'He'll Bring That Excitement'

Craig Conroy remembers the first time he saw Aydar Suniev play hockey.

And from that fall afternoon on, the Flames general manager has been a fan.

“The first time - we were at the YoungStars in Penticton - we could go over in the afternoon (to watch the BCHL's Penticton Vees) and actually get to see him the first time, he caught my eye,” Conroy explained Wednesday.

“I was like ‘Whoa, this guy can score!’”

Fast-forward a few years, and Suniev is now in the Flames fold. Drafted in the third round in 2023, the 20-year-old put pen to paper on his first NHL contract this week, and is expected to join the Calgary fold Thursday morning.

And Conroy - whose excitement shines through pretty much constantly - is pretty amped to have the Russian forward in the fold, after Suniev’s sophomore season at UMass came to a close this past weekend.

“Talking to Aydar and his representation, Wade Arnott, it was coming together pretty quick,” Conroy explained. “To be able to get it done, and get him headed here to Calgary - hopefully tonight - is really a big win for us.

“We’re excited, this is a young man that can score goals, and he’s got good size at 6’2”, 215 (pounds). Really excited to have him in the fold and eventually - hopefully - we’ll see him on the ice at some point.”

As much as the signing is a win for the present, though, it’s an even bigger victory for the future. Suniev will join the big club, to get a taste of what life is like at the NHL level - in the middle of a stretch run.

“We’re in a battle here, right down the stretch, so there’s no promises of games - anything like that - and he totally understands that,” Conroy said. “His thing is, ‘I want to be around the guys,’ when it is all this pressure, to see what it’s like, to see the travel, to see how the NHL guys prepare themselves for games.

“If there’s an opportunity for him to play, that’s a coach’s decision at some point and he’ll be ready for that. But he’ll get to meet the coaching staff, strength coaches, equipment, medical, and that’ll make it such an easy transition next year when training camp actually comes around.

“He’s going to feel that much more comfortable and ready to go, which is what we want. We want these young guys to come in and push, and try to take a job.”

Suniev lands in Calgary after scoring 20 goals and 38 points for the Minutemen, his final NCAA goal coming in the form of an overtime winner last Thursday in a UMass upset victory over Minnesota.

His lone full season in the BCHL - 2022-23 with Vees - he put up 45 goals in 50 games - a total that saw him finish tied for the league lead - before helping Penticton capture its second consecutive Fred Page Cup that spring.

It’s that penchant for offensive production that has Conroy excited about his newly-signed prospect’s potential.

“His goal-scoring, it just jumps out. He goes to the hard areas, he’s got a real good stick around the net, and his shot release - one-timer - that is his secret weapon, is definitely his shot, how quickly he can get it off, in traffic, with people around,” said Conroy. “When you look at where his game’s come at UMass, it’s the play away from the puck, it’s all the other stuff. Greg Carvel there, as a head coach, does a really good job in preparing these guys and moving them forward.

“There’s going to be an adjustment to the pro game, but he’s got the size and the shot that’s really going to make him a threat whenever he’s on the ice.”

Suniev is the 19th Minuteman alumnus to ink an NHL deal under Carvel’s nine seasons at UMass, a list that includes Calgarian Cale Makar and San Jose blueliner Mario Ferraro.

And in their recent discussions, both Conroy and Suniev agreed now was the right time for the winger to turn pro.

“The big thing was to talk to Aydar to see what he wanted to do, does he want to stay, go back to school another year,” relayed Conroy. “We went back and forth, but he really expressed ‘Hey, I want to turn pro, I want to become a Calgary Flame and get my pro career started.’

“He didn’t beat around the bush, he was very direct with what he wanted, and then it’s just getting the contract done, and getting him out here to Calgary. It did happen pretty quick.”

Thanks to that quick turnaround, Suniev might get his first taste of the C of Red sooner rather than later. The Flames are back in action Thursday evening on Scotiabank Saddledome ice versus the Ducks (GET TICKETS), before a date with the Golden Knights in prime time on Saturday night.

The perfect setting for Suniev to get a glimpse of NHL life.

“For him, it’s just about absorbing it, taking it all in,” Conroy said. “I’ve heard he’s like a sponge, so he’s going to come in, he’s going to learn; he’ll be watching the veteran guys.

“The other thing is, there’s also an opportunity - if there is a chance for him to play - he’ll be ready, too. He’ll bring that excitement if he happens to get in the lineup.

“We definitely are excited,” continued Conroy. “He’s a prospect we really value.”