'We're Absolutely Pumped'

It’s time to polish up those cufflinks.

Because tonight – with Grandpa Alex looking down as proud as can be – a celebration is in order.

“Growing up, he was a big Flames fan and my favourite player growing up was Jarome Iginla – which is not that common for an Edmonton kid,” laughed Mark Pysyk, who signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flames on Saturday.

“Way back, I got some cufflinks from him one that were horribly out of date and style. But I think, for a couple seasons, I wore those to most if not all of my games.

“It was my little good-luck charm.

“So, this is super exciting for my family. We're absolutely pumped to be playing this close to home.”

Pysyk grew up and played his minor hockey in the Edmonton area, where he put up big numbers with the Strathcona Warriors and Sherwood Park Kings Triple-A squads, before being drafted by the Edmonton Oil Kings and captaining the team to a WHL title in 2012.

Those are lucky enough to know him will vouch that he’s one of the best people in the game and will do anything to make another person’s day.

Above all, that’s the type of individual the Flames have brought to the organization.

Pysyk has 521 games of NHL experience on his resume, but hasn't played a big-league game since April 29, 2022, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. He signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings later that summer, but suffered a tear to his achilles tendon, underwent surgery and was originally slated to miss 4-6 months, but an autumn setback eventually doomed his entire season.

Looking to get his career back on track, the 31-year-old signed a PTO with the Pittsburgh Penguins before training camp opened earlier this fall, but was later released from that tryout after … well, another tough break in his only preseason appearance.

“I was feeling great, running on pure adrenaline,” Pysyk said of that night in Columbus. “Then, the first or second shift, I took a shot and broke my foot.”

Of course.

Pysyk then inked another test drive with the club's AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Nov. 2 and was given an eight-game audition, before being released only a few days ago.

Most importantly, though, he realized in that brief cup of coffee that, yes, he could play at this level again after a gauntlet of injuries began to cast doubt on his future.

“I played eight games in Wilkes-Barre and I think the first two, maybe my expectations were that it would be back to normal right away, which (laughs) – looking back – was not all that realistic,” Pysyk said. “Then, after two or three games, it was like, 'Wow, it's all coming back now. I'm still feeling good and I can move and skate like I want to.'

“The biggest thing is building that confidence and knowing that I can still trust my skating and it's still the same game that it was when I last played. And now, I'm feeling as good or very close to where I was to where I was before the first achilles injury.

“It's definitely been a long year-and-a-half – coming up on two years here – since my last NHL hockey game.

“It's been a grind.

“But I’m feeling good and I’m ready to get going with the Wranglers.”

Pysyk – who’s played both defence and forward over the course of his career – has 28 goals and 104 points with the Sabres, Panthers and Stars since being drafted in the first round, 23rd overall, in 2013.

And because of his four years in Sunrise, the 6-foot-1, 198-lb. blueliner has already touched base with pals Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar.

"It was awesome," he said of catching up with them the other day at the Scotiabank Saddledome. "I came in for a medical to get that all put to bed before signing. I saw them there and it was awesome seeing familiar places in a place I'm quite familiar with as well, playing a lot there in junior. It was really cool to see them and see how they're doing, see how they're liking it. I can't wait to see them again here soon."

Pysyk been placed on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Flames’ AHL affiliate and will make $775,000 at the NHL level.

But for now, he’ll start the Wranglers and provide some much-needed depth on the blueline with the Flames having dealt Nikita Zadorov, and calling up players from the Wranglers’ D corps by such as Jordan Oesterle and Ilya Solovyov, and potentially others in the future.

That will play itself out in time.

For now, the Alberta boy is back home in Edmonton, revelling – like he should – with family tonight.

“This is super exciting for me and my family,” he said. “

“As an Alberta boy, I couldn’t be happier and excited to get things going.”