AYE, AYE, SKIPPER!

Leadership comes in many forms.
From the quiet types to the rah-rahs, hands on or otherwise, every good skipper is keen to be in the vanguard of locker-room culture.
To teach, and inspire others.
At 29, Byron Froese is in the prime of his playing career with the goal of making it big in the NHL.
But he's also a captain.
A great one.
The ultimate conduit between young and old teammates in a class one stop below.

"Throughout my career, I've been through a lot of ups and downs," said Froese, who captained the Flames' American Hockey League outfit, the Stockton Heat, to a third-place finish, before the 2019-20 season was called due to the COVID-19 pandemic last March. "It's because of that - and how many different locker-rooms I've been a part of at every level - that I've learned so much.
"Whenever you can share any kind of knowledge with guys that are a bit earlier on in their careers, I definitely take pride in that.
"And looking at what we accomplished together last year, we all should."
A veteran of 110 NHL spins, with another 400-plus on the minor-pro loop, the Winkler, Man. native has learned plenty over the years. But here in his first tour with the Flames organization, there was no better time to lean on those experiences and become a critical piece of the Stockton resurgence.
His 42 points, along with a team-leading 19 goals (tied with rookie Luke Philp), were a boon for a club looking to make noise after a disappointing campaign the year prior.
Froese is no stranger to that kind of offensive production. In fact, he enjoyed similar success with the Toronto Marlies and Laval Rocket (where he was also the captain) over the past few seasons.
But one year ago, these Heat were young and trying to find traction after missing the playoffs in three of the past four seasons.
They needed more than just points - they needed leadership.
Froese was the logical choice for the 'C,' to help steer the ship out of a torrent into the calmer seas of the league's upper echelon.
"You can't say enough about him and what he meant to our club this year," Heat head coach Cail MacLean said following the AHL season. "He did everything that was asked of him, and then some, as a leader for our team.
"He played big minutes for us in key situations, made big plays at critical times and was the consummate pro as far as setting an example for our younger players."

With Froese at the helm, the Heat stormed out of the gates with three straight victories and rode the wave to a 30-17-4-4 record.
"We set the tone that opening weekend," said Froese, who re-signed with the Flames for two years on the opening day of free agency. "It just seemed like that there wasn't ever a stretch where we lost too many in a row. When we lost one, we found a way to battle back and make sure we didn't lose two. And if we did lose two, then we would definitely not lose three.
"The wins kept piling up and before we knew it, we were one of the teams on top.
"I thought it was a total team effort from top to bottom."
Froese was never recalled to the big club, but did earn an invite to Calgary's mid-summer training camp, scoring once on Cam Talbot during an intrasquad game and serving as a black ace inside the Edmonton bubble.
Naturally, that quick cup of coffee has left him wanting more.
"That was a lot of fun," said Froese, who lives right here in Stampede City in the off-season. "I mean, I'm not going to lie - it was tough, at first. None of us had played in more than four months and I don't think anyone has ever had a layoff like that before, but then you get playing, you feel more and more comfortable, and you start to feel really good about where your game's at.
"Had I been able to get into a game, I think I would have been able to contribute. But, overall, being a part of the bubble - from the camp, right through to the playoffs in Edmonton - it was very valuable for me to gain more traction with the organization.
"After all, you've got to perform in front of the people that want to see you. So, all in all, it helped me a lot to help show what kind of a player I am."

Now, when camp opens, there will be no surprises.
With an entire regular season, modified Stanley Cup bracket, and a longer-than-usual off-season (nearly) behind him, Froese enters Year 2 in red silks with a close, carefully bonded relationship with those involved in his development.
While he's proud of his work and is happy with the direction the Heat have been trending, his goal - like so many others - is to play full-time in The Show.
It's up to him to make that a reality.
"I've had a lot of great conversations with all the coaches and I believe, personally, that I can help the team," Froese said. "I think I fit well in that bottom-six role and whether I get the chance... Hey, sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not. But that doesn't affect my mindset coming into camp. I'm going to go in there and do what I do.
"It definitely helps with the coaches knowing what kind of a player I am.
"The only thing left is for me to go out there and show it."