The Calgary Flames had one of the best drafts this past summer at the Sphere as the club added several great prospects to their pipeline. The most notable of which were names like Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin, and Andrew Basha but the team also drafted well in the later rounds with one of their picks being Luke Misa of the Brampton Steelheads who the Flames took in the fifth round, 150th overall.
Some analysts had Misa being selected as high as the second round but his 5-foot-10 stature turned teams away from him in the earlier rounds. Misa was the Steelheads’ leading scorer last season and just finished his first NHL training camp this past week. As he reflects on his first training camp in the big leagues, he also has big goals for himself and his team heading into his next Ontario Hockey League (OHL) season.
Misa’s Training Camp Experience
Misa’s training camp began before the majority of the core Flames players as he took part in Calgary’s rookie games in Penticton B.C. Misa and the Flames took on the rookies from the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks in a four-day event. Misa was given jersey number 78 which is far from his usual jersey number of 33. He has worn that number since minor hockey as an ode to his father who wore the same number when he played high school football.
After going pointless in his first game against the Jets’ rookies, Misa found his footing in Game 2 where he set up Calgary’s first goal with a beautiful cross-ice pass to Basha on the power play to tie the game 1-1. Misa also put in an empty-net goal against the Oilers to secure a 3-1 victory for the Flames. Misa felt very good about his performance in the rookie games. “I felt good in the rookie tournament,” Misa said when asked. “It felt great to get to play all three games and get them all under our belts.”
Once Misa returned from the rookie tournament, he took part in the Flames’ main camp and was able to interact with all of Calgary’s main players. The majority of the skaters at camp are players that Misa has watched since he was a kid. “It was good to be in a camp with those players,” said Misa. “You get to see the pace and all of the little details that are so important [at the next level.] It was awesome to get to learn from some of them and some of the staff and coaches as well.”
When entering camp as an 18-year-old, you can get starstruck very easily as you are now entering into an environment where you are surrounded by people that you have looked up to your entire life. Misa thought it was very cool to be surrounded by Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau but his big starstruck moment happened when he suited up for his first preseason game against Edmonton and got to play against Connor McDavid. “It was cool,” Misa said about playing against one of his idols. “Just to be able to see the speed that he plays with and to see him score against us. He was one of my favourite players growing up and to be able to play against him was cool.”
OHL Expectations
After Misa’s preseason game, he was sent back to the OHL where he and the Steelheads are expected to be one of the top teams in the league this season. Brampton’s opening night win against the Brantford Bulldogs by a score of 7-0 tells you why. The Steelheads have an incredible roster filled with NHL prospects like Misa, Dallas Stars prospect Angus MacDonell, and newly acquired Seattle Kraken prospect Carson Rehkopf.
The Steelheads also have top prospects for this upcoming draft such as team captain Porter Martone who is projected to be a top-five pick and goaltender Jack Ivankovic who may be the first goaltender selected in the draft. “Our goal is to make it really far and have a good run,” Misa said on his team’s expectations. “Some of the pieces that we picked up in the offseason were really good for us and we are all pumped up for this season.” So far, the Steelheads have opened their season 2-0 and have scored 12 goals in those two games. They looked primed for a big year.
Related: Luke Misa – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile
Misa also has expectations for himself this season as he looks to build off of an over 80-point campaign from a season ago. “I want to build off from last year. Every year so far in the OHL I have improved and have been able to be more successful in the league and I want to keep building off of last season.”
If Misa can improve off of his point total from last season, he may hit the 100-point mark this season especially if he’s playing for a powerhouse Steelheads team. Improving his point total will go a long way for him as Misa is looking to sign an entry-level contract (ELC) with the Flames this season. So far, Misa and his agent have not talked about signing an ELC with the Flames but he feels that if he plays well enough with the Steelheads, he will be able to sign one. “I think being able to have another really successful season with the Steelheads is going to help me be able to get [an ELC.]
Misa is looking to have a great year in the OHL as he will be a big contributor to a top-tier team. If he can improve on the 81 points he had last season and maybe hit the triple-digit mark, Calgary may have gotten a steal in the fifth round.
