Flames sign Abram Wiebe to two-year, entry-level contract
The Calgary Flames have signed defense prospect Abram Wiebe to a two-year, entry-level contract.
Grand Forks Herald sportswriter Brad Elliott Schlossman was the first to report the news of Wiebe signing with the Flames on Friday. The Flames subsequently confirmed the signing later in the afternoon.
Wiebe, 22, collected five goals and 29 points in 40 games at the University of North Dakota this season, with the NCHC recognizing him as a second-team All-Star. The 6’3″ left-shot defender helped the Fighting Hawks reach the Frozen Four, where they lost to the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday.
Pen to paper ✍️ We've signed defenceman Abram Wiebe to a two-year deal! More info: cflam.es/4ebB851
A seventh-round pick (No. 209 overall) of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2022 NHL Draft, Wiebe spent parts of four seasons as a prospect in the Vegas organization before being included in the Rasmus Andersson trade with the Flames on Jan. 18.
In that deal, the Flames acquired Wiebe, Zach Whitecloud, a 2027 1st, and a conditional 2028 2nd from Vegas in exchange for Andersson, a pending unrestricted free agent. Immediately after the trade, Wiebe was named the NCHC’s defenseman of the week three times in a row, becoming only the second player ever to do so.
According to PuckPedia, Wiebe’s entry-level deal carries a $950,000 NHL cap hit. The first year of the deal will burn immediately as Wiebe reports to the Flames, who may have a spot for him in their lineup right away as Kevin Bahl and Joel Hanley remain sidelined with injuries.
Wiebe joined the Fighting Hawks in 2023 and spent three seasons at NoDak on an accelerated learning program, putting him on track to graduate this summer. As such, the Flames were working against a tight deadline to sign Wiebe as soon as his final collegiate season concluded.
The Golden Knights drafted Wiebe from the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs, with whom he played in parts of four seasons before heading to North Dakota. The Mission, B.C. product was named the BCHL’s top defenseman and a first-team league All-Star in the 2022-23 season.