In the past three years under Craig Conroy, the Calgary Flames have done more to build their prospect pool than the organization did in the last five years under Brad Treliving, with the franchise as a whole finally coming to accept the idea of a rebuild.
This past summer, the team added Carson Carels at No. 6 overall, and with the likes of Jack Hextall, Alan Shaikhlaslamov, Tobias Trejbal, Joe Iginla and Chase Harrington also in the draft class, the future is looking brighter and brighter.
Things won't be turning around anytime soon in Calgary, but the prospect pool is one of, if not the best in the entire National Hockey League, and on Wednesday, great news was announced for one of the Flames most exciting prospects.
Cole Reschny Named Captain at North Dakota
That prospect would be centre Cole Reschny, who was the No. 18 overall pick of the Flames back in the 2025 NHL Draft, who is heading into his sophomore campaign at North Dakota this season. Last season, Reschny tallied 6 goals and 35 points across 36 games played, and given his two-way talent, he's seen as one of the most well rounded players in college hockey.
This season, he'll have a little more weight on his shoulders, as the team have taken to social media ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, announcing their leadership group that includes the 19-year-old Reschny as captain.
Proud to introduce our leadership group for the 2026-27 season!
— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) September 16, 2026
Cole Reschny becomes the youngest player by age to wear the "C" at North Dakota and is joined by assistant captains Cody Croal, Anthony Menghini and Mac Swanson!
📰: https://t.co/5rO2FPWbGp#UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/1eGmImzlNS
This comes after he played a leadership role with Team Canada at the World Juniors Summer Showcase, with many around the setup in Canada believing that he could captain that team in the winter, or, at the very least, wear an 'A'. However, this latest announcement shows just how good of a leader Reschny is, as his talent as a leader both on and off the ice were named as one of the key reasons the team drafted him back in 2025, on top of his potentially elite two-way play.
Could Cole Reschny be the Next Calgary Flames Captain?
Recently, we analyzed a future in Calgary beyond that of Mikael Backlund, a man that's been a staple of the organization since 2008, predicting five players that could be the next captain of the organization. Unsurprisingly, even though he's still just 19, Reschny was at the top of his list, as he's shown nothing but maturity and the traits of a leader since being drafted by the Flames, with fans and reporters raving about his potential.
Right now, Backlund is expected to retire following the 2027/28 season, and while Reschny would be no older than 22 when the 2028/29 season begins, he could represent the future of the organization, especially with one, if not two top draft picks between now and then.
Whether or not he's the best player when the Flames rebuild is all said and done, only time will tell, but there's no doubting Reschny's leadership abilities, and if he captains both North Dakota and Canada this year, he will firm as the favourite to be named the teams next captain.
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