiful children, they led with the same integrity, passion, and humility they brought to the rink. This award was created to honor their legacy and to serve as a shining example of excellence, character, and heart both on and off the ice."

Despite sidelining a lower body in February, Wyttenbach rebounded to help lead the Stampede in scoring, showcasing his exceptional talent and unwavering determination. Selected for the 2025 Chipotle All-American Game and ranked 222nd among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings for the 2025 NHL Draft, Wyttenbach’s on-ice performance has been impressive.

Wyttenbach has made a commitment to serve the Sioux Falls community. Prior to his injury he led the team in community service hours. On top of being a mentor to his younger brother and local youth hockey players, Ethan filled food bags at Feeding South Dakota, served dinners at the St. Francis House and rung bells for The Salvation Army. He made school visits and assisted at youth practices after his own.

In addition to his on-ice achievements and community engagements, Wyttenbach’s personal commitment to family is evident in his daily interactions. Whether it is ensuring his younger brother is included in team activities or offering unwavering support during challenging times, he personifies humility and generosity.

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"It wasn’t a sentimental pick, because our guys really like this Wyttenbach kid. But it was a neat side story to have him winning the first Johnny Gaudreau Award. Smaller, skilled, smart, over a point per game in the USHL and that's not an easy league to score in, especially at that size, so you have to have elite escapability and evasiveness to be able to put those points up. He was a case certainly where our analytics department really helped because our guys were worried about his size early, and then our guys were like, 'No, it matches up with what were seeing with the I.Q. and the tenacity and the skill.' So, we just kept tracking it all year and it came to that point, and he was there and our analytics department was like, ‘Yeah, take that guy, that’s the guy.'"

6th Round, 176th Overall - Aidan Lane (Right Wing - St. Andrews College)

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"Started at St. Andrews College. We saw him last year a lot when we were in to see Dean Letourneau, so he was on the radar from last year. Myself and (amateur scout) Terry Doran saw him early at St. Andrews College and then he went to Brampton for a few games. I stopped tracking him a little bit, but Terry kept on him and then he watched him through the playoffs. He’s going to Harvard next year. I think he could be a centre ice-man. He played a lot of centre at St. Andrews, but they played him more on the wing in Brampton just because of his lack of experience there. But he’s 6-foot-1, he’s big, he’s strong and I say his core asset is his hockey sense."

7th Round, 208th Overall - Jakob Leander (Defence - HV71, SWE Jr.)

7th Round, 211th Overall - Yan Matveiko (Forward - CSKA, RUS Jr.)

The Flames acquired this pick only moments after the Lane selection. In exchange, Calgary sent a 2026 seventh-round choice to the Detroit Red Wings.

"We were getting down to our last group and it was neat, because at the table when you’re in an arena environment, you can’t talk to everyone openly - you have to go around and talk to each scout, ‘Who do you want here? Who do you want there?'" Button said.

"So, in this environment it was a real benefit. The room was open and the guys started talking about players and you can see the passion and who wants who. We started talking about certain guys and we only had one pick left and Conny said, ‘I’ll get you another pick.’"

Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button's Take:

"(Russia scout) Denis Grebeshkov, he’s been such a valuable addition to our staff in Russia, covering them off since we haven’t been able to go there that much. He tracked him last year and he watched him. He wasn’t on our list last year, but he tracked him and he said the improvement from last year to this year put him on the radar. Much like (2024 sixth-round pick) Eric Jamieson, same thing this year. Denis was really happy with Yan and he said it was great pick there. I think he’s 6-foot-4, 186-lb. centre ice-man. Has a chance to play in the KHL next year. So, just by that, you can tell he’s made some strides.