BIG CHANGES FOR FOO

A lot can change in a year.
This time last July, Spencer Foo came to the Flames development camp as a college invite, hoping to impress the organization.
Between then and now, Foo returned to Union College where he scored an impressive 26 goals and tallied 62 points to become the most sought after NCAA prospect among NHL GMs, ultimately deciding to sign with the Flames on July 1, a move which was a major boon for the Calgary club.
Which brings us to the ongoing prospect camp at WinSport, where Foo has become one of the most watched and talked about players hitting the ice this week.

As he skated off Thursday after his morning on-ice session, Foo was greeted on the way to the dressing room by Flames' president of hockey operations Brian Burke, who had spoken to Foo by phone many times but wanted to come introduce himself in person to the talented right-winger.
Like we said, a lot can change in a year.
"He's the head honcho here," said Foo, smiling about the encounter. "To have a guy like that who's such a huge hockey name come up to you like that is pretty cool."
Later on in the day came the lengthy list of local media that have lined up daily to speak to Foo, who's now more popular around these parts than a patio without a lineup during Stampede.
"It's definitely pretty cool," said Foo. "We have a decent amount (of media) back in college so I'm used to it a little bit. But coming to an NHL camp is obviously a little different. But it's just cool to be a part of it actually."

The current all-eyes-on-him focus hasn't affected the 23-year-old as much as one may expect.
"Having all that hype is kind of foreign to me," he explained. "It definitely throws a little bit of pressure on you but at the end of the day I know what I can do out there and I know I'm a good player and hopefully I deserve all that hype."
An increased popularity isn't the only thing Foo brings to development camp with him this year.
His standout college season helped the 6-foot, 185-lb. forward round out his game further, said the Edmonton native, especially his defensive play.
"I feel good," said Foo. "I think I have more of a complete game than last year and I mean, obviously, when you're doing drills and stuff it doesn't show too much but I think I just feel more comfortable."
Like all prospects, Foo said the team has asked him to work on his speed and strength, two things an NHLer can never have enough of.
Foo added that while he's trying to impress on the ice to show the club what he can do, "letting your character shine through" off the ice is just as important to him.
As for his ultimate goal of cracking the big club's roster for the upcoming season, Foo said his job is simply to play the game as well as he can and let the chips fall where they may.
"I think it's the same with every organization," said Foo. "If you're ready to play in the NHL, you're going to have a spot. That's anywhere. If I'm not ready, there's no promises made. And I don't want that either. I don't want to take another guy's spot if I'm not ready."