FLAMES MAILBAG - 09.02.17

Every Thursday, a CalgaryFlames.com staff member will answer fan-submitted questions from Twitter! To submit a question, tweet at

As per our merchandise guru Brent Gibbs, jersey design is a continuous process that the team evaluates throughout the course of the year. At the moment, the original colours are part of the jersey set (acting as our third jerseys this year) but plans for jersey designs moving forward are a work in progress. As a note, any jersey design changes must be submitted to the NHL 18 months prior to the intended start date.
Tweet from @ianberg: @NHLFlames Are the Flames interested in being part of another outdoor game, whether at home in Calgary or as the road team? #FlamesMailbag
We checked with general manager Brad Treliving this afternoon and while he directed us to chat with Brian Burke (we'll do so next week), he did add that he's a fan of outdoor games and what they bring to the cities they are held in.
"I think where they're especially intriguing is in the local markets. We've had a lot of them now and I think you can see that they're great for the local market - there's a lot of buzz locally. And even though we've had a lot of them, there's still excitment and allure around them, especially in their local markets."
Tweet from @LatinaChilena92: @NHLFlames #FlamesMailbag Is there a practice on March 5th?
Mar. 5 is a game day - the Flames will host the New York Islanders at 2:00 PM MT so we don't anticipate there will be a morning skate due to the early start. However, you can check with our customer service team closer to the date and they can confirm. Customer service can be reached at (403) 777-4646.

Chad Johnson is a big fan of the equipment changes that came info effect Feb. 4, which mandated all goaltenders wear trimmer pants.
"I'm all for changes and shrinking gear. I think it's good for the game. Everyone knows there's guys around the league that are wearing gear that's bigger than they should with how they're built."
Brian Elliott also noted his new set of pants were "better than before" while goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet echoed his charges' sentiments.
"They're a little more streamlined. You go back to when they changed the size of the pads originally. It's something guys just adapt to. I don't think we'll see much difference in goal scoring or it affecting the goalies ... I don't think it'll make for a big adjustment."

Call-ups from the Stockton Heat are usually dependant on injuries at the NHL level so pinpointing when prospects will get opportunities with the Flames is difficult but we can run through how a few of the Heat's top players are doing this year:
Stockton rookie Mark Jankowski leads the team in scoring with 14 goals and 30 points. He recently represented the Heat at the AHL All-Star Weekend and set a franchise record when he recorded Stockton's first hat trick on Jan. 20. He was recalled earlier this season, making his NHL debut in Brooklyn on Nov. 28, and could be the first in line for a call-up if a forward is summoned from Stockon.
Another rookie who has had a tremendous season thus far is Andrew Mangiapane. With 10 goals and 23 points on the year, he sits fourth in team scoring and his 79 shots on net ranks third amongst all Stockton skaters.
Morgan Klimchuk is in the midst of his best pro season, sitting second in team scoring with 13 goals and 28 points and is a plus-7 through 40 games. Klimchuk has developed a strong all-around game over the past two years, playing a responsible brand of hockey in all three zones - something hockey ops members always take into consideration when evaluating which players to recall.
In terms of defenceman, Swedes Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington have played key roles on the Stockton blueline and could be in line for a call-up if the Flames defence corps suffers an injury. Tyler Wotherspoon is another option, given his NHL experience and strong play with the Heat.
Jon Gillies has played the bulk of games in net but David Rittich has been impressive in his 16 appearances as well. Both would be viable options if Johnson or Elliott suffers an injury.
Players in the Canadian Hockey League (Western Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) can only be recalled on an emergency basis. The most recent Flames emergency junior call-up was Sven Baertschi in March of 2012. Currently, Calgary has six prospects playing in the CHL: forward Dillon Dube with Kelowna (WHL), forward Eetu Tuulola with Everett (WHL), forward Matthew Phillips with Victoria (WHL), defenceman Riley Bruce with North Bay (OHL), goaltender Nick Schneider with Medicine Hat (WHL), and goaltender Tyler Parsons with London (WHL).
Players in the NCAA cannot be recalled as they are not under contract. The Flames have three prospects playing in the NCAA this season with defenceman Adam Fox at Harvard, defenceman Brandon Hickey at Boston University and forward Tim Harrison at Colgate.