We’re finally back.
You can personally assess whether it has felt like a long offseason. It’s believed by some that your brain tends to make time feel like it is going by faster when you’re sticking to a routine. The idea is that with less time slowing down things to learn something new comes a more seamless way to experience life and, with that comes a shorter day.
Stack a few days like that on top of each other and avoid any traumatic experiences — you get a summer that flies by.
For many Flames fans, it’s been a very long summer.
The passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, obviously sits at the top. The entire Hockey World was cut deep by the news. No NHL market was hit harder than Calgary, who saw him grow from a young buck into a family man over nine years with the organization.
One trend that I find very strange is that, during his career, every single time he was mentioned, written about, or featured; it was always of utmost importance to include his size. NHL.com has him listed at 5’9”. He was probably closer to 5’7”.
With his passing, there has been almost none of that. Maybe included in the odd long-form eulogy from the media, but most fans simply didn't bring it up like they always did.
Perhaps the hole in our hearts with his passing is all that is left to measure when it comes to the high-flying Johnny Gaudreau.
While Gaudreau’s legacy is something you want to hold on to, the Oilers getting to within one win away from breaking Canada’s Stanley Cup curse — is something most Flames fans would like to forget. The sun truly shone a little brighter once it was all done, but good lord. If that team could go ahead and take a maintenance season, that would be great.
One observation following that note? Canada hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since it gave itself two national sports. Lacrosse held the sole title from 1859 to May 1994, when it was bumped to just the National
Summer Sport, and hockey took over the winter side of the year. It was called the
National Sports of Canada Act.
Montreal was the last Canadian winner of the Cup in 1993.
This isn’t a place for politics, but Chrétien and that majority government might have blundered from a superstition perspective.
Question for the reader: Should they change it back to just lacrosse, change it to just hockey, or resolve to keep the Stanley Cup out of Canada for good?
Young Stars Classic
What were we talking about at the top? Right, we’re back. Calgary Flames prospects head out to Penticton late Thursday and will play game one of the Penticton Young Stars Classic against Winnipeg on Friday at 5:00 p.m. Mountain time.
Per the Calgary Flames Media department, here is the numerical roster for reference.
A few thoughts on some of the players in attendance.
The Grid
This will be the first opportunity for most Flames fans to watch 2024 28th overall pick
Matvei Gridin on the ice. What the Flames are getting is a cerebral player with a deadly shot who plays a pro style. You can tell he has a plan for what he’s going to do with the puck before he gets it.
One term that comes to mind with Gridin: dynamic mental processing. Fans talk a lot about his big shot, but he reads defences so well at all ends of the ice. Keep an eye out for #51 in this tournament.
Last Trip to Penticton
Possibly the most polished of the group is
William Strömgren. The six-foot-three winger has a real chance of outperforming several roster players on the Flames in camp.
The first thing you will notice is how fast he is for his size. The Örnsköldsvik, Sweden product will be a threat on the outside for whichever team he plays for this season.
There is also an above-average set of hands to go with that and a surprising level of physicality. The 2021 second round pick was charging into the slot with the puck last playoffs as a 20-year-old against fully grown AHL players.
One last thought on Strömgren. Elite Prospects lists him at 185lbs. The Calgary Wranglers website has him at 195lbs. The NHL website has him at 175lbs. Your guess is as good as mine which one it is. He accelerates like he's 175, he runs the opposition like he's 195; maybe the median is the best guess.
The Hype
It wouldn’t be right to not include offensive dynamo
Zayne Parekh as someone to watch. His style of play is entirely his own. He sometimes looks like he’s playing an entirely different sport on the ice.
Watch for how the 2024 ninth overall pick makes plays in the slot, as well as how he evades pressure. He’ll be wearing number 89.
The Steal
Strömgren may have been the most polished at the Snowy Cup this summer, but
Luke Misa ultimately stole the show. A hat trick in the scrimmage will do that, but even during practice Misa looked like he was a cut above. His edge work is better than most of the NHL already and he can receive and dish the puck almost entirely without losing efficiency.
Luke’s brother, Micheal, is slated to go top five at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Mr. Business
The prospect camp scrimmage was a bit weird. Very low contact, less competitive than you would hope. 25-year-old
Sam Morton was the greatest exception to that. He ranked first in fitness testing among the Flames prospects in attendance and was involved at all ends of the ice.
Expect more of that in Penticton. He might not have big time wheels, but lots of players have proven to be crafty enough to carve out an NHL role. Sam clearly has his eyes on the prize heading into 2024-2025.
Power Wingers
The forecheck on one or two lines will likely be spearheaded by
Lucas Ciona and
Parker Bell. The two are both 21 years old by the start of the season, so they likely each need more time to cook. That said, the two power forwards play above their maturity when it comes to corner battles and puck retrievals. Bell and Ciona are six-foot-five and six-foot-three, respectively.
Temperature Checks
A few more things to look out for.
How is
Etienne Morin managing his spacing? Is he handling the physicality well?
Where is
Artem Grushnikov’s game at? He was injured late last season.
Speaking of health, when will we get a positive showing from
Samuel Honzek? Last year was a bit of a write-off from injuries. You only get so many of those type of seasons.
Watch for how
Eric Jamieson defends the front of the net. He is a tough customer in the WHL. Will this strategy work against players older than him?
Hunter Brzustewicz looked just OK in prospects camp. He’s going to need to figure out how to bring that OHL swagger against faster, stronger opposition.
Penticton Schedule
Per Flames Media. All games will take place at South Okanagan Event Centre. Games can be streamed at calgaryflames.com and the Fan 960 will broadcast on radio.
Friday September 13 - 5:00 p.m.
Vs. Winnipeg Jets
Saturday September 14 - 8:30 p.m.
Vs Edmonton Oilers
Monday September 16 - 3:00 p.m.
Vs. Vancouver Canucks
Of these three games, Winnipeg might be the most enjoyable. Colby Barlow and Brayden Yager are both very fun to watch in the O-zone.
Trevor Neufeld
Statistics courtesy of nhl.com, theahl.com, eliteprospects.com. Tournament info courtesy of Flames Media.
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