Of all the goals and dreams Abram Wiebe has had over his hockey career, playing against Team Canada probably wasn’t one of them.
But that’s exactly what the newest Flames prospect did last month, when the Mission, B.C. product helped the U.S. Collegiate Selects reach the final of the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
“It was weird - as a Canadian - playing against Canada, but it was a really cool experience,” the defenceman relayed earlier this week over the phone from North Dakota. “Being able to play against players from all over the world, and especially guys that played in the NHL. It was just overall an unbelievable experience.
“It was my first time outside of North America. Just being able to represent college hockey was pretty cool; I don’t think a lot of people expected us to do as well as we did, we kinda had nothing to lose.”
Fast-forward to this past Sunday. Wiebe’s Fighting Hawks had just completed a two-game split against the University of Denver, when his phone rang. It was Golden Knights Director of Player Development Wil Nichol, informing the 22-year-old he had just been dealt to Calgary as part of the Rasmus Andersson trade.
“At first, it’s shocking,” Wiebe admitted. “But first of all, I thank Vegas for everything they’ve done for me, giving me the opportunity to be drafted by them. They did a lot, my four years, developing me as a player.
“After that, I was able to get a call from (Flames General Manager) Craig Conroy, which was pretty cool, just welcoming me to the organization. It’s pretty exciting, I’m super-pumped to be a part of this organization now, it’s a pretty cool opportunity.”
Wiebe describes himself as a 200-foot defenceman - a player that coaches can trust - and he’s got a bit of offensive pop, too. The 6-foot-3 blueliner has collected 38 points over his last season and a half at North Dakota, and the former seventh-round pick possesses a skill set and mentality that excites the Flames GM.
“He’s a big guy, well-rounded,” Conroy told Flames TV Sunday, after acquiring Wiebe. “He does everything well, he’s a leader on that team. Moves well, simple, direct and hard, and that’s what we really liked about him.
“It’s nice to have another prospect - especially a left-shot guy - that we feel moving forward in the organization, we’ll be looking for.”
The leadership qualities shine through, too. Wiebe wears an ‘A’ with the Fighting Hawks, and he captained the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs in his last year of junior hockey, too.
It’s a responsibility he takes seriously.
“I’m not the loudest player in the dressing room, but I just try to lead by example with whatever I do, whether it’s working out, or coming to the rink early in the morning, or just treating my body - and hockey - like a pro,” said Wiebe. “And just helping the younger guys. I know coming in as a freshman, sometimes it’s scary, and that’s something I had to take on this summer, being a junior and having 10 freshmen come in.
“We’ve all been through it, and just being able to help freshmen out is definitely something I’ve been a big part of this year.”
One of those freshmen just happens to lead North Dakota in scoring. And now, Cole Reschny and Wiebe are teammates in more ways than one.
Along with forward Cade Littler, Wiebe now makes three Flames prospects with this year’s Fighting Hawks squad, one that goes into a weekend set with Arizona State ranked No. 4 in the USCHO poll.
“I think it’s pretty cool, having two teammates alongside me,” said Wiebe. “Both of them were super-pumped, they called me right away as soon as the trade happened.”
As for Reschny, Wiebe sees plenty of potential in the Flames first-rounder, a fellow Western Canadian kid that heads into the weekend as Conference Forward of the Week.
“The sky’s the limit for him,” Wiebe said of Reschny. “I just think back to the summer, just getting to know him. He’s a really good guy, really outgoing, somebody that I’ve gotten really close with over the past couple of months.
“If you just look at the way his season’s going and the way that he’s progressing, he’s getting better every single game. He’s getting more confident on the ice, and he’s becoming one of our key assets.”
Wiebe, Reschny, Littler and the rest of the North Dakota squad have their sights firmly set on the Frozen Four, slated for early April in - of all places - T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After that, Wiebe says he’s looking forward to visiting the Stampede City for the first time.
A chance to get acclimated to his pro hockey home.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to Calgary, even though it’s the next province over,” Wiebe said, referencing his Fraser Valley roots. “I’m excited to head down there soon and see what it’s like.
“You hear from Cole and Cade, they’ve said nothing but great things. And they’re pumped to have me part of that organization.”
