In this edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumors, Ryan Lomberg was finally able to get his Stanley Cup ring as the Florida Panthers were in town on Saturday night. In other news, both Dan Vladar and Andrei Kuzmenko are out of the lineup due to injuries. Last but not least, Flames prospect Zayne Parekh came up short in his quest to play for Canada at the upcoming World Junior Championship. The Flames won’t be without a representative in the tournament, however, as another blue line prospect was able to earn a spot on Team Sweden’s roster.
Lomberg Gets His Ring
After a lengthy wait, Lomberg was finally able to receive his Stanley Cup ring this past week. The 30-year-old, who won the Cup earlier this year in his fourth and final season with the Panthers, suited up for eight games during the playoff run, registering 10 penalty minutes.
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Lomberg received the ring the day before the Flames and Panthers went head-to-head. He was able to meet up with his former teammates while receiving the incredible gift, and was smiling ear to ear the entire time.
“The boys from the Panthers took me out, gave me the ring. We just caught up on some old times, so it was a great night,” Lomberg told Flames media the next morning.
Vladar and Kuzmenko Out With Injuries
Following an ugly Thursday night outing in which the Flames fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-3, it was announced that both Vladar and Kuzmenko were day-to-day with injuries. Both are being classified as lower-body ailments.
Vladar was roughed up on Thursday, as he allowed all eight goals in the loss to the Lightning. While the evening hurt his numbers, he’s put together a relatively solid season in general. Devin Cooley was recalled from the Calgary Wranglers and will remain with the Flames until Vladar is deemed healthy.
As for Kuzmenko, he’s having a season to forget, having found the back of the net just once through 28 games. He’s been far from the big offensive contributor the Flames were expecting heading into the season, and has even sat out a few games as a healthy scratch.
Parekh Fails to Crack Team Canada
Just a week after MacKenzie Weegar was left off Canada’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster, Parekh suffered the same fate with Canada’s 2025 World Junior Championship team. The ninth overall pick from the 2024 Draft wound up getting a late invite to camp following an injury to Harrison Brunicke, but was unable to impress the coaching staff enough to earn a spot.
Parekh’s snub comes as a surprise to many, as the 18-year-old defenceman is having another monstrous year in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Through 26 games with the Saginaw Spirit, he’s recorded 10 goals and 35 points, after putting up 96 points the season prior. His defensive play has been questioned at times, and may have played a part in the decision to leave him off Canada’s blue line.
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It’s not all bad news for the Flames, however, as Axel Hurtig, who was selected in the seventh round of the 2023 Draft, will be playing for Team Sweden. The 19-year-old defenceman is currently playing for the Calgary Hitmen in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Through 28 games, he’s scored two goals and seven points.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The Flames were able to pick up a 3-0 win over the Panthers on Saturday night, helping improve their season record to 15-11-5. They’ll have three games this week, the first of which is tomorrow night versus the Boston Bruins. They’ll be back in action on Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, before ending their week with a Saturday afternoon game against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks.
