[MissTeeks]

Calgary Flames defence prospect Jakub Nakladal excited at opportunity for spot in NHL

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/20...or-spot-in-nhl

Annually, you’ll hear of NHLers insisting their summer was too long.

The reasoning is simple: They didn’t win the Stanley Cup.

Jakub Nakladal didn’t mind extra time between seasons.

“It was my longest summer ever,” the 27-year-old defenceman said Sunday. “Normally in Europe you have one month off, so it was great for me. I spent a lot of time with my family, my wife and kids. It was great.”

European leagues are already in regular-season action, to give a perspective of the timing to compared to things in North America. However, the late-blooming blueliner from Czech Republic is attending his first NHL training camp.

“It’s a big chance for me, my first time in North America in an NHL organization,” said the 6-foot-2, 205-lb., defenceman after going through the paces at the WinSport facility at Canada Olympic Park. “It’s good for me. I’m enjoying my time here.”

Be assured, the Flames are curious to see what Nakladal brings to the fold, knowing his skill set but also the adjustment he must make to playing in North America.

“I see a real good competitor,” head coach Bob Hartley said. “He still wants to learn. He’s older, he’s not a kid, but at the same time, I can tell he’s here on a mission.”

That mission, Nakladal said, is to not be too noticeable, mainly in a bad way.

“Absolutely no mistakes,” he said of his goal when he takes the ice for a game. “I think nobody wants big points from me. We have guys like Dougie Hamilton, (Mark) Giordano, (Dennis) Wideman, (TJ) Brodie, they get points. I’d be more of a defensive guy. For me, it’s important to play well with no mistakes.”

Calgary Flames veteran Matt Stajan looks to pass on lessons he learned as a young player

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/20...a-young-player

While the Flames continue to integrate youth into their lineup, an important aspect is having the right veteran presence to be part of it all. Stajan's no fool, he knows full well part of his job this season will be as a guiding light for Sam Bennett.

Sure, Bennett was around much of last season while rehabilitating his shoulder after surgery -- during some of which Stajan was injured, so they got to know each other -- and then during his dozen games, but a full season is a different scenario.

"When I was 20 years old coming into the league, I had Joe Nieuwendyk and Mats Sundin helping me as centremen, teaching me the details, and all the things I learned from them on a day-by-day basis have gone a long way in my career. You just have to make it a cycle," said Stajan, who was in a similar role when Sean Monahan jumped to the NHL two years ago.

"Obviously I'm not those guys, but you try to help those young guys and give them the same outlet I had as a kid."

"Once we get into games, the focus is on winning," said the 31-year-old who'll hit his 800th game this season. "You want to be out there as much as you can and help the team win, but the coaches are going to distribute the minutes. You may not always agree with it, but you've got to accept it and be a good teammate. Down the stretch, you're going to utilized the way that gives the team the best chance to win."

"Staje is a great influence. He's a great man off the ice. He's a good pro on the ice. You need guys like this," Hartley said. "There's no question that drafting centres in the past years created competition at our centre spot, but I think there's icetime for the four of them and roles for four of them."

And while the easiest view of Stajan's situation among the other centres is he's the sage veteran, part big brother and part sounding board for the young players, he is quick to point out what he receives in return.

"I'm trying to push them to be the best they can be, but they're pushing me to be the best I can be," he said. "We all want to be better and if we do that, we'll be strong down the middle, and good teams have that."

Flames prospect Hunter Smith believes he's ready to play pro

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/19...lay-in-the-nhl

Won ... and done.

At least, that’s the plan.

Calgary Flames prospect Hunter Smith celebrated both an Ontario Hockey League championship and a Memorial Cup crown last spring as a member of the Oshawa Generals, but the towering 20-year-old isn’t particularly keen on shooting for a repeat in the junior ranks.

“Personally, I think I’m ready to go pro. I think I’ve done everything I needed to,” Smith said matter-of-factly. “And from the management standpoint, if they have to make the decision to send me back, I think I’ve kind of let them down, too. I think I’ve put myself in a good position to succeed. I just have to keep working.”

“My strength and balance on my feet and my leg strength down in the corners, that’s something I focused on a lot in the summer,” Smith said. “When your average player in the OHL is 5-foot-11 and 175 lb., and you come here and your average player is 6-foot-1 and 200 lb., it’s a lot different going in the corners and coming out with the puck. It’s a lot harder and you need a lot more intensity and compete level, but I think that is all just going to come with experience.

“That’s what I try to take out of these camps the most, for wherever I go next.”

“You learn a lot as you go deeper,” Smith said. “You learn when you show up and when you don’t. Are you going to be there for a big goal late in a game or are you going to be there to throw a big hit to change the momentum or whatever it be? You have to show up every night. If you take a night off, it could be the end of your season. I think that’s the biggest thing — it just brings a consistency to your game that you don’t only need in the playoffs, but you need in the regular season. I think that was the biggest thing I took from it.

“We had a lot of special guys on that team and it was a great time in my hockey career,” he added. “But that’s the past and it’s time to move on now. Hopefully, I can start the pro career here and get going on a nice running start.”