'They Say He's Been Their Best Player To Date'

Patience, and perseverance, are paying off for Martin Pospisil.

The 23-year-old forward hit the ice with the Flames at Friday's practice at Scotiabank Saddledome after being recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers earlier in the morning.

For a player who’s missed sizeable chunks of time because of injuries, the callup stands as a testament to not only his talent, but his determination.

Originally selected by the Flames in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Pospisil’s bided his time, and kept a positive frame of mind over the past four seasons in the AHL, despite being limited to 26 games in 2019-20 and just 20 contests last year.

He never gave up, and never stopped believing in himself.

“The last injury, I was out for four months,” Pospisil said. “My goal was to be even better than before, I had a really long summer, great summer, had really good fitness testing and that shows also on the ice.

“I feel really, really, good.”

He’s off to a great start, too, helping the Wranglers to a 5-0-1 record while chipping in with three goals and three helpers, both stats that caught the eye of Flames Head Coach Ryan Huska.

“Size, speed, he’s got a bit of an edge to him,” said Huska when asked about his new forward Friday. “When you talk to the guys, (Wranglers Head Coach) Trent (Cull) and the staff, they say he’s been their best player to date.

“It gives us an opportunity to get another guy, a little more energy, into the lineup. We’ll see how things go there.”

It’s also an example of Calgary’s willingness to inject some youth into the lineup.

Pospisil could be the third Flame to make his NHL debut already this season, if he draws into the lineup Saturday in Seattle.

For Huska, it’s all about striking a balance between providing opportunities and helping younger players on his roster succeed.

“You don’t know what you have until you see,” Huska mentioned. “I thought Connor (Zary), we talked about him the other day, he did a very good job for us, now the challenge is for him to do it again.

“When you look at it, he’s been with the Wranglers for a couple of years, he’s played pro now for two-plus years. There’s a big difference, and he came up, he was in the right mindset and he was ready for his opportunity.“Now it’s the challenge for him to keep pushing, but it’s the same thing with Posp."

Friday morning, Pospisil found himself on a line alongside captain Mikael Backlund and veteran winger Blake Coleman.

For Backlund, the role of mentor is one he seems to enjoy, least of all for the injection of energy that a player like Pospisil can bring to the lineup after being called up for the first time.

“It’s always fun to see guys getting called up and getting the chance to play in the NHL, especially when it’s their first game or early on in their career,” Backlund said.

“(I) try to be there to help them and support them.”

An excited Pospisil said his first phone call after being recalled was to his older brother, Kristian, who skates in the top league in Czechia and won a bronze medal with Slovakia at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

“I always looked up to him when I was younger,” the younger Pospisil said. “I hope one day, hopefully, we’ll play together.

“He’s my favourite player.”