Jacob Battaglia picked a path, and he’s sticking to it.
While a long list of CHL standouts, including several of the Calgary Flames’ most promising prospects, have switched to the NCAA for this upcoming season, this 19-year-old left-winger didn’t seriously consider offers to go the college route.
Battaglia will instead spend another winter with the Kingston Frontenacs. He was one of only eight OHLers to pot 40-plus goals in 2024-25, so he should be a dominant force.
“Just the whole way my career has gone, it was never really a thought for me,” Battaglia explained during a break in the action at Flames’ prospect camp, which will continue with Sunday’s clash against the Edmonton Oilers’ up-and-comers at the Saddledome. “Ever since I was kid, it was always the dream of play minor hockey, then go to the OHL and ultimately make the NHL. That was the lifelong dream. Even when the rule changed, I was still set on it.
“You know, I have a great setup back in Kingston. Great billets. Great management. Great coach. The boys are awesome there. I’m just really in love with everything going on there, and it’s hard to give that up. So I didn’t really give it a thought, to be honest.”
This will now be the great debate for any wannabe NHLer, and it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer.
The Flames were, for example, delighted with Henry Mews’ decision to commit to the University of Michigan Wolverines. They believe the offensive-minded defenceman can address some of his weaknesses at the collegiate level — hanging more weight on his 6-foot frame and proving that he can hold his own in one-on-one battles against bigger and stronger opponents.
They’re excited that Cole Reschny, their top pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, will be in a prominent role with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. You can learn a lot about a young centre as he faces the pressure that comes with joining a powerhouse program as a prized recruit.
But in Battaglia’s case, it makes sense that this second-round selection from 2024 doesn’t want to mess with a good thing.
He’s up to 209 pounds, so his current workout regimen seems to be paying dividends. The 6-foot-1 forward proudly reported that he received “very positive feedback” on his latest testing results.
In racking up 40 goals and 90 points in 68 outings with the Frontenacs last season, he feels he was able to further refine his offensive game, focusing on being more patient with the puck so he can take full advantage of his instincts, vision and skills.
Kingston Frontenacs forward and Calgary Flames prospect Jacob Battaglia (right) is among the early frontrunners in the Ontario Hockey League scoring race. Robert John Boucher/Kingston Frontenacs.
One of the perks of staying put in the CHL is that Battaglia will benefit from another taste of NHL training camp. The NCAA-goers are already busy at school, which explains why Mews, Reschny, Cullen Potter, Luke Misa and others are absent this week.
Battaglia, who inked an entry-level contract with the Flames in late March, flashed his potential by picking up a couple of assists in Friday’s 6-5 victory over the Baby Oilers in Edmonton.
He made a heads-up pass — while tumbling to the ice, to boot — to find an all-alone Nathan Brisson after a broken play. Brisson, an undrafted invitee, buried that as part of a three-point performance.
Battaglia was later in prime position to wallop a one-timer on a two-on-one rush with Matvei Gridin. While that connection was thwarted by a defender, the puck bounced back to Gridin for an easy finish and Battaglia was still credited with a helper thanks to his work starting that sequence through the neutral zone.
“I think he hangs onto pucks really well and sees the ice well,” praised Wranglers head coach Brett Sutter, who is also running the bench for these two Next Gen matchups. “He finds that open space and he works a pretty big frame around that. And he has good hockey sense.
“For him, I think it’s about making sure he’s able to take that next step in terms of his speed and his body, and growing into that … From a year ago in Penticton, he’s already taken strides. Now it’s just a matter of continuing to grow in that regard.”
To do just that, Battaglia figures he’s on the right path. It happens to be one that he picked long.
Kingston to Calgary. That’s the plan.
“I’m just very set on finishing my years in the OHL and making the jump, whenever I’m ready,” he said.
ICE CHIPS: Sunday’s showdown at the Saddledome starts at 4 p.m. Tickets are only $10, with all proceeds to the Calgary Flames Foundation … Andrew Basha missed Saturday’s practice for ‘maintenance’ and his status for the second rookie game is unknown … After Owen Say earned the ‘W’ in Edmonton, Arsenii Sergeev should be between the pipes for the rematch.