'Help The Team Win No Matter What'

After putting pen to paper on a new deal, dinner is on Jakob Pelletier.

“Funny enough, Zar (Connor Zary) did say that,” Pelletier laughed. “Hopefully I’ll take some guys tonight out for dinner.

It was announced Friday that the forward re-signed with the Flames to a one-year, two-way deal with an AAV of $800,000.

With main camp just a week away, the deal came in perfect time as the 23-year-old has been itching to get going and move past last campaign which saw him miss an extended period of time due to injury.

“What happened in the past is in the past,” he said. “You can learn some things from it but for me, it’s to start last year over again. I’m looking forward to turning the page and focusing on what is ahead.”

“I’m really excited to stay here. The team and staff are awesome and can’t wait for the year.

“We got an underdog mindset, it’s an exciting time for us and if we compete hard each night, good things will happen.”

While the summer months came and went in a blink, it was a bit of a different look off-season for Pelletier.

The saying ‘no days off’ rang true for him, driven to head into camp with extra fire and motivation to be the best possible version of himself.

“I trained all May, all June, all July and all August, I didn’t go on vacation,” he explained. “I was rehabbing for four months in the past winter so for me the focus was to get in the best shape ever and I think I did that.

“Coming into the year, staying healthy is the big thing for me and at the end of the day it’s to help the team win no matter what. Maybe some nights it will be producing offensively and other nights it might be getting it done in the d-zone. I just want to give the team the best chance to win each night.

And for those wondering, yes – the Flames version of the ‘French Connection’ is still kicking as Pelletier spent some time this summer training with Jonathan Huberdeau.

As Huby perfectly put it last year during a media avail, ‘gotta take care of my son.’

“I trained with him at least once a week during the summer and actually stayed at his place for a few days,” Pelletier said. “He’s been huge for me in the past two years that he has been here. I saw him train on and off the ice first-hand and think I he’ll have a huge season.

“You look at him and try to pick up things that he’s doing because he’s been playing pro for 10 years now. You try to pick up tips and shadow him and his habits.”

Headed into a fresh year, there’s a lot of buzz and excitement about a lot of the Flames young players and the opportunity for them to seize a role and run with it.

From their time spent together in the AHL to now battling in the NHL, it’s been quite the journey for Pelletier and many others to get to this point as they look to keep elevating their play.

“You learn how to win together and what it takes to win during your time in the AHL,” he said .“You come up together pretty much at the same time and been through all the camps together and push each other to be better.

“It’s great to see the results of that, Wolfie was one of the best goalies in the AHL and now he’s getting his shot in the NHL, Zar as well, and seeing the growth in his game. It’s great go through that together and be here together.”