The Calgary Flames came up with their most impressive win of the year on Sunday, taking down the reigning Stanley Cup Champions 3-2, mvoing their record to 2-6-0 through their first eight games in 2026/27.
Clearly, there's not going to be many wins this season, so fans will be savouring every single one that comes in a rebuilding year, but this latest one may have come at somewhat of a cost for the Flames.
Captain Mikael Backlund played limited minutes in the third period, and as a result, an upper-body injury has been revealed, and despite a lengthy layoff between games, his status against the Minnesota Wild has now been revealed.
Mikael Backlund Will Miss Thursday's Game Against Minnesota
Over the past three days, Backlund has been missing from practice, and given the continued absence of Jonathan Huberdeau, the team made a recall from the American Hockey League. Instead of a young name, it was red-hot 27-year-old Ben Jones, who has been taking up Backlund's spot in practice recently.
Now, Jones will get his first NHL opportunity this season, as it has been revealed that Backlund will officially miss his first contest of the season, although it's likely not an injury that's going to keep him out of action long-term.
Mikael Backlund (upper body) won’t play tonight. Ben Jones makes his season debut. Will see lines and pairings at warmup.
— Pat Steinberg (@SteinbergYYC) October 22, 2026
Devin Cooley starts in net.
Max Tsyplakov and Joel Hanley healthy scratches. #Flames
As of right now, all we know is that Jones will be in action tonight, with Maxim Tsyplakov the healthy scratch among Flames forwards, with lines set to be revealed ahead of puck drop.
Devin Cooley Starts in Net for the Calgary Flames
In net, the Flames will turn to Devin Cooley after his best performance of the season, and as a result, he'll get an opportunity as the Flames welcome home Blake Coleman, who returns to the Saddledome for the first time since the trade.
Ultimately, this season remains about the tank in Calgary, with the team still sitting at 2-6-0 on the season, but with the young names in the team taking steps forward and Cooley's performance in the win over Carolina, there's been renewed optimism among the fans in recent times.
Add us as a preferred source on Google