Arsenii Sergeev found himself thrust into NHL action with Devin Cooley injured and the Flames facing a back-to-back over the weekend.
Late last week, Sergeev found himself playing for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, where he helped them defeat the Laval Rocket. He saved 36 of 38 shots on goal in that game, adding to his remarkable performance with the Wranglers this season, which includes a .907 save percentage and a 2.88 GAA over six games.
Two days later, on Oct. 31, Sergeev earned his first NHL start of the season with Cooley shelved. Dustin Wolf enjoyed one of his best performances of the season in the previous contest, stopping 20 of 22 shots against vs. the Seattle Kraken. Unfortunately for Wolf, the Flames were on a back-to-back, which thrust Sergeev into action.
The matchup came against the Colorado Avalanche, which overmatched both the Flames and the young netminder. Sergeev ended up allowing five goals on 33 shots faced, giving him just an .848 save percentage. Still, facing such a high-octane team in his second career start made for a learning experience that capped off a wild week.
Flames Prospect Faced An Onslaught Of Shots In AHL, NHL Action
Sergeev’s performance against the Avalanche would otherwise be forgettable. But the fact that he was coming off a game in which he faced 38 shots at the AHL level further makes this two-game stretch more memorable.
It is also not every day that a netminder with just one game of NHL experience is almost immediately asked to come in and start. But the Flames were left without a choice, and Sergeev, in just his age-24 season, handled the situation well.
Nothing speaks of a more unexpected turn than putting up an elite outing against Laval before turning around to face Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar, among other high-level players for Colorado. It also indicates that, if Sergeev can still make 28 saves in what was a bad defensive performance for Calgary, he can hang with just about any team.
That will be the case if he’s asked to make spot starts now. And in the future, he could make up one half of a goalie tandem that may include Dustin Wolf.
Sergeev’s Last 12 Months Have Been Full Of Unexpected Moments
Sergeev’s instant transition from the AHL to the NHL last week wasn’t the first time he faced long odds. In Dec. 2025, Sergeev made a memorable AHL debut.
Annie Nadin of CalgaryFlames.com wrote, “Making his AHL debut with the Wranglers on Dec. 21, the 23-year-old Flames prospect turned heads with a poised, record-setting performance, stopping 52 shots in a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Gulls.”
For Sergeev, it was a “day at the office” last week when he defended the net for two teams against yet another onslaught of shots and totaled 64 saves on 71 shots faced against Laval and Colorado. Do the math, and that averages to 32 saves on 35.5 shot attempts in each game.
Sergeev still has another month left to add another memorable game or week to his 12-month resume. That will be a challenge worth keeping an eye on as he continues developing in the Flames organization.
Flames Prospect Faced Remarkable Challenge Across Two Leagues