'I'm Pumped'

Hear that sound?

It’s opportunity knocking at Cole Schwindt’s door.

The 22-year-old earned his first NHL call-up with the Flames Tuesday morning, and is expected to make his debut tonight, when Calgary hosts St. Louis at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Get tickets

He skated in three NHL games with the Florida Panthers two seasons ago, but has been patiently biding his time in the AHL since landing in Calgary along with Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar in the summer of 2022.

"It’s awesome, it’s something as a kid you dream of, playing in the NHL,” Schwindt said. “To get that opportunity to step in the lineup tonight is exciting.

“I’m pumped.”

Schwindt becomes the latest Calgary Wrangler to get a shot with the big club, and his call-up comes with the chance to make a real impression on Head Coach Ryan Huska against the Blues.

“We need someone in the middle on the fourth line to kind of grab the role, so the door is open and there’s opportunities there,” Huska said following Tuesday’s morning skate. “I think for him, that was kind of the message; don’t overthink it, just come and play, and use your size to your advantage, use your speed to your advantage, and be a hard guy to play against.”

After 115 regular season and playoff games with the Wranglers, you get the sense Schwindt is willing to crash through that door, too.

And he’s made sure to take note of the fact that several of his AHL teammates have already found success after being brought up to The Show this season.

“For all of us, it’s a great position to be in,” he said. “It’s an honour to get that call-up, it’s something that needs to be earned.

“It’s exciting, you see guys like Zary and Pospy up here, they’ve done great, and that’s a big credit to them putting the work in with the Wranglers.”

Schwindt’s put in the work too: he comes to the NHL sitting tied for the Wranglers team lead at +13, proof positive that he can be responsible with and without the puck.

According to Huska, that two-way skill could pay dividends for the young centreman as he continues to refine his game.

“He’s got a skill-set, too, that you can’t overlook," Huska said. "He’s a big guy that shoots the puck well, he skates well, but where we kind of envision him slotting is in one of those roles. Whether it’s fourth, third, some sort of role where you’re going to be relied upon to play against good players and to make sure you do a good job for our team.

“He’s trending in that direction and this is his opportunity.”