'Everyone In This Room Is Excited'

In a few short hours, it’ll be Ready, Set, Go! time for the Flames. Their 84-game regular season - and Farewell Season inside the Scotiabank Saddledome - begins Thursday with a visit from the Kraken. GET TICKETS

And for the 20 players that will suit up in the ‘Dome opener, puck drop cannot come soon enough.

Whether a 19-year veteran like captain Mikael Backlund, a newcomer to Calgary like defenceman Jake Middleton, or young phenoms Matvei Gridin and Zayne Parekh (who have less than 100 games of NHL experience, combined, entering play this evening), the energy is palpable.

“This is the best time of year,” Middleton said after a quick morning twirl Thursday amid a Saddledome seating bowl clad in bright red t-shirts for fans attending the contest. “Everyone starts from zero, starts fresh. Everyone in this room is excited. 

“We're looking forward to getting going.”

“I think they're ready to go,” Head Coach Ryan Huska added. “The challenge that we have given to our players is to make sure they do the best they can possibly do in preparing for how we want to play the game. And then other than that, we want them to think about being aggressive. 

“There's some things we challenged our players on. We have to play a faster game, we also have to be a team that gives up less. So those are the few of the things that we're going to be focusing on.”

Expect an unchanged lineup from the group that finished the preseason Saturday evening in Edmonton, with Dustin Wolf set to start the home-opener in goal for the third year running.

For Middleton, who has been slotted on Parekh’s left side on one of the Flames’ three defensive pairings, there’s a lot to like about the group, which has already confirmed the rugged blueliner as part of its leadership group.

“Whenever you have two goalies in the NHL that can play to the capabilities that our goalies can, that’s exciting in itself,” the 30-year-old defender said. “They can steal games, and they can do wonders for you. 

“Then our young decor with Nemo (Simon Nemec) and Parekh, (they’re) extremely exciting players with kind of limitless potential. And then a good, well-rounded group of veterans to help with that.”

Amid the buzz, however, so too exists an acknowledgement that tonight’s encounter with the Kraken will mark the 44th and  final time the Flames will experience a home-opener inside the Scotiabank Saddledome.  

But for Huska, Backlund, and the rest of the group, that emotion and sentimentality is something everyone can lean into.

“I think it's something that's going to be talked about, reflected upon every game we play in here this year, and I think that's a great thing,” said Huska. “This building has some great history in it, and for our players and our staff, to be a part of the final season here, I think it's something that we all feel pretty fortunate about. 

“There's going to be great energy all season long in this building. And we know that and we're going to play accordingly.”