'A GREAT SITUATION'

Cam Talbot hadn't even been born yet when a sci-fi comedy hit theatres first-run like a blast of ectoplasm.
That would be 35 summers ago, in 1984.
But the Ghostbusters tie keeps following him around, place to place. Just like his equipment.
In fact, in his equipment.
Mask, specifically.
"I feel like everywhere I go, that gets brought up," sighs the newest Calgary Flame, from three hours north up the highway. "It was kinda a New York thing when I played there because I lived in Tribeca, not too far from fire station where the movie was filmed, so we thought it'd be a neat idea.
"But then every time I'd get traded, Dave Gunnarson, the mask painter, would say: 'Oh, I've got a great idea for this team, too, and we can still incorporate Ghostbusters!'
"He loves it and I'm not very creative so I just kinda let him to go with it."

Any plans to collaborate on a Flaming C edition between now and September?
"I'm assuming he is,'' reckons Talbot. "Dave comes up with ideas, and I kinda put my own spin on it. When the kids came along, he made them into the Ghostbusters, or the slimers, or whatever."
So, in need of a goaltender, Brad Treliving?
Who ya gonna call?
"It's a perfect situation for us," confessed the 31-year-old Talbot, after signing one-year contract to become a Flame.
"Kind of a no-brainer, actually."

The Talbot family - wife Kelly, Cam, and twins Sloane and Landon, who turn three in October - have set up shop in the Glenora neighbourhood of Edmonton.
"Once we had kids, twins, if you have to have two houses - where you play and where you live - you've gotta and four of everything because it's boy-girl dynamic so it's not as if you can make them share stuff.
"We were extremely lucky when we came here to sign a three-year extension with some protection, so we figured it was time to put down roots.
"It was nice to have the four years and not worry about having to pack up at the end of every season.
"This is a great place. A great province.
"We sold our place back in Ontario and it's been the better part of four years now so why not make it a fifth. When we go on some long road trips Calgary's nice and close so my wife's only a three-hour drive from home.
"We're excited about that.
"And to join a team that won the West last year and has a ton of skill up front - that group can score pretty much when they went - and on the back end, well, I'm looking forward to getting going with this group of guys."
Over the years, the 31-year-old undrafted Talbot has played brilliantly at times.
In 2015, Talbot took over from reigning Manhattan monarch, King Henrik Lundqvist, who'd been sidelined due to a ruptured blood vessel in his neck, and went a nifty 17-4-3 with a 2.21 GAA and .926 save percentage.
Only two years ago, he made a whopping 72 appearances, ringing up 42 wins, and then come playoff time backstopped the Oil to the seventh game of the West semi-final.
RELATED:
Flames Sign Cam Talbot
RELATED:
Flames Provide Qualifying Offers To 8 Players
In 2018-19, Talbot split time in Edmonton with Mikko Koskinen, who inked a three-year extension with the club in late January, before being moved to the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
"I enjoyed my time (in Philly),'' he says, "but at this point in my career I felt I owed it to myself to see what else might be out there.
"Once we got into the talking period and Brad had called, that's when I started to think this could actually happen.
"My agent and I looked over depth charts after the season to see who might be needing a goalie. We were kind of hoping Calgary would be one of those teams so when were approached by Brad, we were very excited."
Here, he joins an emerging force David Rittich - 27-9-5, with a 2.61 GAA and .911 save percentage - as the 1-2/ 1-1A punch heading into training camp.
"David played really well last year,'' says Talbot. "I'm just hoping to complement him and help the team win games. They've got some really good prospects there, too, but I'm pumped about the opportunity to come in and work with David."

The deal is for one year, at $2.75 million. After weighing the locale and opportunity variables, Talbot ultimately felt the contract was the perfect fit for where he is at in his career.
"I'm happy with (one year),'' he says. "What I wanted was an opportunity to show that last year was a fluke.
"I think the rest of my career speaks for itself.
"Before last season I think I had four or five pretty good years. Last year didn't go my way. I wanted to prove it was an outlier and have kind of a redemption year.
"I'm just looking forward to getting to Calgary, to fit in with David, push each other every day and at the same time come in and re-establish myself, more or less.
"To be so close to where we've made our home and also be part of a real good hockey team …
"I think this is a great situation for me and our family."