'Learned How To Be A Pro'

He took a deep breath and began the walk out.

Slow. Steady.

And with one foot in front of the other.

When he took those final few steps from the tunnel and gazed out at the vista before him, Jakob Pelletier was thinking about everything – and everyone – that helped him to that point. 

Not the game he was about to embark on, but the people that dedicated their lives to helping him climb the ladder and realize a childhood dream.

“My aunt passed away two years ago,” Pelletier said, recalling his emotions on the night of his NHL debut. “It was a big moment for me and my family. So, in the back of my mind, I was having those thoughts for her, because she always came out to Moncton to watch me play.

“I'm close to all my cousins, my aunt and uncle. I think the big thing is that I had a thought for her and (I wanted) to be appreciative of the opportunity I had.”

Pelletier logged a total of 14 shifts that night, recording one shot on Jan. 21 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

That began a stretch of 23 straight games in the Flames lineup, where he tallied seven points (3G, 4A) and became something of a cult hero for his infectious locker-room presence and delightfully wholesome goal celebrations – even when he, himself, wasn’t on the ice.

Months later, and with that quarter-season of big-league work staring back on the resume, Pelletier arrives at Flames camp hungry to build on that experience and officially lock down on a spot on the 2023-24 squad.

“For me, it's to bring some positivity around, to bring some good vibes,” Pelletier said. “That's the main thing. I think I can control that. It’s the way I am, so that's going to be easy. 

“But at the same time, it's on the ice. Playing fast, playing with pace and trying to create some turnovers – and then create some scoring chances and to score goals. 

“I think that's the big thing for me.”

It’s been well documented that Pelletier struck an immediate bond with fellow Quebecer Jonathan Huberdeau last year, despite the eight-year age gap. In fact, Huberdeau famously treated the wide-eyed rookie to a lavish streak dinner in New York City, of all places, to help ease the transition and officially welcome Pelletier to the bigs.

The two have become close friends, with Pelletier frequently stopping at the Huberdeau abode between games to enjoy a home-cooked meal and some time on the winger’s highly addictive golf simulator. 

Most importantly, though, the mentor-protégé relationship has now extended into the off-season, with Pelletier skating with Huberdeau every Tuesday during the summer. 

“It was like a dream for me to be with the boys,” Pelletier said of the experience last year. “The first six games I was here, I didn't play – so to soak everything up, the practices, the nights with the guys that we went for supper, that was a big thing. 

“The most important thing was that I learned how to be a pro off the ice.”

You can listen to the full interview with Pelletier on the Friday, Sept. 22 episode of the FlamesTV Podcast.

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