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Dustin Wolf, Calgary Flames (Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Calgary Flames 2024-25 Regular Season Awards

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 4:55 PM ET

The Calgary Flames failed to make the playoffs this season, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Though this team struggled to put the puck in the net over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, that was more of a result of a lack of personnel rather than individuals struggling. If anything, this team overachieved in a massive way and deserves plenty of credit.

Though the players are undoubtedly frustrated by missing out on the playoffs by such a narrow margin, there is plenty of be proud of for both them and the fans when reflecting on the season as a whole. With that said, let’s take a look at who is deserving of certain individual awards for this Flames team this season.

MVP: Dustin Wolf

There is little question as to who this award goes to. In this (admittedly biased) writer’s view, Dustin Wolf should be the Calder Trophy winner. Playing the hardest position there is in hockey, the 23-year-old exceeded any and all expectations in a big way this season, and nearly led this overall underwhelming roster into the playoffs.

Regardless of how the Calder voting shakes out, Wolf was the Flames’ MVP this season. He wound up making 53 starts, during which time he posted a rock-solid 2.64 goals against average (GAA) along with a .910 save percentage (SV%) and a 29-16-8 record. Without him, the Flames wouldn’t have been nearly as close as they were to making the playoffs.

Top Defenceman: MacKenzie Weegar

Though he didn’t come anywhere close to scoring 20 goals as he did a season ago, MacKenzie Weegar was never expected to have the same offensive output in 2024-25. Nonetheless, he was a massive presence on the Flames’ back end again, and finished the season with 47 points, a rather remarkable total given how much this team struggled to score goals.

Weegar, who was once somewhat of an afterthought in the Matthew Tkachuk trade, has become arguably the best skater on the Flames roster. The 31-year-old has established himself as a true top-pairing NHL defenceman, and is locked in on a cap hit of just $6.25 million through the 2030-21 season.

Top Newcomer: Kevin Bahl

Kevin Bahl certainly proved himself to be a valuable asset this season. He was somewhat of a question mark heading into the season given that he didn’t have a ton of NHL experience during his time with the New Jersey Devils, though it didn’t take long for him to prove to Flames fans how valuable he is.

Bahl was a steady presence in the Flames’ top-four all season long. He’s never going to wow anybody offensively, and doesn’t bring the physicality one would expect from a player with his 6-foot-6 frame. That said, he is very defensively sound and uses his size to his advantage, thanks in large part to his reach.

Most Improved Player: Matt Coronato

Matt Coronato’s rookie 2023-24 season was by no means a disappointment, as he was a point-per-game player in the American Hockey League (AHL). That said, his time in the NHL proved he still had a lot of improvement to make before becoming an impactful player.

Matt Coronato, Calgary Flames (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Coronato clearly made those improvements, and in a very short time. The 22-year-old wound up scoring 24 goals and adding 23 assists for 47 points in just 76 games this season. While viewed as an integral piece of the future of this organization, few thought he would burst onto the scene the way he did in 2024-25, and it makes him an even more exciting piece for the Flames moving forward.

Unsung Hero: Joel Hanley

Not much was made of Joel Hanley going into the 2024-25 season, with a large majority of the fan base predicting he would wind up playing with the Calgary Wranglers. He was able to crack the Flames roster out of training camp, but was used sparingly through the first few months of the season. By the time the 2024-25 campaign had come to an end, however, that had changed dramatically.

Head coach Ryan Huska gave Hanley an opportunity to play top-four minutes and he passed the test with flying colours. Not only did he play in a career-high 53 games, but he averaged more than 18 minutes in ice time. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason and set himself up for what should be the biggest pay day of his career.

Flames a Group to Support

Though the Flames were unable to make the playoffs this season, this team was one that the fan base was able to rally around thanks to their resilient effort night in and night out. It wasn’t just impressive to watch in 2024-25, but points to a group that will continue to put forth an outstanding effort on a game-to-game basis going forward.