Cole Reschny is a Canadian center at the University of North Dakota and a Calgary Flames prospect, taken 18th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Cole Reschny scored Canada’s equalizer in the 2026 World Juniors semifinal against Czechia, a match Canada went on to lose. Eight months later, his North Dakota teammates voted him captain, making him, by age, the youngest in the program’s history.
| Fast facts: Cole Reschny | |
|---|---|
| Current team | University of North Dakota, NCAA, No. 17, captain from 2026-27 |
| Position | Center |
| Shoots | Left |
| Born | 6 April 2007, Macklin, Saskatchewan |
| Height / weight | 5’11” (180 cm), listed from 183 to 190 lbs depending on the source |
| Drafted | 2025, first round, 18th overall, Calgary Flames |
| Contract status | Unsigned. Calgary holds his rights for as long as he remains a college player, per capwages |
| World Juniors | Canada, 2026, bronze medal. No. 21, seven games, four goals and one assist |
| Jersey | 17 at North Dakota, 21 with Canada at the 2026 World Juniors, 7 at the 2025 U18 Worlds, 9 at Canada’s 2026 summer camp |
What did Cole Reschny do at the 2026 World Juniors?
Cole Reschny scored four goals and added an assist in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Juniors, and Canada won bronze. Hockey Canada’s roster lists him at No. 21. He was the only player from Saskatchewan in the squad.
His tournament turned on the semifinal against Czechia on 4 January 2026. Reschny scored just under four minutes into the third period to make it 3-3, and was named Canada’s player of the game in a 6-4 defeat. He also took a goaltender interference penalty late on, the only penalty he took all tournament. Earlier, he scored in a 2-1 win over Latvia, won the faceoff that led to the overtime winner, and opened the scoring in the 7-1 quarterfinal against Slovakia.
He started the tournament on the third line with Caleb Desnoyers and Cole Beaudoin, dropped to the fourth line after the opener, and was still Canada’s first-choice center on both the power play and the penalty kill.
Reschny won 48 of his 77 faceoffs at the 2026 World Juniors, 62 percent, seven points better than the 54.9 percent he took as a North Dakota freshman the same season.
Will Cole Reschny play at the 2027 World Juniors?
As of 31 October 2026, he has a year of eligibility left, and Canada has not named a selection camp roster. The tournament runs from 26 December 2026 to 5 January 2027 in Edmonton and Red Deer, and our World Juniors guide has the schedule and the groups.
North Dakota released both Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff to the 2026 tournament. Reschny wore the C in Canada’s 5-3 summer camp win over Finland in July 2026, which TSN’s Mark Masters reported had made him and Braeden Cootes the two leading candidates to captain the side in Edmonton. Head coach Misha Donskov said of him that “he’s a leader for us and he showed it on the ice.” Daily Faceoff projected him as Canada’s first-line center between Dima Zhilkin and Brady Martin.
What are Cole Reschny’s career stats?
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | P | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Victoria Royals | WHL | 61 | 21 | 38 | 59 | 14 |
| 2024-25 | Victoria Royals | WHL | 62 | 26 | 66 | 92 | 44 |
| 2024-25 | Canada U18 | U18 Worlds | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| 2025-26 | North Dakota | NCAA | 36 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 22 |
| 2025-26 | Canada U20 | World Juniors | 7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
Completed seasons. He finished his WHL career with 152 points in 127 games, won U18 gold with Canada in 2025 as an assistant captain, and was named NCHC Rookie of the Year for 2025-26 after leading every North Dakota player in assists and points. North Dakota won the Penrose Cup and reached the Frozen Four that season.
Why is Cole Reschny North Dakota’s captain?
North Dakota announced on 16 September 2026 that his teammates had voted Reschny captain, making him the first sophomore to wear the C since Dave Hakstol in 1990-91 and, by age, the youngest captain in the program’s history.
Head coach Dane Jackson said his “mature presence, relentless work ethic and team-first approach embodies our North Dakota culture,” and told the Grand Forks Herald that Reschny “has a real pro mentality about him, which really makes him a guy you want to follow.” Calgary assistant general manager Brad Pascall, who played at North Dakota alongside Hakstol, told the same paper that the Hakstol vote had been “such an obvious choice” and that he believed Reschny’s was the same. North Dakota associate coach Matt Smaby, who captained the team over Jonathan Toews, has compared the two players’ intensity directly.
Reschny’s answer focused on the names on the wall. “You look at the names and people who have worn not only the ‘C’ but letters in the past, and it’s very special,” he said.
Is Cole Reschny signed with the Calgary Flames?
No. Reschny is an unsigned draft pick, and Calgary holds his rights for as long as he stays in college hockey. He has no NHL contract, no cap hit, and has not played an NHL game.
The channels and streams for every Flames game are in our guide to how to watch the Calgary Flames.
Where is Cole Reschny from?
Reschny is from Macklin, Saskatchewan, a town of 1,247 people at the 2021 census, about five kilometers from the Alberta border. Macklin hosts the annual Bunnock World Championship, home to the world’s largest bunnock sculpture, and the town roughly doubles in size for the event.
“Macklin is a great community, a very tight community,” Reschny told paNOW after the 2026 World Juniors.
Does Cole Reschny have a brother?
Yes, two. Austin Reschny is a forward at SAIT in Calgary, and Anderson Reschny is a defenceman with the Saskatoon Blazers U18 AAA. Cole and Austin lived together in Edmonton during Cole’s first year away from home, and Cole told NHL clubs that Austin was the reason he pushed as hard as he did. “When you have an older brother, you always want to do what he’s doing,” he told the Grand Forks Herald in October 2026.
Their parents are Clinton Reschny, a sales manager in oilfield services, and Allison Reschny, who works at a school. The family has a farm near Macklin, where the brothers baled hay in the summers and checked the goats during kidding season over the winter holidays. “The work sucks sometimes, but it’s the reason I am where I am today,” Reschny said.
What number does Cole Reschny wear?
Reschny wears No. 17 at North Dakota, which the university’s roster lists, and he has worn four different numbers in four different settings: 17 at North Dakota, 21 for Canada at the 2026 World Juniors, 7 at the 2025 U18 Worlds, and 9 at Canada’s summer camp in July 2026. No number has been announced for the 2027 World Juniors. PuckPedia lists him at 77, which does not match any other source.
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