Joined At The 'Shoulder'

BOSTON - To say Jakob Pelletier and Kevin Rooney know each other well, at this point, may be the understatement of the century.

Is there anything the two forwards don’t know about each other?

“No. No, no, no, no,” Pelletier said with a laugh after practice in Boston Monday, ahead of the Flames first game back after the all-star break on Tuesday night.

You learn a lot about someone after spending close to four straight months together.

Both Pelletier and Rooney underwent surgery in early October after sustaining similar shoulder injuries at the start of preseason.

The result was two guys going through the entire rehab process, together.

“I just learned so much about him as a person that I really didn’t know last year,” Rooney said after the on-ice session in Beantown, heaping praise on his new best buddy. “Just a tremendous kid, great attitude, great work ethic is one thing I really noticed.

“Really strong leadership skills,” he continued. “To have him, I mean I think both of us would say the same thing it would have been that much harder if we didn’t have each other.”

That feeling is mutual.

“Thank God he was there for the past three and a half months,” explained Pelletier. “You know me, I like to talk to people and stuff. We hang out a lot. We would train together. We were at the Flames games and every time the Flames would play on the road sometimes, we’d be at his place or sometimes at my place.”

They also pushed each other. Every single day.

“We fought for who could be at the rink first every day and then it would continue from there as far as competing,” said Pelletier. “I think it’s kind of why we got back as quick as we did. Really thankful I had him.”

Almost four months later exactly, they’re back in the NHL and ready to make their return.

“Our doctors, first of all, and Kent (Kobelka, Head Athletic Therapist) and his medical staff have done a ridiculously good job of making sure they’re in a position to play right now and have had (four) games under their belt in the American Hockey League,” said Head Coach Ryan Huska. “Both guys really committed to working hard, in the training room to start with and then in the gym, then getting on the ice.

“So, we’re happy for them and it’s nice to see them back here.”

Back in NHL. A place that felt so far away just four months ago.

“Kind of sucked to get injured in the first game,” Pelletier said. “First preseason game but now I think about all the work we did since October, I think it kind of prepared us for the games the last few weeks (with Wranglers) and now we’re here and pumped to be here of course.”

For Rooney, that road back has felt even longer.

He spent the final 50-plus games of last season with the Wranglers, and it’s been over a year since he last played an NHL game.

“It’s definitely been really tough. But the rehab process has been really amazing,” said Rooney. “This organization has done an unbelievable job getting us back to this point."

Needless to say that call back up to the NHL Saturday night after the Wranglers game in Ontario, Calif., held great significance.

“It was tough not to get emotional,” Rooney said. “It’s a privilege to play in this league and I was fortunate to do it for four or five seasons there in a row. It really makes you think how hard it is. Really grateful to be back and I really just want to make the best of my opportunity now.”

That opportunity also happens to be back in his hometown.

“The first call right to my parents, kind of felt like it was my first NHL call-up again,” he said. “Just to be home, probably going to have lots of people here tomorrow, I don’t know how many passes or how many tickets I’m going to get but yeah it’s exciting.”

Exciting for two guys who’ve done almost everything together recently, including skating on the same line Monday.

It would be only fitting the next step is a return to NHL action.

Together, of course.