Whitecloud surprised by trade, but excited to join Flames’ blue line

By Canadian Press on January 20, 2026.

CALGARY — Despite having his world turned upside down on Sunday, Zach Whitecloud packed, got on a plane in Las Vegas with his fiancée Monday morning, and made his Flames debut on Monday night.

In Calgary’s 2-1 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils, the former Golden Knights defenceman finished second on his new team with 22:33 in ice time, registered two shots, threw one hit, and had three blocked shots.

“I feel good, surprisingly,” said the 29-year-old Whitecloud. “I honestly went in with zero expectations on how I was going to feel. Obviously, busy transition for my fiancée and I, so just hit the ground running.”

Whitecloud was acquired by the Flames along with a first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick, and prospect defenceman Abram Wiebe, in a trade for longtime Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson.

“When I got the call and Craig had asked me if I’d be willing to play, right away I was like, yeah, if it’s possible and they’re willing to do it, just throw me in.”

But it wasn’t an easy 24 hours.

“I won’t lie to you, it’s tough,” said Whitecloud, who admitted he was caught off-guard by the deal.

“No one’s ever gonna say it’s easy, and it definitely isn’t. But at the same time, you’re feeling all these emotions, and you got to let them hit you and experience them as they come,” he said.

“You can’t just tell yourself, ‘all right, let’s go to Calgary. Let’s just get on a plane and go.’ You have to acknowledge those emotions and go through it. And that’s part of playing in the league and that’s part of the business.”

Born in Brandon, Man., Whitecloud is excited about being back in Canada.

“When you hear Calgary, you start thinking of Canadian market and hockey city, hockey people, people that care about their team, care about the way the team is playing, care about how the people are in the community, from the organization, and those are things that I pride myself on.”

Undrafted, Vegas signed Whitecloud in 2018 after his second NCAA season at Bemidji State University.

In seven seasons with the Golden Knights, he played 368 regular-season games, scoring 23 goals and 55 assists. He also appeared in 78 playoff games including winning the Stanley Cup in 2023.

“This is new for me,” said Whitecloud. “I don’t know this process. I have old teammates that have gone through this, and they’re always texting me. If you need support, we’re here for you, and first and foremost, the guys on the coaching staff, management staff, medical staff, everyone’s been really, really good at making me feel at home quick.”

Despite going from the No. 1 team in the Pacific to a team near the bottom of the NHL’s overall standings, Whitecloud is embracing it.

“That’s the exciting part. There’s so many new things to go out and experience. Spent a lot of time in Vegas, and, you know, grateful for those times, grateful they happened. But excited to come here and have a fresh start.”

Whitecloud was inserted straight into Andersson’s old spot alongside Kevin Bahl.

“It was good. Very vocal. I thought he had a good game,” said Bahl. “Just get out there and play a game. You start to learn the habits and the reads, like I learned a lot from him. Him going back for the puck, or him making certain plays. So I think the best thing is just get thrown into the fire.”

Flames coach Ryan Huska also came away impressed.

“Considering the circumstances, I thought he skated well. I thought he made some smart plays with the puck. I was very impressed with this first one.”

He admitted he was more fleet on his feet than he expected.

“Sometimes when you watch guys in the video room, when you watch guys on the opposing team, you don’t really pay as much attention to them as you do your own players. I knew he moved well, but I thought tonight he looked really good on the ice. He’s able to close gaps really quickly. I think he’s going to be a really good player for us.”

While he’s stepped right into Andersson’s role in the top four, he’s not here to be Andersson.

“Be yourself. I think that’s the most important part,” said Whitecloud. “I’m not going to come in here and change who I was from my time in Vegas, nor did I change myself when I was there.

“I am who I am, and I understand who I am as a player and as a person and part of a locker room. I know my place and know my voice and my impact, and I think my impact is valuable.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2026.

Darren Haynes, The Canadian Press