Calgary Flames Call Up Top 5 Prospect

The Calgary Flames certainly haven't gotten off to the start they were hoping for this season. Perhaps injecting some fresh new life into the lineup will light a fire under the Flames (so to speak). They've called up one of their top prospects, Connor Zary.

The #Flames have recalled forward Connor Zary from the @AHLWranglers 🔥

📄: https://t.co/zflEws9SkZ pic.twitter.com/2CRdwSLhMl

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 31, 2023

The 24-year-old leads the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL in scoring with 10 points through six games, and will be making his NHL debut. 

Zary said he was nervous when he answered his phone today, seeing that it was the Flames' front office calling. “It’s not often that you get a call from the GM or assistant GM on an off-day,” Zary told the Calgary Sun, shortly after his promotion was made official. “So either you’ve done something really good or you’ve done something really bad, right? So there was a little bit of nervousness at first. Like, ‘Oh crap, what did I do wrong?’ ” 

No worries, though, it was all good news. A dream, really, for the kid from Saskatoon. 

“As a kid, playing hockey, that’s your dream phone call,” Zary said. “It’s pretty special to get that one.”

Zary can play centre or wing, and broke through with the Wranglers last season, posting 21 goals and 58 points in 72 games. He was the Flames' first-round pick (24th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft.

Photo: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports