Practice Notebook - 02.12.24

The Flames were back on Scotiabank Saddledome ice Monday morning, in preparation for a mini two-game homestand that begins Tuesday against Columbus. TICKETS

Get caught up on all the happenings - including the presence of a special guest - in Monday’s Practice Notebook.

Guest of Honour

The Flames welcomed a special guest to Monday’s practice, as Guy Gaudreau joined head coach Ryan Huska’s staff for the on-ice session.

The Gaudreau family arrived in Calgary over the weekend and will be front and centre Tuesday, when the Flames and C of Red celebrate Johnny Gaudreau, and his brother Matthew’s legacy in this community prior to puck drop against the Blue Jackets.

Several Flames, including defenceman Rasmus Andersson, spoke after practice about the importance of inviting Guy to skate with the team Monday.

“Johnny was a dear friend, and Guy was more often than not around,” he explained. “It was good seeing him.

“It’s hard, because you try to treat it like - you don’t want to talk about it. We talked about life, and he loves talking about hockey so we tried to spend a lot of time talking about hockey.

“I told him he’s got to help us out there, to get our goal-scoring going," Andersson joked. "He had his own conclusion (on) why we’re not scoring, so it was great just talking to him about that.”

The families were intertwined.

Andersson and Gaudreau were more than teammates, they were firm friends. The pair even shared the role of best man at former Flame Andrew Mangiapane's wedding this summer.

All while Guy and Jane Gaudreau baby-sat Andersson's daughter.

But there’s a sense of comfort, too, in being around the rink - around the sights and sounds as part of a lifetime immersed in the game.

For Guy, a sense of belonging.

For Andersson and his teammates, a safe space to welcome an old friend bearing with an unfathomable tragedy.

“This is his therapy,” Andersson said. I told him, ‘Just come out whenever you want, you always have a spot here on the ice, whenever you want.’

“I hope they can make it out more times this year.”

A Personal Touch

Head Equipment Manager Mark DePasquale had just the right stick for their special guest coach.

One of Johnny's own:

Familiar Faces

Both Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr were on the ice Monday, recalled earlier in the morning from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

The pair have rekindled their scoring touch on the farm: Duehr’s 11 goals rank second among Wranglers leaders, while Pelletier leads the team with 16 assists.

Duehr found a spot Monday on the right wing alongside Blake Coleman and Connor Zary, while Pelletier occupied a spot with Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Rooney.

Here’s how the Flames lined up during Monday’s practice:

Forwards

Jonathan Huberdeau - Nazem Kadri - Martin Pospisil
Yegor Sharangovich - Mikael Backlund - Matt Coronato
Blake Coleman - Connor Zary - Walker Duehr
Jakob Pelletier - Kevin Rooney - Ryan Lomberg
Andrei Kuzmenko

Defence
Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson
MacKenzie Weegar - Daniil Miromanov
Jake Bean - Brayden Pachal
Joel Hanley - Tyson Barrie

GoaltendersDan Vladar
Dustin Wolf

Point To Prove

Fresh off his first practice back with the Flames, Pelletier is bent on finding his form at the NHL level.

The 23-year-old has amassed 19 points in 20 games at the AHL level this season, and now, he’s got his sights set on continuing that form with the big club.

“Feels great,” he said when asked about his first twirl back with the Flames Monday. “After everything that happened, it’s nice to be here, to come back with the boys.

“But now, I think it’s on me to help the team win, and to stay up here, and prove to everybody that I can play in the NHL.”

And who’s not to say the former first-round pick couldn’t follow the same trajectory as Connor Zary did a season ago? Zary, a year older, started the 2023-24 campaign in the AHL, but once he earned his recall, he didn’t look back.

Pelletier had a tough season last year, suffering injuries in the preseason and then again four games after returning to full health.

Those tribulations are in the dustbin, and the Quebec City product has his sights set on turning a corner at the NHL level, with a fresh opportunity now awaiting him.

"For me, it’s to kind of come back to the same old Jakob Pelletier that I was here two years ago, or a year-and-a-half ago,” he said.

“That’s what I did with the Wranglers, and I think for me, it’s just to keep going the same way and to (do) the same thing here.”