Calgary Wranglers right wing Adam Klapka progressed well in his first pro season

The two most regular rookies in the Wranglers’ lineup this season were Jeremie Poirier and Adam Klapka. While the team had eight different rookies play for them over the year, these two were the only ones to play in the majority of the games. I’ve already taken a look at Jeremie Poirier and evaluated his season, let’s talk about Adam Klapka’s first professional season. 

By the numbers

Regular season

Adam Klapka was usually found on the fourth line for the majority of the year. His linemates would vary based off of lineup decisions but he often spent time with Alex Gallant and Mitch McLain. At first, McLain looked to be the enforcer of the line, but Klapka did start bringing a physical part of his game that found him dropping the mits from time to time. 

Klapka had his share of big moments over the year but his scoring was pretty infrequent. There would be stretches he was a huge help to the team offensively and others his and his line’s scoring would go pretty quiet. What worked best for Klapka was leveraging his 6’7 height to screen goaltenders and be in the slot for rebounds. This even earned him some power play time and extra attacker opportunities late in games. 

In his first year, Klapka played in 60 games with the Wranglers earning 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 points. Of those goals, five were power play goals and he also scored two game-winners. The young rookie also earned his first career hat trick in the 2022-23 season on March 31st against the Henderson Silver Knights. The Wranglers had their troubles against the Silver Knights so this game was quite a redemption night for them.