The 2025 calendar year for the Calgary Flames was a relentless ride through the highest of highs and the most agonizing of lows, consisting of a playoff chase that fell just a single point short, as well as the worst start to a season in the franchise’s history. Let’s break it down month-by-month.
January
2025 began on a down note for the Flames, with a scary knee-on-knee collision sidelining Connor Zary, leading to the much-anticipated NHL debut of AHL standout Rory Kerins. However, the month’s biggest headline arrived on January 30. In a bold “buy-low” move, GM Craig Conroy shipped Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier to Philadelphia in exchange for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, adding two players who fit the team’s timeline, without giving up all that much in return.
February
For the entire month of February, the Flames flip-flopped with the Vancouver Canucks for the 2nd wild card position in the Western Conference. On the news end, not much happened with the Flames this month, as Elliotte Friedman reported that the Flames have informed teams that Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar are off the table in terms of any potential trade.
March
March began with a gamble that defined Craig Conroy’s first full year as GM. Conroy infamously stood pat at the March 7 trade deadline, telling the media, “This team believes in itself.” The locker room rewarded that faith the following night as Dustin Wolf set a franchise record for rookie shutouts in a 1-0 win over Montreal. Despite being one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league, the Flames had a legitimate chance of making the playoffs at this point in the season.
April
The Flames’ hunt for a playoff spot officially ended on April 15. Due to results from out of town, Calgary was officially eliminated from postseason contention during the second intermission of their penultimate game of the season. Prospects Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Aydar Suniev, and Sam Morton would then all make their NHL debuts during the final game of the season.
May
At the start of May, the Flames’ front office secured a cornerstone of their offence by signing Matt Coronato to a massive seven-year, $45.5 million extension. Additionally, Dustin Wolf was officially named a Calder Trophy finalist. The month closed with two former second-round picks, Andrew Basha (Medicine Hat) and Etienne Morin (Moncton), competing in the Memorial Cup.
June
June started with prospect Matvei Gridin being named QMJHL rookie of the year, and the Flames making some minor re-signings. However, the real fireworks of the month happened at the Draft in Los Angeles. The Flames walked away with two high-skill centers in Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter. Additionally, Conroy locked up Kevin Bahl by signing him to a six-year, $32.1 million deal.
July
Much like the trade deadline, free Agency in Calgary was very, very quiet. The only notable departure from the Flames was Dan Vladar, and the only notable UFA signing was bringing back Joel Hanley on a two-year deal. After the first day of free agency passed, GM Craig Conroy successfully re-signed RFA Morgan Frost to a two-year deal. At the end of the month, Conroy surprised the fan base with a three-year extension for Martin Pospisil.
August
As the calendar turned to August, there had still been very little news on the Flames’ front. The biggest topic of conversation was the future of Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who ultimately ended up not being traded.
September
After a whole summer of negotiations, the Flames finally secured Connor Zary on a three-year bridge deal. Additionally, the Flames officially named Dustin Wolf their franchise goaltender by signing him to a seven-year, $52.5 million extension. Then, the leadership group was stabilized with a two-year extension for captain Mikael Backlund.
October
October began with the Flames signing head coach Ryan Huska to a two-year contract extension. The Flames started off the 2025-26 regular season with a gutsy comeback win against the Edmonton Oilers. However, that opening night victory proved to be a mirage. By late October, the Flames had set a franchise record for the worst start in franchise history, recording eight straight losses. The fan base’s attention shifted to the top prospects of the 2026 draft, as they eyed the first overall pick.
November
Early on in November, Nazem Kadri celebrated his 1000th career game. Later on, the Flames claimed former first-rounder John Beecher from Boston, and rookie forward Sam Honzek was ruled out for the season following surgery. The Flames closed off the month by announcing two-year contract extensions for their entire senior management group, including GM Craig Conroy, President Don Maloney, and AGMs Dave Nonis and Brad Pascall. This came after a massive PR nightmare for the team following Maloney’s comments on the future of the team.
December
The Flames went 9-4-0 in December, which allowed them to climb out of the basement of the NHL, and are now just one point back of the 2nd wild card position in the Western Conference.
As the calendar turns to 2026, the Flames may be poised for another quest to make the playoffs. However, despite being at NHL .500, they sit in 26th place in the league, which means that the first overall pick is still very much on the menu.
What will happen to the Flames in 2026? Only time will tell. Let’s hope it’s better than the Flames’ 2025.