CAMP NOTEBOOK - 05.01.21

The Flames were back on the ice at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday, with Team Iginla and Team McDonald utilizing the following lines and pairings:

Team Iginla Lines

Andrew Mangiapane - Mikael Backlund - Sam Bennett
Milan Lucic - Derek Ryan - Dillon Dube
Mathias Emilio Pettersen - Glenn Gawdin - Luke Philp
Justin Kirkland - Adam Ruzicka - Matthew Phillips

Team Iginla Pairings

Mark Giordano - Chris Tanev
Connor Mackey - Alexander Petrovic
Carl-Johan Lerby - Michael Stone

Team Iginla Goaltenders

Jacob Markstrom
Artyom Zagidulin
Garret Sparks

Team McDonald Lines

Matthew Tkachuk - Elias Lindholm - Josh Leivo
Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Dominik Simon
Joakim Nordstrom - Byron Froese - Buddy Robinson
Eetu Tuulola - Dmitry Zavgorodniy - Zac Rinaldo

Team McDonald Pairings

Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Juuso Valimaki - Nikita Nesterov
Colton Poolman - Alexander Yelesin

Team McDonald Goaltenders

David Rittich
Louis Domingue

Settling Right In

For Flames prospect Mathias Emilio Pettersen, there has been no easing into his first training camp experience.
Since hitting the ice on Monday, it has been go, go, go - and he wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's been unreal," the Norwegian forward told Flames TV after Tuesday's skate. "The pace is something I've never dealt with before. The guys are really getting after it. It's definitely fun to be a part of and I'm really excited to see how the game is going to go on Thursday."
The 2020-21 season will mark Pettersen's first pro campaign after signing an entry-level deal with the club on Apr. 27, 2020 following two seasons in the NCAA at the University of Denver.
In 2019-20, Pettersen played 36 games with Denver, scoring 13 goals and posting 36 points. In 76 career games in the NCAA, he registered 19 goals and 65 points.
After opting to turn pro and wrap up his collegiate career, Pettersen made the decision to spend several months of the off-season in Calgary and have access to more training resources as he prepared for the upcoming season.
"The time I've spent here in the summer has probably been one of the best off-seasons I've had. I've gotten to talk with the strength coaches, the staff around here to help me with stuff I feel like I've wanted to work on for awhile. I think it's paid off."

Like Pettersen, defenceman Connor Mackey has spent a fair share of his time in Calgary since signing an entry-level deal with the team last spring. Following his junior year at Minnesota State, he decided to turn pro as a free agent. After making the decision to sign with the Flames, he joined the group during the Return To Play period last summer, giving him a bit of insight as to what to expect now.
"I'm thankful they brought me in - it's definitely an easier transition, coming back now and knowing a lot of the guys and the systems we've been going over the last few days. I've already seen that before.
"I'm still adjusting and still learning everything but (the time here before) has definitely been beneficial the second time around."
His stints in Calgary have also allowed his teammates to get a good look at what he brings to the table and the 24-year-old earned some high praise from Flames captain Mark Giordano on Monday, with the veteran noting Mackey looks very close to being an everyday NHLer.
"I feel like I'm close," Mackey said. "Playing with those guys, seeing those guys out there and being in the mix with guys like Gio and Tanev, being on the same sheet as them and learning things from them, it's given me confidence.
"I came into camp hopefully to push for a job and I'll do anything I can to help this team."

New Faces To Arrive Soon

With the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship wrapping up today, with Yan Kuznetsov and Russia battling for bronze and Jakob Pelletier, Connor Zary, and Canada squaring off against Dustin Wolf and the USA for gold, the Flames will have a few new faces at camp later this week.
Pelletier, Zary and Wolf will all make the trek down to Calgary after the tournament ends while Kuznetsov will return to UConn to continue his NCAA season with the Huskies.
Defenceman Oliver Kylington will also be on the ice when his seven-day quarantine ends.

Coming Soon

On Wednesday, Team Iginla will once again skate at 10:00 AM and Team McDonald will hit the ice at 12:15 PM MT.
The group's first scrimmage will come on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 7:00 PM MT.