LANDING A BIG CATCH

Nothing beats a relaxing day on the water.
Friends gathering under the scorching, summery blue sky, casting lines and reeling a trophy in from under the glassy facade.
Here, the catch of the day begged for a photo - a snapshot meant solely 'for the 'gram,' but one worthy of the cover of Field & Stream.
Even if these anglers were a sliver off target, this time.

"We were fishing for something totally different," laughed Joakim Nordstrom, shortly after signing a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Flames. "So, yeah, we were all pretty surprised.
"I honestly don't even know what kind of a fish that is. We had a guide with us and he was shocked. He wanted to get that one registered, because he said it was one of the biggest he'd seen of that species in many years.
"It was hilarious.
"Not much luck with the pike. That's usually what we fish for when we go out. It's pretty popular here and they're everywhere.
"Well … almost."
The pic was taken and posted on Flames forward Elias Lindholm's Instagram account on June 6, 2020, about a month left in the 'pause,' before Lindholm and his two buddies - Jacob Markstrom of the Vancouver Canucks, and Nordstrom of the Boston Bruins - all returned to their clubs to resume the 2019-20 season.
Now, only a few months later, they're all dressed in the Flames' iconic red-and-white scheme.
And the prominent polaroid has already gone 'viral' in the players' group chats.
"I reminded Elias about that yesterday and actually sent him the photo," Nordstrom said. "I was like, 'Little did we know …'
"We've been so close for so long now. A few years ago, all three of us went to Portugal and had a golfing trip, then went to Spain to watch a few Champions League soccer games.
"It's funny how things work out."

Turns out, Lindholm is quite the recruiter.
Nordstrom - a penalty-killing specialist previously of the Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes and the 2015 Stanley Cup-winning Chicago Blackhawks - had a series of conversations with General Manager Brad Treliving and Head Coach Geoff Ward over the past week.
They talked about how the 28-year-old would be a great fit in Calgary, and how his defensive game, especially, would be a valuable addition.
This was all music to his ears.
But Lindholm helped tipped the scales.
"He's one of my best friends, so I obviously checked in with him to get his thoughts," Nordstrom said. "Not only the last week, but ever since he got to Calgary, he's only had praise for the organization. He kept telling me how much he's enjoying it there.
"That, and seeing a friend - and more importantly, an elite goalie - like Jacob sign with the team, too, that definitely played a role in my decision.
"I really like where this team is headed.
"I can't wait to get to Calgary and put on that jersey."
The 6-foot-1, 194-lb. left winger is a veteran of 400 regular-season games, with another 46 loops in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has 31 goals and 68 career points in that span, with another 10 points (3G, 7A) in post-season play.
The bulk of his experience has come in the past two years, where he played on the Bruins' top penalty-killing unit in their run to the Cup Final in 2019, followed by another 13 spins during the bubble edition over the summer.
He's heralded as being a great 'team guy' that can skate like the wind, hit like a truck, and put his body on the line as one of the NHL's premiere shot-blocking forwards.
Last year, Nordstrom ranked 38th among more than 400 forwards (with more than 25 games played) with 3.20 blocked shots per 60 minutes of ice time.
His penalty-killing impact is immense, too, as he allowed fewer shot attempts and goals than almost any other Bruin on the PK last year.
It's a valuable asset after the departures of Tobias Rieder and Mark Jankowski.
"I think I've been around long enough now to know what I need to do to be successful in this league," Nordstrom said of his defensive acumen. "That's a role I enjoy and really pride myself on.
"I also want to play with a lot of speed and be a good forechecker, and hopefully chip in a little bit more offensively as well. I've been working on my hands around the net, so if I can get down the ice quick and win some battles, I think I can put myself and my teammates in a position to contribute that way."

Nordstrom has been to Calgary numerous times as a member of the opposition.
But he also has fond memories of the Scotiabank Saddledome, when he and his fellow countrymen set up shop and made it their own nearly nine years ago.
He was part of Sweden's gold medal-winning entry at the 2012 World Junior Championship, and still recalls how the city embraced him and his teammates.
"That was one of my first experiences overseas," Nordstrom said. "I thought it was awesome.
"We didn't get to see too much of the suburbs and things like that, but we stayed downtown and got to check out some of the sights, eat at some incredible restaurants, meet some of the people. I had such a good time.
"Visiting now, later on in my NHL career, it's always been a place I circle on my calendar as one my favourite road-trip cities.
"I'm super happy about the whole package.
"It's not only a great organization, but I think me and my fiancée, we're really going to enjoy living there."