LAS VEGAS — UND defenseman Abram Wiebe will soon be headed to the NHL.
Wiebe, a 6-foot-3 junior from Mission, B.C., is expected to sign a contract with the Calgary Flames and report directly to the NHL squad.
The Flames have four games left this season. They play at Seattle on Saturday. Then, they host Utah on Sunday, Colorado on Tuesday and Los Angeles on Thursday.
Wiebe could make his NHL debut this season.
The Flames traded to get Wiebe’s rights from the Vegas Golden Knights in January as part of the Rasmus Andersson deal. Vegas drafted Wiebe in the seventh round in 2022.
Wiebe took big leaps each year at UND.
He scored one goal and tallied 10 points as a freshman. He had four goals and 24 points as a sophomore.
Wiebe opted against signing with Vegas last summer in order to return for his junior season. He helped UND win the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s Penrose Cup as regular-season champions and reach the NCAA Frozen Four for the first time in a decade.
Wiebe finished with five goals, 29 points and a plus-13 rating.
He was named second-team all-NCHC.
Wiebe played for the U.S. Collegiate Selects in the Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, in December. The Selects took second place.
UND’s season ended Thursday with a 2-1 loss to Wisconsin in the Frozen Four semifinals.
Wiebe is not expected to be UND’s lone early signing.
Junior defenseman Jake Livanavage has generated significant interest as an undrafted free agent.
Schlossman has covered college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald since 2005. He has been recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors as the top beat writer for the Herald’s circulation division four times and the North Dakota sportswriter of the year twice. He resides in Grand Forks. Reach him at bschlossman@gfherald.com.