'You Want To Perform'

Brennan Othmann was getting ready to head to the rink in Hartford, when he got the call that he wouldn’t be suiting up for the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate that night.

Instead, he’d been dealt West, to Calgary. 

A fresh start. A new city. And an opportunity this evening to show Flames brass what he’s all about.

“I actually was getting my suit on for the game (on Trade Deadline day), because I didn't get a call up until that point,” Othmann explained Saturday morning. “I texted one of my buddies, I was heading down to the car with getting a ride, and I said, “Hey, I just got traded to the Flames, so I'm not gonna be coming to the game tonight.’”

Just over three weeks later, Othmann is set to suit up in his first NHL contest with Calgary. Recalled Saturday morning from the AHL’s Wranglers, the 23-year-old will skate on a line with Tyson Gross and Adam Klapka against the Canucks tonight.

Othmann - selected three picks after Matt Coronato at No. 16 in the 2021 NHL Draft - is treating tonight, and by extension the rest of the season, like a tryout.

“I mean, it's late in the season, but you know, talking to Ryan (Head Coach Ryan Huska) and the staff, it's just basically a tryout going onto next year and for each game.

“That's kind of what I'm thinking of it, and when you're not solidified as an NHL player yet, every day is kind of like a tryout, so you want to perform at your best.”

Tonight’s contest will be Othmann’s 43rd in the NHL. And the Scarborough, Ont. product has been an offensive threat everywhere he’s played leading up to his time in the Show. A former captain of the OHL’s Flint Firebirds, Othmann won a League title with Peterborough three years ago and in 36 AHL games this season, he’s totalled 21 points between Hartford and Calgary.

“From what I've watched and what I've seen and people I've talked to, I think he's a competitive guy that's got a skill set about him, and he can play a 200-foot game,” said Huska when asked about Othmann’s game Saturday. “(He’s) a very good American League player. 

“He hasn't found traction yet at the NHL level, so we get an opportunity to see if we can do that with us.”

But even one skate into his time with the Flames, it’s clear Othmann is relishing this fresh start out West. 

And he’s finding ways to fit in with his new teammates, too.

“This morning was already great. I had a lot of guys already talking to me, and I know Stromer (Ryan Strome) a little bit through the Rangers and through agencies and skates in the summertime," he said. “I’m looking forward to playing (with) these guys.

“You can see it's a young, upcoming team and mix with a lot of good veterans, a lot of established veterans. I'm looking forward to it.”