'Take Those Lessons'

Week one was a whirlwind.

But for Rory Kerins, that six-day tour from the Midwest to Manitoba was only the beginning.

The rookie forward returned back to Calgary with his Flames teammates boasting a point-per-game average from his first four NHL appearances, including a multi-assist first period in his debut last Monday in Chicago.

A pretty nice ‘welcome-to-the-NHL’ moment, indeed.

And the four-game jaunt provided the 22-year-old a chance to get to learn the road routine, and get to know his teammates a bit better, too.

“To start on the road, I thought it was good for me,” Kerins said Tuesday. “Just to be on the road with the guys, having dinners and what not, you get to know guys a lot better on the road, so I think that’s a big thing.

“That being said, I’m really excited to play in the Saddledome, hopefully this week, it should be fun.”

That experience hasn’t left him much older.

But in hockey terms, he’s gotten a fair bit wiser.

Life moves fast - Kerins chuckled with reporters that things got “a little crazy” in the wake of his recall and first four NHL games - but after a chance to take a beat, he’s feeling more in place in the Flames dressing room.

“(I’m) definitely a lot more comfortable than I was a week ago today; it’s been a lot of learning, for sure, my first week in the NHL,” he admitted. “Those games were great to play in, that Winnipeg game was something I learned a lot in - just playing against those guys, a top team in the league.

“Just gonna take those lessons and bring them (in) the next week, here.”

Points aside, Kerins’ play has caught the eye of head coach Ryan Huska, who admitted Tuesday he didn’t know exactly what to expect of the youngster upon his arrival with the NHL club.

“The one thing that I’ve been impressed with in his game, he’s very strong on the puck, and he makes high-skilled plays that aren’t high-risk plays,” Huska said. “For a coach, I like that sort of thing. Like there’s no ‘hope’ plays that come from him, but some of the little, small plays that he makes are highly skilled. So I think he’s done an excellent job.

“And I think over the next little while, he’s probably learning that the pace of the game is a little bit higher than the American League, and he’s going to have to continue to push that envelope a little bit for us, but I think he’s done an excellent job so far.”

Part of that pace-pushing could come in a position Kerins is quite familiar with - albeit not at this level.

He skated at centre Tuesday, and there’s a possibility he could stay there Thursday night, when Calgary plays host to Buffalo at the Scotiabank Saddledome. GET TICKETS

“That’s a big responsibility,” said Kerins. “It’s something I did down in the minors, I think I’m comfortable there.

“If I get the chance, I’ll be very excited to play down the middle.”

“I will consider it, for sure,” Huska added, when asked if Kerins could earn an extended look in the middle of the ice. “I mean, it’s hard. It’s a tough position to play at this level, but he’s been a centreman, so he has the instincts. It’s just a matter of pace and being able to play in the grind.

“At home, to me it’s a little bit easier for a younger guy - because we can try to get him in the right situations - sometimes it’s harder on the road. So we might have an opportunity to try him here against Buffalo.”

Make no mistake, Kerins is ready and willing to face that challenge, especially if it means he stays at the NHL level.

His life as a hockey player has taken a dramatic turn this month, but for Kerins, it’s what he’s been working for - dreaming about - since he first put on skates.

“Life is a little bit different,” he smiled.

“You’ve got to stick to yourself, stay true to yourself and just keep working.”