For the second time in eight nights, one of the Calgary Flames’ brightest young stars hobbled off the ice and went straight to the lockerroom.
First, it was Zayne Parekh, and he hasn’t been seen on the ice since.
Then, during Saturday night’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Winnipeg Jets, it was Sam Honzek who was forced from the game after a hard collision with captain Mikael Backlund.
Honzek will be evaluated by doctors on Sunday, so fingers will be crossed he gets good news and isn’t on the sidelines for long.
“It’s an unfortunate play and I obviously felt bad that it happened like that,” Backlund said. “His game has been growing this year from a year ago. He’s been taking big steps this year and he’s worked really hard to earn his spot and to get to play every night and play on the (penalty kill) and to play regular minutes.
“I feel really bad for him. Really tough bounce, that kind of play. I don’t know the full results, but really tough to see him leave the game.”
The play wasn’t Backlund’s fault, it was a freak accident as the Flames were trying to get the puck in deep and Honzek was trying to stay onside.
Losing their first round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft for any period of time would be a blow for the team, though. After a rocky first year as a pro in 2024-25, he’s quickly established himself as an everyday NHLer this season, scoring twice and adding two assists in 18 games while carving out a role alongside Backlund and Blake Coleman.
“It’s a tough one,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “He’s done a lot of great things for our team, we’ll see what happens tomorrow but he brings a speed element to our team and it’s an important aspect that I feel like helps drive a line when he’s on the ice, he’s become a really good penalty-killer for us so he’s come a long way in a short period of time this year, so hopefully we get some decent news tomorrow.”
Here’s three takeaways from Saturday night’s loss:
1. WHO COULD GET CALLED UP?
If Honzek is out, even for a few games, the Flames do have a couple options with the Wranglers.
The most obvious would be Matvei Gridin, the 19-year-old winger who started the year in the NHL and has put up five goals and eight assists in 13 games in the AHL. He’s fast on his skates, too, which is something Huska identified as being an asset with Honzek’s game.
Don’t rule out William Stromgren, either. The 22-year-old Swede has been putting together a solid campaign with the Wranglers and has scored once while adding 11 assists in 15 games. The 22-year-old, a second round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, has yet to play in the NHL but has worked his way into the conversation.
There are other options, too, including Dryden Hunt and Justin Kirkland.
2. SHOWING SOME FIGHT
While the Flames did eventually fall in the shootout, Saturday’s effort was one of their best of the year. Three times, they fell behind to the Jets, and three times they found a way to claw their way back in.
That included Matt Coronato’s goal with 14 seconds left. It was a big goal for a young player who hasn’t been lighting the lamp as much as he’d like this season, and a big goal for a last-place Flames team that is desperate for points in the standings.
““I don’t know how many times we’ve been in that 6-on-4 but for them to get that is huge, especially for those guys,” said Flames blueliner Kevin Bahl. “Matty got it too, so that’s huge for him. He’s coming every day and working his butt off, so it’s good to see him get that.”
Adam Klapka’s efforts in front of the net need to be shouted out, too. The big man did great work creating chaos in front of Connor Hellebuyck and the goal wouldn’t have happened without him.
Calgary Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau, left and defenceman Jake Bean celebrate Bean’s goal on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck during NHL action at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on November 15, 2025. It was Bean’s first goal of the season. Gavin Young/Postmedia
3. UNLIKELY HEROES
Nobody is expecting Bahl or Jake Bean to lead the offensive charge for the Flames, but they both scored important goals against the Jets.
Neither was particularly pretty, but they both fired shots on net when there was a lot of traffic near the crease and were rewarded.
“The shots for our team over the last little while have helped us generate offence, so we’re asking our guys in the back end to shoot more,” Huska said. “Jake just put it to the net and went off one of their sticks, and the other one was the shot from Bahl and there was a lot of traffic in front of the net from both (Ryan) Lomberg and (Morgan) Frost skating through the area.
“We have to keep shooting the puck from the point, from everywhere, and make sure we’re hungry for rebounds”