On January 30th, 2025, the puck had just dropped in Calgary for the Flames’ game against the Anaheim Ducks, while in Philadelphia, the Flyers were about halfway through the second period of their game against the New York Islanders.
When news started swirling about Andrei Kuzmenko being a last minute scratch, the Saddledome was buzzing with chatter about potential rumours. Back in Philadelphia, Sportsnet analyst Eric Francis reported that Flyers’ center Morgan Frost had not returned to the bench for the third period.
That's when the trade rumours start flying. My phone was blowing up and there was a sprinkle of excitement around the Dome.
Kuzmenko was a fan favourite in Calgary. He is a bundle of personality that made him loved by fans, but it was evident he needed a fresh start.
The reports of a Frost/Kuzmekno trade were coming in fast, and then my phone rang. It was my dad, who never ever calls me during a Flames game. He was watching the game at home while I was at the Saddledome. The first words out of his mouth were "Jakob Pelletier isn’t on the ice." The second period had just started, and I could’ve sworn he was there, but my dad was right, he wasn’t. Typically when a player gets an injury during the game, the team posts an update about it soon after, but when no post was made, I knew something was coming.
Later that evening, more reports started coming out about Joel Farabee being traded and people started putting two-and-two together. After the conclusion of the Flames game, the official report came out. The Calgary Flames had acquired forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jakob Pelletier, Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2025 second round pick and a 2028 seventh round pick.
Fans, understandably, were confused about some assets in the trade and upset to see their favourites go. Pelletier was an energy guy in Calgary, a player everyone loved on and off the ice. Frost and Farabee were crowd favourites in Philly too; however, there was a ton of excitement and interest from the fans in their new acquisitions.
Frost and Farabee, or Frostbee as everyone seems to address them by, made their Flames debuts on February 1st in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Frost would score his first in red against the Seattle Kraken on February 2nd, while Farabee scored his first as a Flame on February 4th against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pelletier and Kuzmenko had some visa issues and wouldn’t actually be in Philadelphia until a week after the trade.
Kuzmenko would go on to play only 7 games for the Flyers before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. In those 7 games, he scored 2 goals and had 3 assists. He has played 9 games for the Kings and has recorded 3 points.
Pelletier made his Flyers debut on February 22nd against the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-3 win. He’s played 15 games in orange and black and has 2 assists. Pelletier averages about 9:20 of ice time. He played 61 games for the Flames and was loved throughout the organization, especially by Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau.
The trade, for the most part, was shocking for some fans. Frost and Farabee are settling in nicely in Calgary and it's good to see so many fans cheering them on and rooting for them. Kuzmenko has a personality that fits in any locker room, and hopefully he can find his feet in LA. Pelletier was really affected by the trade, but is slowly warming up in Philly and will surely be placing some kisses on goalie helmets soon.
Edited by Neha Grewal
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