'Better Than I Could've Imagined'

Ooh, baby.

Christmas came early for the Lombergs, alright.

In the wee hours on Thursday morning, Ryan and his wife, Marissa, welcomed a beautiful baby girl to the world, turning their already bustling household into a blessed family of four.

You wouldn’t think things could any better in the eyes of this two-time Girl Dad.

And yet…

“She’s heavy!” Lomberg said – hilariously NOT referencing the arrival of his daughter Larson.

With the winger’s former squad, the Florida Panthers, in town for tonight’s clash at the ‘Dome, several members of the championship team – including former Flames Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett – took Lomberg out for dinner, where he was presented with his 2024 Stanley Cup ring.

With 187 diamonds, along with blue and yellow sapphires, rubies, and a swanky personalization to match, you can bet the hand-crafted, 14-karat gold piece tips the scales more than most left under the Christmas tree this year.

“Overwhelming, for sure,” Lomberg said of the emotions of opening the box and trying on the ring for the first time. “It's been a long time coming. I've seen pictures of it; I've seen the boys holding them and taking pictures of them, so to be able to do it myself and put my own on is incredibly special.

“Better than I could've imagined.”

Lomberg, who played 246 games over four seasons with the Panthers – along with another eight on their magical playoff run last June – spoke at length about the bond he has his former teammates now, and how thankful he is to the organization for giving him the opportunity to become a champion.

Here, the Flames are hoping that winning pedigree will rub off and help inspire the effort tonight, as the troupe looks to bounce back from a tough loss on Thursday and get back in the win column in one of the true ‘measuring stick’ games on the calendar.

For most in the home locker-room, getting up close and personal with Lomberg’s ring this morning offered glimpse of what they’re all chasing.

“It's really nice,” Head Coach Ryan Huska said of the bling. “It brought a lot of smiles around our room, for sure, and it's something that eventually everyone wants to have a chance to get.”

And for ex-Panther MacKenzie Weegar – who will play in his 500th career game tonight – the added ‘oomph’ is tangible around the rink.

“It's your former team, it's the Stanley Cup champions,” he said. “I think the challenge tonight is going to be a good (one), but I think everybody's got a little pep in their step today. It's a big one for Lombo, too. He got his ring and was showing it off a little bit, creates a little bit more motivation for us tonight. We're looking forward to it.

“We're excited.”

While Thursday’s lopsided 8-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning is still fresh in the minds of the media, the players have long moved on.

The Panthers, certainly, are another taut foe, with a ‘Stanley Cup Hangover’ nowhere in sight.

But the locals have been one of the NHL’s best home teams with a 10-4-1 record to show – and often, a visit from the one of the league’s top dogs will bring out the best in everyone.

Add a six-pack of former players on both sides tonight – including one that was put in the spotlight and received a piece of hardware he’s worked his whole life to obtain – and the energy and emotion should be in high supply.

Not that Lomberg is ever short on it.

“It's a good opportunity for us to see what we're about and how we can respond,” he said. “Obviously, things haven't been going quite the way we've wanted it to the last handful of games here, so, you've got the defending champs coming into town and it's going to be a great opportunity to see where we're at.”