Preseason Preview - Flames vs. Kraken

Pacific Division rivals meet for the first time this season as the Flames play host to the Seattle Kraken at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Puck drop is slated for 7 p.m. MT, with tickets available HERE.

For those unable to attend, tonight's game will be streamed live on CalgaryFlames.com and the Flames App within the Flames region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

Calgary will chase its second victory of the exhibition campaign - and first on home ice - in the first of two preseason matchups against Seattle.

The Flames were off Monday, on the heels of a split-squad session Sunday against the Oilers that netted road victories for each of the two Alberta clubs.

In Edmonton, Morgan Frost scored twice - including the decider 1:07 into overtime - as Calgary scored a 3-2 win at Rogers Place, while at the 'Dome, Devin Cooley turned in a 26-save performance in a 3-0 setback.

After coaching the game in Calgary, head coach Ryan Huska admitted the primary focus for his group should still be on process, since the mix of veterans and rookies that split squad affair presented allowed for teaching moments.

"Always process for us, that’s a takeaway," Huska said of Sunday's home contest. "We didn’t play we’re going to have to play to have success.

"But those are things that we can easily teach now, and we can look to get better at when we play Seattle."

Defenceman Zayne Parekh's first game action at the Scotiabank Saddledome this season provided plenty of promise, plenty of intrigue.

And while the 19-year-old didn't find the scoresheet, Huska reflected on some confident moments from his young blueliner.

"I thought he did some good things in the offensive zone, he moved around," the Flames bench boss said Sunday evening. "I thought he had probably the most jump of the younger guys, when you looked at his game.

"Early on, he made a few good passes; I thought he did some good things in his first one this year."

The team reduced its training camp roster by one Monday, returning defenceman Mace'o Phillips to Green Bay of the USHL, but the 2025 third-rounder looked good in rookie game action a week ago, showcasing skating ability and bite to complement his 6-foot-6 frame.

We'll get a better idea of lines and pairings at Tuesday's morning skate, but among the notable vets awaiting their first taste of exhibition action are reigning Calder Memorial Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf, as well as forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich.

Tonight's matchup also serves as the front half of a back-to-back situation for the Flames - they'll face the Canucks in Abbotsford, B.C. Wednesday - so expect a fair amount of roster rotation to give management more time to assess the 54 players remaining in camp.

The Other Side

All in all, it was a pretty good Sunday for Seattle sports fans.

The Seahawks scored a lopsided win over the Saints to improve to 2-1, the Mariners completed a series sweep of the Astros to take a three-game lead in the American League West, and the Kraken kicked off their exhibition campaign with a 5-3 win over the Canucks.

Jani Nyman scored twice as part of a three-goal Seattle second period, while Joey Daccord made 11 saves over his 40 minutes of work to help the Kraken start their fall off on the front foot.

The 21-year-old Finn is pushing to make Kraken on a full-time basis this season after collecting six points in 12 games in 2024-25; he also posted 28 goals at AHL Coachella Valley in his first full season on this side of the pond.

"I liked that I scored and last year I liked the way I played,” Nyman told SeattleKraken.com after Sunday's game. “But it’s the first game and I’ll try to do the same for next game.”

New head coach Lane Lambert inherits a squad looking to reach the post-season for the second time in its short franchise history, and the former Saskatoon Blades star could well have the services of a Saskatoon product who, like Nyman, is pushing for an NHL gig in 2025-26.

Forward Berkly Catton was Seattle's No. 8 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and went +2 on Sunday at Climate Pledge Arena. The 19-year-old had 109 regular season points last year in the WHL and led the league in assists (31) and points (42) during a playoff run that saw Spokane reach the WHL final for the first time in 17 years.

Player To Watch

What's cooler than being cool?

Frost, apparently!

The second-year Flame was the first star in Edmonton thanks to his two-goal performance and along with former Philadelphia teammate Joel Farabee, helped provide all the offence Calgary would need at Rogers Place two nights ago.

Head coach Ryan Huska said Sunday that he'd like to see Frost develop into a player in Mikael Backlund's mould; a two-way centreman that can be counted upon in big moments.

But suffice it to say, Frost's first offensive outburst of the preseason was exactly the recipe the doctor - or in this case, the head coach - ordered.

"I want Morgan to use the skill set that he’s got, but I want him to end at the net," said Huska. "So sometimes, Morgan wants to make it look just a little bit prettier than it has to, and he over-passes, or he’ll over-handle it at times.

"He’s got a really good mind for the game, so I’d just like to see him end at the net more, and think a little bit more selfishly and aggressively when it comes to going to the net, because if he doesn’t score, someone else is going to."