Flames Prospect Cole Reschny Named Youngest Captain in UND History

Calgary Flames’ 2025 18th-overall pick Cole Reschny was voted to serve as captain for the University of North Dakota this season by the team. This makes Reschny the youngest captain in school history and one of only three to ever be named captain as an underclassman. 

Leadership roles are nothing new for Reschny, who has served in many leadership groups across his young career, including captaining Canada Red at the 2023 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. That team was made up of many up-and-coming stars, the biggest of which being 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna.

Two years later, Reschny got the nod again for his nation, but this time serving as an alternate captain at the 2025 IIHF U-18 World Championship. Canada and Reschny both dominated, with Canada winning the final 7–0 against Sweden and Reschny recording five goals and eight points in five games. 

Prior to UND

In the fall of 2024, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced it would be lifting the ban on Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players from enrolling in American post-secondary schools for the first time in over 40 years. 

The impacts were felt immediately, with many players announcing commitments in the following days and weeks. The opportunity presented to the players was hard to turn down: the ability to keep playing past their age 20 season, get an education, and face stiffer competition than in the CHL. 

For players who dominated like Reschny, this only made sense. He was drafted by the Victoria Royals of the Western Hockey League, and in his 16-year-old season with the club, recorded 21 goals and 59 points in 61 games. The following season, he was named alternate captain and posted 22 goals and 96 points in 62 games. Reschny added 25 points in 11 playoff games. 

Before the June 2025 draft, Reschny and fellow Royal, Keaton Verhoeff, committed to UND on May 30. The shift from CHL to NCAA will only continue to grow, with trailblazers like Reschny and Verhoeff showing why it’s so valuable, with around 20% of college rosters this year being made up of former CHL players. 

Reschny’s Freshman Season

Reschny’s freshman season was nothing short of spectacular as he was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) rookie of the year as well as being named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. He finished third on the team in points with 35 in 36 games, leading all freshmen at UND and finishing seventh in the NCAA. 

An elite playmaker, Reschny is dangerous on and off the puck, constantly moving to open up ice not for himself but also for his teammates. His 29 assists last season put him only behind notable NHLers Zach Parise and Brock Boeser in the 21st Century for assists by a freshman at UND. 

UND also won the regular season title in the NCHC, and then made it all the way to the Frozen Four in Las Vegas. They came up just short versus the Wisconsin Badgers in the semifinal, 2–1. 

Reschny’s Captaincy

Following the announcement, UND head coach Dane Jackson stated why he believes the players voted for Reschny. 

“His mature presence, relentless work ethic, and team-first approach embody our North Dakota culture,” said Jackson.

This marks a big step in his career and a definite point of excitement for Flames fans who could expect to see Reschny make the jump to pro hockey — possibly by the end of the NCAA season — depending on how the current season ends up for Calgary. 

In the meantime, Reschny, along with the Flames’ 2026 sixth-overall pick, Carson Carels, will look to build off a strong 2025-26 campaign and set their sights on the Frozen Four again, hopefully this time with a better result.