If you’re hunting for a breakout candidate or a sneaky good story to follow this upcoming Flames season, look no further than the towering figure of Adam Klapka.
Literally. You can’t miss him.
At 6-foot-8 and 235 pounds, Klapka is the kind of player who turns heads just stepping onto the ice. But it’s what he did after getting his chance late last season that should have Flames fans taking notice.
His final 10 games of 2024-25 told a much different story than his overall stat line. While Klapka wrapped the season with 6 goals and 10 points over 37 games, the 24-year-old Czech forward caught fire down the stretch—posting 4 goals and 8 points in the last 10 games alone. Given top-line minutes, he looked right at home skating alongside the Flames’ best, scoring timely goals and bringing a noticeable energy and urgency to the forward group.
Sure, there were some growing pains. Klapka took a few ill-timed penalties—one notably while standing up for his captain. However, that kind of grit, paired with humility and a strong work ethic, makes him an easy guy to root for.
He’s not just a big body who hits hard (though he does that too). Klapka’s offensive upside is legit. In the AHL last season with the Calgary Wranglers, he put up 14 goals and 26 points in 33 games, while also racking up 50 penalty minutes. In parts of three seasons with the Wranglers, he’s climbed his way to the top of the franchise scoring chart—tied with Ben Jones (now with the Minnesota Wild organization) —with 97 points (48 goals, 49 assists) in 158 games.
The Flames clearly like what they see. On June 10, Klapka inked a two-year contract extension worth an average of $1.25 million per year—keeping him in Calgary through the 2026–27 season.
So is this the year the big man breaks through for good?
With his size, skill, and late-season momentum carrying over, Klapka might just be one of the best dark horse bets on the Flames’ roster heading into 2025–26.
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