CAMP NOTEBOOK - 04.01.20

The Flames has their first on-ice sessions of the 2021 training camp Monday, with Team Iginla skating in the early session and Team McDonald practicing in the early afternoon.

Team Iginla Lines & Pairings

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
Mark Giordano - Chris Tanev
Connor Mackey - Alexander Petrovic
Carl-Johan Lerby - Michael Stone
Jacob Markstrom
Garret Sparks
Artyom Zagidulin

Team McDonald Lines & Pairings

Matthew Tkachuk - Elias Lindholm - Josh Leivo
Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Dominik Simon
Joakim Nordstrom - Byron Froese - Buddy Robinson
Eetu Tuulola - Dmitry Zavgorodniy - Zac Rinaldo
Noah Hanifin - Rasmus Andersson
Juuso Valimaki - Nikita Nesterov
Colton Poolman - Alexander Yelesin
David Rittich
Louis Domingue

A Nod From Nieuwy

After Jacob Markstrom inked a six-year deal with the Flames in the off-season, he checked in with hockey operations to see if he would be able to wear his usual 25 in Calgary. When he was informed that it was, indeed, available and worn by legendary Flames forward Joe Nieuwendyk, he wanted to make sure the alumnus was okay with him donning it.
"You do a little research and see the history of the number, with a pretty good player in Nieuwendyk wearing it and also, it was up in the fronts (as a part of the Forever A Flame program). I asked for permission from the team and I also asked for his number, called and asked him if it was okay with him to wear it. Show him respect, coming to a new team.
"He said he was totally fine with it and he appreciated the call. It's a number that's grown special to me and I've had it for a long time. It's nice for me to able to wear it here."

Partnered With The Captain

Christopher Tanev's first official skate with the team featured him paired up with captain Mark Giordano - a face he's used to seeing on the opposite end of the ice for many years during his time in Vancouver.
Now, having the opportunity to play alongside the former Norris winner is something Tanev is relishing as he starts his first camp in Calgary.
"I've played against Gio for quite some time now," he said following this morning's practice. "Obviously he's a helluva player. He moves the puck well, has a great shot, plays good defence, and contributes offensively. He does everything well."

Cheering On Team Canada

Dillon Dube knows what's going on the TV tonight.
Canada. Russia. The 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship semi-final.
He can't wait.
"It's exciting to watch them. You want to see them succeed."
The former Canadian captain, who led his country to gold in 2018, had a few words of advice for the team ahead of their match-up against the Russians.
"Enjoy the moment. For me, it went by so fast ... it went by so fast. In a snap of your fingers, it's gone. Enjoy it. When these meaningful games are going on, that's when you have the most fun."

Coming Soon

Both groups will skate tomorrow, with Team Iginla taking the 10:00 AM time slot and Team McDonald skating at 12:15 PM.
The two groups will face on Jan. 7 and 11 in inter-squad scrimmages.
Calgary's 2020-21 season officially gets underway on Jan. 14 when they face off against the Jets in Winnipeg.