Justin Time
Justin Kirkland has paid his dues.
The 28-year-old Winnipegger was on the ice Friday morning with the Flames after being recalled from the Wranglers - slotting in at fourth-line centre a day.
Kirkland has 408 AHL games under his belt, as well as a WHL title with Kelowna (where coincidentally, Flames assistant coach Dan Lambert was the bench boss).
But he’s hoping to hit double digits in NHL games this weekend - after stints in 2022-23 and 2023-24 with the Ducks and Coyotes, respectively.
This year marks Kirkland’s second stint in Calgary’s organization and for the centreman, it was a reunion borne from opportunity.
“I’ve always loved it here, so it’s exciting for me to be back,” he said Friday. “You never like to see a guy get hurt, especially Kevin Rooney, who’s very well-liked and a good guy.
“That’s unfortunate, but a good opportunity for me ahead.”
Rooney was moved to IR after being hurt in Wednesday’s season-opening 6-5 overtime win in Vancouver.
Head coach Ryan Huska sees Kirkland as a viable replacement on that fourth line.
“He was consistent the whole time, so I thought he was one of our better players throughout the camp,” he said. “But what I do appreciate about him, he’s 28 years old right now, and I feel like he’s continued to get better every year. And that says a lot for a guy, you get to that point and you’re still willing to grind, to try to get the opportunity to get back into the NHL.
“I like the speed that he has, I like the size that he has, and it was important, unfortunately, with Kevin being out, that we could find a centreman to fill that role right now.”
