Good things come to those who wait.
And Dryden Hunt has been waiting more than three months for his latest opportunity.
The 28-year-old forward understandably had plenty of jump Friday, as the Flames were put through the paces at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Recalled earlier in the morning, Hunt’s earned another crack with the NHL club after putting up 22 points during a 23-game stint with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
His time on the farm was one part confidence-booster, one part leadership opportunity.
But Hunt, who won WHL Player of the Year honours as a go-to-guy with the Moose Jaw Warriors, was happy to be relied upon heavily by Wranglers bench boss Trent Cull.
“Anytime you go down, you want to play big minutes and contribute anywhere you can," Hunt said. "Trent’s pretty good with playing experienced guys in all situations, so I got penalty-kill, powerplay, played tons, it’s nice to get down there, contribute, feel comfortable, have lots of confidence.
"The injury was tough, but got a good couple games in this week; I feel good.”
That lower-body ailment kept Hunt sidelined for the better part of six weeks, but he returned to active duty with a bang, recording a pair of assists Tuesday night in the Wranglers’ 4-2 win over the Manitoba Moose.
Success aside, this is where he wants to be, and Hunt is happy to have a chance to build on his 200-plus games of NHL experience as the Flames host a pair of matinee affairs this long weekend.
“It’s exciting, you know obviously everybody wants to be in the NHL,” he said, “you get that opportunity to come back up, you just want to make the most of it."
And there’s built-in familiarity with his Flames linemates, too.
Hunt skated Friday with Kevin Rooney and Walker Duehr, who he spent time with down the stretch and into the Calder Cup Playoffs with the Wranglers last spring.
In Hunt, Flames head coach Ryan Huska gets a known entity - and a bit more veteran savvy - on a fourth line that’s helped spread some of the minutes throughout his lineup since the team returned from the All-Star break.
“He’s been out for a little bit with an injury and he’s just come back from that as well, but in those few games that he’s played (with the Wranglers), he’s been a noticeable player for them,” Huska said Friday. “He’s had a lot of experience at this level and he understands what we need out of him, so it’s another good opportunity for him and we’re happy that he’s back up here.”
And it’s an opportunity that Hunt isn’t taking lightly; he’s seen firsthand over his eight seasons as a pro just how fierce the competition for NHL spots can be.
“Everybody down there’s hungry to get here,” he said, “but the other thing that I notice a lot about the younger guys there, the guys that are on the cusp is how hard they work; they take it pretty serious.
“It’s been a good couple months down with the Wranglers, I’m happy to be back.”
