The Calgary Flames opened their annual training camp on Thursday, giving fans a clearer idea of how this year’s lineup could look. With 64 participants in total, head coach Ryan Huska split the squad into three groups for the first on-ice session of the week.

Among the competitions for jobs at Calgary Flames training camp, the battle for starting goaltender stands out.

The team’s been dealing away veterans and getting younger for over a year, really. And that’s led to inevitable questions about whether the team’s remaining veterans might be open to moves elsewhere that would put them closer to contending for a Stanley Cup.

Expectations rightfully are low. Flames GM Craig Conroy spent most of his first year on the job dealing away veterans while getting draft picks and young players in return, so it’s going to be a few years before the team is competing for a playoff spot again.

If they do happen to surprise, veterans on the team will have to lead the way. Captain Mikael Backlund believes the Flames have the right group to do that. "You know six of us that have been here the last few years and we're the oldest guys and captains on this year,

Training camp officially kicked off on Thursday morning for the Calgary Flames. For the past couple of days, we’ve been asking one question about every player at Flames camp, with questions asked about the forwards in Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. Today, we’re finishing it off with the defencemen and goalies:

Announcing the three 'teams' for training camp on Wednesday, the Flames offered a glimpse into their early thoughts on potential line combos and defence pairings — as well as which prospects might benefit from a longer look.

The Calgary Flames begin the on-ice portion of their 2024-25 training camp on Thursday at Winsport. The Flames have 64 players in camp and have split them into three groups to make on-ice sessions manageable.