[Signing] Flames sign Gaudreau and Arnold. Will be available for Sunday's game against Canucks

[saXon]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Just found a cheap(er) ticket for tomorrow's game. Looks like I'm seeing Johnny and Arnold's debut in person.

Must not have been that hard. The place has been a ghost town since they were knocked out of playoff contention.

Better for the Flames fans attending IMO. Have fun.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Just because he may have the highest hockey sense doesn't mean he's automatically #1 on our list. They still rank things like competitiveness, character, skating and size to varying degrees. And by all accounts Bennett, Ekblad, Dal Colle and Draisaitl have quite high hockey sense as well.

I think Reinhart could easily be #3 on our list behind Bennett/Ekblad. Bennett's competitiveness and grittiness could have been the tie-breaker.

Very true. Flames make no secret of emphasizing hockey IQ and character. Bennett, Ekblad and Reinhart have them all in spades.

Reinhart is very competitive, but not very gritty. He probably has the best vision and skills out of the three, however. I guess it is subjective on how you see them all, and how you then try and translate that into how the Flames' scouting staff sees it. For me, it is Reinhart-Ekblad-Bennett. I can easily understand why you might see Reinhart as #3. I just personally see Reinhart as the most gifted player this draft by far, but that is my own personal bias, and rank him as 1st on the list in large measure because of it.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by saXon

Must not have been that hard. The place has been a ghost town since they were knocked out of playoff contention.

Better for the Flames fans attending IMO. Have fun.

There's plenty of seats left but most are just not in my budget. Got this one for half off and close to the same price for the last game I went to at the Saddledome and it's closer.

[djsFlames]

This will be the first match in a little while where I'll be completely fixated on the game from start to finish. Really want to get a scope on him and Arnold and how they handle the big game. Want to see if Johnny can exhibit the speed and smarts to handle bigger, NHL caliber D.. looking for that elusiveness.. He won't have the same time and space, and it will be much harder to muscle players off him with his back turned as they're just that much stronger, so let's see if he has the quickness in tight spaces to still make the offense happen. It's gonna be fascinating to see. Most exciting final season game in a non playoff season? I'd say so.

[McG]

I hope that Trevor Linden remembers how respectful Jarome Iginla was to him as he ended his career, and tells his team to be respectful of those just starting theirs. In some respects, this is the worst team for the flames to be facing.

It must be quite the whirlwind for all; on Friday they were at the Atlantic Ocean and today they are at the Pacific. They likely had to get all new gear, and breaking that in can't be easy. Sticks, helmets, skates too maybe? I hope that they brought a couple of suits!

what is exciting is that we will likely have to scratch some young bucks that I would otherwise want to see play!

[Scrambler]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Just found a cheap(er) ticket for tomorrow's game. Looks like I'm seeing Johnny and Arnold's debut in person.

[terminator]

Originally Posted by McG

I hope that Trevor Linden remembers how respectful Jarome Iginla was to him as he ended his career, and tells his team to be respectful of those just starting theirs. In some respects, this is the worst team for the flames to be facing.

It must be quite the whirlwind for all; on Friday they were at the Atlantic Ocean and today they are at the Pacific. They likely had to get all new gear, and breaking that in can't be easy. Sticks, helmets, skates too maybe? I hope that they brought a couple of suits!

what is exciting is that we will likely have to scratch some young bucks that I would otherwise want to see play!

I doubt the cansucks primary mo is to injure young players

[GoJetsGo]

Originally Posted by terminator

I doubt the cansucks primary mo is to injure young players

"We're in trouble if they jump the kids..."

[GoodUncle]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Great article on the behind the scenes of the signing:
http://www.calgarysun.com/2014/04/12...-flames-debuts



and according to the article the parents were on the private jet

the article says the jet really impressed Arnold and Gaudreau.

“I give a ton of credit to the Arnolds, because if I signed a contract, I would like to tell everybody. Billy was very respectful, and so was his family. They said, ‘Let’s do this the right way.’ ”

The Arnold Family is good people. Billy, his sister Victoria, and his parents Kirk & David are the type of people who ALWAYS put others first.

[GoodUncle]

I can't wait to get out to Calgary and watch Bill and John play with the rest of the team!! And soooooooooooo wish I could be in Vancouver for today's game

[Wastedyouth]

I wouldn't expect too much out of Johnny the first game. The kid historically takes a game or two to guage the pace, positioning and level of competition before he really starts to play.

Saw it in college and at the WJC.

[red sky]

Anything less than three goals would be considered a disappointment in his first game.

[Falcon 55]

Wayne has arrived? Get real-give the kid a chance. Funny the team was winning with grit-hard work and AHL call ups-and now the savior arrives? Good luck Johnny.

[red sky]

Trade him in the first intermission if he hasn't potted a goal.

[greentree]

Originally Posted by GoodUncle

“I give a ton of credit to the Arnolds, because if I signed a contract, I would like to tell everybody. Billy was very respectful, and so was his family. They said, ‘Let’s do this the right way.’ ”

The Arnold Family is good people. Billy, his sister Victoria, and his parents Kirk & David are the type of people who ALWAYS put others first.

Arnold's parents are Kirk and David? That's very modern.

[Falcon 55]

Agree-for Kane, Chara and a first round pick this year!!!!!!!

[GreenLantern]

The Gaudreau's will be confused in Vancouver, some parts of the crowd will remind them of Jersey, but other parts will remind them of a bunch of ###### bags with gold chains and slicked back hair all calling each other on.

Vancouver sucks.

[GoodUncle]

Originally Posted by greentree

Arnold's parents are Kirk and David? That's very modern.

One could very well interpret as modern....but in the end, traditional.

Mr. David & Mrs. Kirk Arnold ~ SUPER nice people!

[Vinny01]

As flames fans are getting gitty with excitement it seems the doubters and trolls have really started to come out of the woodwork on HF.

I have no expectations tonight. If he struggles and is completely invisible or gets 4 points I wouldn't be surprised either way.

[GoodUncle]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

The Gaudreau's will be confused in Vancouver, some parts of the crowd will remind them of Jersey, but other parts will remind them of a bunch of ###### bags with gold chains and slicked back hair all calling each other on.

Vancouver sucks.

LOL! Funny