[News Roundup] September 9, 2015

[MissTeeks]

Ortio not spooked by the Flames' goalie logjam

http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/ortio-not-spooked-by-the-flames-goalie-logjam

One goalie, at camp’s end, must leave the premises – to another city, NHL or otherwise.
The logjam is self-inflicted, created when Flames re-upped Ramo, a pending unrestricted free agent, on July 1.
What now?
“It is unusual, for sure,” Ortio said after Wednesday morning’s informal session at the WinSport Ice Complex. “But I don’t think it makes it any different, you know.”
Veterans report next week.
Then auditions begin in earnest.
“Even before Rams signed for another year, my goal was to be the No. 1 goalie at camp,” said Ortio, 24. “That hasn’t changed, even though there’s three goalies now. We can probably affect the decisions – well, for sure, we can – but it’s not up to us to make that (ultimate) call. We just play hockey.
“The goal is still to be the No. 1 goalie in camp.”

After toppling 6-3 to the Ducks – with both Hiller and Ramo healthy – Ortio was shuttled back to Adirondack.
A month later, on a goal-mouth collision – “Their guy was crashing the net, lost his balance, fell on top of me, on top of my leg” – he suffered a high-ankle sprain.
“Unfortunate.”
But, believe it or not, working in his favour was the fracture he also sustained.
“The breaking of the bone actually took some stress off those ligaments, so I was lucky,” explained Ortio. “It sounds weird, but that’s what I was told.
“It’s 100 per cent. Now there’s no issues with it at all. I don’t feel it.”
Home in Turku, Finland, for the off-season, he fully recuperated – and married his fiance Ida.
Now he intends to put forth a legitimate bid for everyday work at the NHL level. Arriving in Calgary a week ago, he’s been participating in daily sessions with the other veterans, including Ramo.
“It feels pretty good,” said Ortio, a sixth-round pick in 2009. “Obviously, it feels like September, but I’m getting there. It’s nice to get some skates in with the boys here, just to get used to the tempo here. It’s always a bit different after skating back home in the summer.
“It’s nice to have a full team out on the ice together.”

Inside Paul Byron's tough off-season journey to get healthy

http://calgaryherald.com/sports/hockey/nhl/calgary-flames/inside-paul-byrons-tough-off-season-journey-to-get-healthy

The evidence of surgery still remains on Paul Byron’s right wrist in the form of a six-inch scar.
He also has some fresh stitches from last week’s removal of the screw that previously held the tendons together.
But, aside from that, the 26-year-old is ready to get started when Calgary Flames fall training camp kicks off next week.
“Right now, it’s a day-to-day thing,” Byron was saying after Wednesday’s brief skate with his assorted teammates at WinSport’s facilities. “Right now, it’s healed, it’s just a matter of getting the strength back and making sure my hand is good so I can shoot and pass and it’s where it needs to be so I can be effective at camp.
“It’s up to me and the training camp to figure out when that will be.”

Byron finally underwent surgery for his hernia in April and was back skating. But the wrist still lingered.
“I couldn’t really pick anything up,” said Byron who finished the year (his first full season in the NHL) with six goals and 13 assists in 57 games. “I couldn’t really drive for a while. It was tough just doing the basic stuff. Brushing your teeth, doing everything with your left hand.
“I had to get a lot of help from my wife.”

So, on many levels, Byron can’t wait to get going.
“I’m really excited,” Byron said. “It was a lot of fun last year and we want to do that again. With those moves we made over the summer, we are a better team than we were last year and it’s just a matter of doing everything we did last year and trying to build on it.
“I know everyone in the room wants to do that.”

Flames forward Joe Colborne may not be 100% come opening of training camp

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/10/flames-forward-joe-colborne-may-not-be-100-come-opening-of-training-camp

The broken left thumb was no big deal.

As for the wrist on the same appendage ... well that turned out to be a bit more of a problem than Joe Colborne originally figured it would be.
“It was a mess in there,” the Calgary Flames forward reported of the wrist issues which required surgery immediately after last season.
“We went in there hoping we could fix it with just a scope, but it turns out we had to cut it open and do some stuff. It’s a pretty serious surgery and you go through your ups and downs throughout the summer thinking that it should be (healing) faster than it is, but you have to trust the process and that it’ll all end up working itself out.”

