It’s not every day that you get to share NHL ice with a childhood idol.
Thursday night, Dustin Wolf will do just that, when his Flames continue their homestand against the Rangers. TICKETS
There’s even a chance he’ll get to square off against the guy he grew up watching: Jonathan Quick.
Wolf has been on the ice with Quick before - he backed up Jacob Markstrom in Calgary’s visit to Madison Square Garden last February.
Time enough for a quick glance across the red line.
“In passing, in warmups,” Wolf said when asked if he’s interacted with Quick since turning pro. “I’ve kinda seen him a handful of times, don’t know him.
“But hearing from, like, Pickle (Brayden Pachal) played with him, he’s supposedly the best guy out there. He’s a pretty good goalie too.”
The NHL is quickly learning that Wolf’s a pretty good goalie himself.
The 23-year-old boasts a 7-2-1 record this season, but over his last five starts, he’s helped the Flames collect nine of 10 points, all while recording an unbelievable .946 save percentage.
His first NHL shutout came last Friday, but he had another stellar performance nine days ago - against a Los Angeles club with whom Quick won two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, part of an 18-year run that’s seen the Milford, Conn. product win 397 career games.
It was during that time that Wolf, who moved from the Bay Area to Southern California as a kid, developed an appreciation for how Quick went about his business.
“He was in his prime when I was first coming into L.A.,” Wolf recalled. “I was able to watch him pretty closely for a numerous amount of years. The way he plays, he’s very unorthodox, he’s very flexible, he’s explosive; he’s technical, but he’s very good at using stuff outside the box to make saves.
“He’s won the most games ever as an American goalie. It’s been very cool to watch from afar for so many years, now it’s even cooler to be in the same arena, same ice, and in a similar situation as him.”
Those formative years included some memorable moments; a photo with Quick following a goalie skate, and an unforgettable night at the Kings’ home arena.
“I think it was my birthday,” said Wolf. “I don’t know how old I was, but my agent brought me to a game, we sat in his box. After the game, we went down, I had his jersey and he was able to sign it for me.
“He’s the guy I grew up watching very closely, to be able to have some sort of interaction with him was pretty neat.”
Having an interaction Thursday night on Scotiabank Saddledome ice, though, might just top it.
“Let’s hope he’s at the other end too,” Wolf said with a grin.
“That’d be pretty cool.”
