Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar will undergo season-ending hip surgery next week.
Calgary starter Jacob Markstrom has been cleared for full practice and game participation from his lower-body injury, the club said Thursday in a statement.
Dustin Wolf, recently called up from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, will remain on the Flames’ roster on an emergency recall basis.
Wolf has started three straight games for a 2-1 record.
Vladar started the night Markstrom was declared day-to-day March 12, but Wolf drew in for the third period of a 6-2 loss to Colorado.
Vladar’s surgery gives the 26-year-old Czech time to rehabilitate and fully recover for the 2024-25 season, the club said.
Vladar went 8-9-2 with a 3.62 goals-against average and .882 save percentage this season.
Markstrom was 8-4 since the all-star break.
Wolf, 22, is considered a top goaltending prospect.
He was named the American Hockey League’s top goalie in 2022 and 2023, and its MVP in 2023.
Wolf’s record for the Flames this season was 3-4-1.
He went 20-11-3 for the AHL’s Wranglers with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
Flames head coach Ryan Huska also provided an update on forward Connor Zary, who has been out since March 2 with an upper-body injury. He said the 22-year-old is still day-to-day and unlikely to play on Saturday.
Calgary (33-30-5) was seven points out of a wild-card playoff spot in the NHL’s Western Conference heading into Thursday’s action.
The Flames head into back-to-back games Saturday in Vancouver against the Canucks and at home Sunday to the Buffalo Sabres, you can see both games on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
— With files from Sportsnet