As in, don’t be shocked if he’s among a few players not quite ready to go all-out from the start when players report for main camp next Thursday and hit the ice the next day.
For now, though, the 25-year-old who has been skating fully with the players readying for the season at the WinSport facility at Canada Olympic Park is being optimistic.
“It’s come a long ways, especially in the last few weeks. We’re not 100% sure on how much I’ll be involved, but it’s definitely going in the right direction,” said Colborne, who’ll be looked at by team doctors next Thursday and will have a clearer picture after.
“I’m happy it’s over. I’m glad we did it and have a lot of trust in our staff and the process. We’ve seen some huge strides. When you go day-by-day, you don’t notice the progression, but when you look back two weeks, I wasn’t shooting at all and now I’m shooting some and starting to work back into it.
“It’s going to be a process and something we’ll have to keep on top of throughout the year.”

He expects himself and the rest of the team to build off their success in the playoff chase and the lessons which came along the way.
“As frustrating as it’s been this summer, we as a team had so much fun last year. It’s fun to be around an atmosphere where you have that belief in your team and belief in yourself that you can accomplish stuff. That’s what we’ve been building the last two years and it’s starting to come to fruition,” Colborne said.
“Everyone’s said we’ve made that step and it’s time to take the next one, but the Western Conference is so good.
There are some good teams that missed the playoffs last year and are going to be hungry, so we can’t let off the gas pedal at all. It’s going to be a fight right up until the last few games of the year again.
“If we think we’re going to come in and now that we made the playoffs last year we’re going to just waltz into a playoff spot again, we’re going to have a pretty rude awakening.”

Flames prospect Jon Gillies looking forward to NHL training camp

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/09/09...-training-camp

For all the time he spent this summer in the Stampede City, Jon Gillies may as well already be an honourary Calgarian.
“I haven’t got the white hat,” the Flames goaltender prospect pointed out.
Gillies, the 21-year-old netminder who last spring made the jump from the college ranks but is heading into his first professional season, first came to Calgary for the summer prospects camp in July.
After a quick spell back home in South Portland, Maine, Gillies returned to Calgary in early August and has been here ever since.
The decision to spend so much time here was to “make sure I hit the ground running going into training camp.”
“There’s a lot of benefits to being here, getting adjusted to living in Calgary, and making sure I give myself the best opportunity I can in camp,” said Gillies, who has spent the last month facing pucks from the collection of NHL players and prospects gathering at WinSport Canada’s facility at Canada Olympic Park.

“I’m getting excited. I want to get it going. It’s been a longer summer than normal,” said Gillies, who’ll share the netminding duties with 2014 second-round draft pick Mason McDonald and free-agent goalie Nick Schneider.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m ready to go.”

“I’ve been working using my size to my advantage,” Gillies said. “In the college game, there’s more breakdowns here and there and guys get running around a little more. It’s a younger group of guys.
“One thing that Scottie Gouthro (the Stockton Heat goalie coach) and (Flames goalie coach) Jordan Sigalet have emphasized to me is that it’s such a positional game in the pros, so it’s getting used to that, making sure I trust my angles and my shoulders are square to the shooter and different things like that.
“Then, it’s trying to polish what has made me successful, anticipating plays, lateral movement, rebound control, things like that.”

A stint with the Flames won’t likely be in the cards for Gillies for a couple of seasons – in fact, he may be best served in the ECHL this season to ensure lots of playing time to begin his career – but Gillies said he’ll take things as they come.
“I think if you ask anyone who knows me, I go with the flow. I’m no stranger to just putting your best foot forward every day and letting the chips fall where they may,” he said. “Joni, Karri and Jonas are phenomenal goalies and phenomenal people and it was fun to interact with them last year and it’ll be fun to be with them in this camp.”

[FBI]

That's a bummer about Byron and Colborne. At least we have a ton of bodies I guess.

[polak]

Originally Posted by FBI

That's a bummer about Byron and Colborne. At least we have a ton of bodies I guess.

I view it is a chance for someone like Porier or Granlund to take a spot.

I'd love to see Porier step up and take Miss Breakaway's spot.

[AcGold]

Yay Flames news!!!! I'm like a junky getting his fix here... Hot damn it's almost hockey season, drop the puck already.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by polak

I view it is a chance for someone like Porier or Granlund to take a spot.

I'd love to see Porier step up and take Miss Breakaway's spot.

Maybe but we have bodies to fill those spots without those waiver free rookies taking a spot.

Gaudreau-Monahan-Hudler
Bouma-Backlund-Frolik
Raymond-Bennett-Jones
Jooris-Stajan-Shore

This is assuming Ferland is not signed (I think he will be)

I really hope that Granlund and/or Porier force the organization to keep them up

[MissTeeks]

@SUNRandySportak: Sean Monahan has today joined the #flames skating at WinSport. Doesn't look to have a bad back to quash that rumour.

