Three years after the AHL franchise was moved in-house, the Flames prospect pipeline is starting to reap serious rewards.
Rory Kerins and last week's point-per-game road trip provide just the latest example.
By design, the move made sense right from the get-go.
Bring your prospects closer to home, have them perform in front of your fans, and make the relationship between NHL and AHL club that much more cozy.
But Kerins, like Matt Coronato, Dustin Wolf and Jakob Pelletier before him, is proof positive that the move - from a hockey development standpoint - was the right one.
Trent Cull has been overseeing the Flames AHL prospects for a season and a half.
Now part of the NHL club’s coaching staff, he can provide a unique perspective on call-ups, and help give his colleagues a better sense of the person walking through the dressing room door, in addition to the player.
But at the end of the day, Cull says the success Calgary has seen from its young charges is, for the most part, player-driven.
“I’m proud of them. They’re the ones that deserve the credit, they’ve done a really good job,” he said Wednesday. “I think it speaks to (Assistant General Manager) Brad Pascall … putting together teams and stuff.
"The group in the American League, they’re a close-knit group. They do a really good job with each other, pushing them. It’s awesome to see them get rewarded for their hard work.”
That’s the message. That hard work pays off.
No two players’ journeys to the NHL are the same; in fact, the one uniting factor for the likes of Coronato, Pelletier and Kerins, is that there have been bumps in the road along the way.
“There’s been some bleak days, for almost every one of those guys. But you know what? They find a way to get back,” said Cull. “Who’d have thought Matt Coronato would spend a couple games in the American Hockey League this year. You’d never think, you come to a game now and watch him play, why would he be there?
“Pelts, I know no one was happy with him getting sent down - him especially - but you battle through, persevere, and good things happen.”
Coronato sits third among Flames goal-scoring leaders with 11 on the campaign, while Pelletier has nine points and is a +7 since re-joining the club in December.
Not to mention Wolf, the former AHL MVP who’s gone on to submit Calder Trophy-worthy numbers in goal, posting 16 wins and a .917 save percentage from his 25 appearances in NHL creases this winter.
That steady pipeline of hungry, young players makes it easier for the veterans, too.
But if you ask Mikael Backlund, part of the seamless transition is due to the fact that the Wranglers environment is a winning one.
“It makes a big difference for us to get those young players (coming) up,” the Flames captain said Wednesday. “Even last year, Zar and Pospy came up, made a big change in the lineup and brought some energy at a time when we needed it.
“They’ve been a really good team there for a long time now, I feel like they’re (at) the top every year. Playing well in the American League definitely helps those guys come up here and keep playing well up here.”
Flames head coach Ryan Huska has mentioned repeatedly, too, that the two teams play similar styles.
That’s made all the more easier of late, given the two squads share a home arena.
“There’s going to be a couple nuances, per how the Flames are playing versus the Wranglers, but for the most part, you can kind of blanket over top that the Wranglers are trying to play the same way as the Flames,” Cull said. “For the players to know that’s happening, and also when the call does come, ‘Oh, I don’t have to worry about this, I don’t have to worry about that. I’ve just gotta worry about - hey - if I go out and compete hard and work hard, hopefully everything will kinda fall into place.’”
And for Cull, that’s the perfect recipe for success.
Calgary’s young players are seizing that opportunity, making an impression at the NHL level, but also influencing their AHL mates.
Creating a blueprint for others to follow.
“I think there’s a belief,” said Cull. “I think the greatest part about that is that the young guys have come in and played well, and become NHLers.
“So I think everyone else sees that as well.”