You also have to take into account how many of the players currently on the flames, have played with/under Bishops leadership (both as C and A) the last few years, while this may be a play thing, it may also be a keep the young guys motivated while having a different form of leadership in the locker room for them, and having a guy that can also contribute on the ice.
Meh. He’s an older tweener player that hasn’t stuck in nhl yet. I have my doubts he will. As for rewarding players like him and hunt for their play doesn’t mean much to me. Of course they are playing well in the ahl. They are grown men going against young boys who are dipping their feet in water for the first time.
At least he is already replacing Rooney tonight.
The AHL isnt a boys league
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Great move by the Flames. It certainly does help that the Wranglers play in Calgary vs some small town or city somewhere that is more difficult to reach without connecting flights. Playing in an NHL city is attractive to AHL players. Having feel-good stories coming out like Kirkland moves that needle some more. Rewarding guys like Bishop with some NHL games further moves that needle.
Why should we care about that needle being moved? In order to develop good prospects in the AHL, you have to have good vets in the AHL for them to play with and learn from. That means you need to attract them. This is where the culture starts in the organization - you want your young kids to be free of bad habits. You need established pros to walk up to a kid like Emile Poirier and say: "You need to stop doing this." You need to have that environment where these kids are growing up the right way on and off the ice.
I can't wait to see some of the other kids called up like Stromgren. I just think that calling up an AHL vet now and then does help to keep them around the organization, helps attract good ones into the organization, and once in a while you do unearth a bit of a gold nugget unexpectedly when someone just ends up finding a good fit.
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