[MissTeeks]

@KristenOdlandCH: When asked about where he'd play this year, Kylington said he had a one-way contract and that he "hadn't thought about Brandon that much."

@KristenOdlandCH: The Brandon Wheat Kings have Kylington's WHL rights. But since he signed, he can play anywhere now. NHL/AHL/ECHL/WHL all options.

@KristenOdlandCH: And, in his mind, it seems like there is only one option.

@KristenOdlandCH: #Flames prospect Kylington on facing Connor McDavid this weekend at the Young Stars Classic: "I’m not that hyped to play against him."

@KristenOdlandCH: "Everybody knows he’s a good player. But you don’t need to think, ‘Oh, that’s Connor McDavid.’ You just need to keep your head up.”

[foshizzle11]

I think Kylington is one of the most intriguing prospects to watch this year. I love that he can play anywhere and the Flames get to choose where he will develop.

I hope everyone is coming in healthy or at least will be ready by the time they drop the puck for the first regular season game in October.

[dammage79]

"I'm not that hyped to play against him". I like the honesty.

[Street Pharmacist]

Confident kid.

[CroFlames]

I always take young Europeans kids' opinions with a grain of salt. Direct translations, or even the English in their own words often doesn't get their full point across. Or it can easily come across in the wrong way.

I'm very intrigued to watch his career play out. To me he's almost like Sven. Much promise, but there are question marks.

[Finger Cookin]

Loving Kylington's attitude at least. Hope he keeps his chin up regardless of where he plays.

[Jacks]

Short interview with Mony on Leafs radio
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050...eague-1.357893
Nothing groundbreaking but worth a listen

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I always take young Europeans kids' opinions with a grain of salt. Direct translations, or even the English in their own words often doesn't get their full point across. Or it can easily come across in the wrong way.

I'm very intrigued to watch his career play out. To me he's almost like Sven. Much promise, but there are question marks.

I actually take it the other way - I find that they are honest and straight-forward, as opposed to cliché city from the NA kids.

Sure, there's a 2nd language issue that needs to be remembered, but I love their candor.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

@KristenOdlandCH: #Flames prospect Kylington on facing Connor McDavid this weekend at the Young Stars Classic: "I’m not that hyped to play against him."

@KristenOdlandCH: "Everybody knows he’s a good player. But you don’t need to think, ‘Oh, that’s Connor McDavid.’ You just need to keep your head up.”

Everyone looks the same when they're on their ass in the corner.

[Benched]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Short interview with Mony on Leafs radio
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050...eague-1.357893
Nothing groundbreaking but worth a listen

lol awesome

[jg13]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Short interview with Mony on Leafs radio
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050...eague-1.357893
Nothing groundbreaking but worth a listen

I really enjoyed that actually haha.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by MissTeeks

@KristenOdlandCH: When asked about where he'd play this year, Kylington said he had a one-way contract and that he "hadn't thought about Brandon that much."

Whoa. What's his contract pay him?

[MrMastodonFarm]

I'd imagine he mispoke about the one way deal.

[MissTeeks]

http://flames.nhl.com/club/m_news.htm?id=778668

Kicking off rookie camp with fitness testing at Canada Olympic Park’s WinSport facility Thursday, Calgary’s contingent can’t wait to hit the ice to kick off prospects camp in Penticton.

“Obviously it’s nice to be done with the fitness testing here, but I’m excited for [Friday] to play my first game in a Calgary jersey,” said Rasmus Andersson, Calgary’s top pick (No. 53) in the 2015 NHL Draft. “It’s going to be a great experience. I just have to go out there and play my game and do what I’m good at. Have a lot of confidence and believe in myself when I get out there.”

It’ll be Andersson’s first time participating.

“It’s a great tournament with a lot of great players,” he said. “In fact, Calgary had a few good players last year who played the whole season in the NHL. It’s an important tournament, but it’s my first tournament too, so I’m going to watch and learn but still go out there and play my game and do what I’m good at. Just have fun and it’s nice to play hockey again.”

And like the fellow 2015 draftee, Kylington has high hopes heading into the Okanagan.

“I think it’s going to be a good time,” said Kylington, selected 60th overall in June. “It’ll be fun to play against guys that are my age or older that play on different teams. See how they are and see how good we are to match them. It’s going to be a good time and good games.

With fitness testing in the rear view mirror, the focus has quickly shifted for Calgary’s prospects.

Now, the attention lies on Penticton.

“I’ve always wanted to represent an NHL team,” Kylington said. “Now I have my first chance. I want to take it as good as I can. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to playing against them and representing Calgary.”