1. Tale Of Two Cities
To riff on a Dickensian term, tonight's stop at T-Mobile Arena is perhaps the Tale of Two Defencemen.
Flames blueliner Zach Whitecloud, and longtime Calgary d-man Rasmus Andersson.
The two sides intersect this evening for the first time since that January trade that brought Whitecloud (and more) to the Flames in exchange for Andersson.
And Wednesday afternoon at City National Arena, the reunions were long and genuine. A group of Flames gathered around their former teammate, while Whitecloud was mobbed by his ex-Vegas compatriots.
If it wasn't already abundantly clear, Whitecloud means a lot to the people here. Players, team staff, fans and media alike.
And in an eight-minute media scrum, he made sure to point out how much his time in Sin City meant to him, too.
"There's not one bad thing to say about Las Vegas, its people, its community, the fans, the organization," Whitecloud shared. "Everyone that helped me make it to the NHL and be a regular here, and try and help the team win, obviously, it's a business on the other side of it, too, right? And we all get that. I'm excited for my opportunity in Calgary and have made a good adjustment here. Met a lot of new guys, and the new fan base has been great, too.
"Every time I'm gonna come back here in the future is exciting for me. This will always be a home in my heart and the place that I first broke into the NHL, learned how to win, and eventually won with this group."
The word 'opportunity' rings true for Whitecloud's first two-plus months as a Flame, too. The Manitoban instantly became an important presence in Calgary, as evidenced by the fact that he'll return to T-Mobile Arena tonight with a letter on his sweater.
Andersson, meanwhile, spent nearly 600 regular season games in a Calgary uniform. His presence on the ice - from his play to his infamous staredowns - is missed, but it's a real credit to Whitecloud that he's been such a seamless fit since coming to town.
"I think first and foremost, the guys, and everyone at the organization, really did a fantastic job of making me feel at home pretty quick," Whitecloud said, adding he's made former Vegas teammate Brayden McNabb's house his temporary home in the Stampede City. "The adjustment was pretty smooth, I think. Again, the coaches and the players, you know, made me feel pretty comfortable coming in and made me feel part of the family.
"It was easy for me to come in and play right away and just kind of be myself, which was good."
For both men, Whitecloud and Andersson, tonight is bound to be a strange, emotional night.
But for Whitecloud, having a chance to accept one final bit of adulation from his former fanbase will be something he's sure never to forget.
