Flames Loan Andrew Basha To WHL
The Flames have sent left wing prospect Andrew Basha back to juniors to finish the season with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, per a team announcement.
It will mark the 20-year-old Basha’s fifth and final season of junior hockey. Viewed as a potential fit by multiple public scouts in the 2024 draft, he ended up slipping to Calgary at No. 41 overall in the second round.
At the time, Basha was coming off a 30-goal, 85-point breakout in 63 games for Medicine Hat. The following season, he was a member of the Tigers’ WHL championship team but struggled with injuries. Limited to 23 regular-season contests, he still racked up nine goals and 29 points but lost important development time.
That missed development was apparent as Basha attempted to make adjustments to the pro game this season. Assigned to AHL Calgary out of training camp, he’s gotten plenty of reps but hasn’t produced. In 27 games, he’s put up a 1-4–5 scoring line with 33 penalty minutes and a -7 rating.
A good playmaker with physical acumen, he’s not an A-list prospect in a deep Calgary pool. Nonetheless, his toolkit points toward him being an effective fourth-liner even if the offensive production never really spikes at the pro level. The Flames are hoping that isn’t the case, though, and he can develop into something of a top-nine power forward. Getting some confidence back in Medicine Hat should help him on the way.
Flames Sign Andrew Basha To Entry-Level Contract
The Calgary Flames have signed forward Andrew Basha to an entry-level contract. The deal was first reported by Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. Pike reports that the deal is a three-year contract, though Basha’s late birthday makes him eligible for two contract slide-years, should he stay in the WHL for the next two seasons. That doesn’t seem likely, as a full WHL season this year would make Basha eligible for the AHL at the start of next season.
Basha was the lesser-mentioned name on the Medicine Hat Tigers’ top-line last season, shadowed by top-10 2024 NHL Draft prospect Cayden Lindstrom and hopeful 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. But he earned high acclaim of his own despite that, garnering attention with intelligent and reliable decision-making on every shift. Basha knows how to make an impact, playing above his 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame thanks to strong positioning and a tireless motor. Basha got a great chance to show off in the 2023-24 season’s second half, while Lindstrom missed extended time with a hand injury. He ultimately worked his way to a dazzling 30 goals and 85 points in 63 games this season, offering the gut punch behind Lindstrom and McKenna’s haymakers upon Lindstrom’s return.
That’ll be the role Basha returns to this year, looking to champion Medicine Hat’s second line behind new addition Ryder Ritchie, who the Tigers acquired in exchange for Tomas Mrsic and two draft picks. Ritchie managed 44 points in 47 WHL games last year, boasting much of the same IQ and drive that makes Basha’s game special. The Tigers will hope those similarities give them impact-makers throughout the lineup, while Calgary hopes for a big year from Basha as he plans to command his own line for a full season.