Like several of his Flames teammates, Yegor Sharangovich spent the 4 Nations break in search of sunshine.
He and his family found it, in Mexico.
Relaxing, yes, but also a breath of fresh air - figuratively and literally - for his young son.
“It was the best time for our son,” Sharangovich said with a grin Thursday. “He loved it, being outside, swimming in the pool. It was a good time.”
Back in Calgary, where the sunshine is ever-present, but the temperatures have been anything but tropical, it’s back to work for the 26-year-old and his Flames squad.
And back to the wing, too, after an extended spell at centre.
Sharangovich has taken more faceoffs this season than all but one of his four prior seasons in the NHL, but prior to the break, he joined a line with ex-Flyers Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee.
Since coming back to WinSport’s friendly confines, the trio has been reunited, and while the move to the wing naturally allows Sharangovich to key in on his offensive impulses, he admits he’s happy playing anywhere.
“Centre or wing, I’m comfortable everywhere. But with two new guys - Beezer and Frosty - actually it’s nice to play,” he said. “They are two really good guys, skilled, and hard workers.
“I think if we play hard, and make chances in the offensive zone, I think we’ll have a good line.”
Frost, in particular, has caught the eye of Head Coach Ryan Huska for his work down the middle of the ice.
And the Flames bench boss is hopeful that Frost’s set-up abilities will help Sharangovich duplicate the type of second half he had a year ago, when he potted 20 of his team-leading 31 markers after the calendar flipped to 2024.
“Morgan, from what we’ve seen, is a dynamic centre. Like, there’s a lot of things that happen when the puck is on his stick,” Huska explained Thursday. “The first day in particular (this week), I thought they were our best practice line on the ice here, they were moving the puck around really well, they seem to have a lot of connection between them.
“We’re trying to find the right spot for Sharan, but a lot of that is seeing if he fits with a skilled centreman like Morgan. Hopefully, there is some chemistry that comes to be in the game.”
Sharangovich’s goals come in bunches. That has been evident over his time in Calgary.
It’s perhaps a good omen, too, that he lit the lamp five times in the weeks prior to the 4 Nations break.
It’s not uncommon to see the Belarusian wiring one-timer after one-timer from the right face-off dot at practice. That area is one of Sharangovich’s offices on the powerplay.
But servers see him coming, too. He’s got sneaky-good hand-eye coordination, as evidenced by a couple of net-front goals on the man advantage earlier this month against the Maple Leafs and Kraken.
“Front of the net, I just play it in 5-on-3,” he said. “I have a good screen, too, then Naz, Huby, they can make the plays. I think we have success (at) 5-on-3 (by) just being able to do the same things.”
Frost and Farabee are firm friends, and ‘good guys’ according to their new linemate.
And it’s exciting to ponder the new trio’s potential, as the two new Flames take Sharangovich under - or onto - their wing.
That next chapter begins Sunday against the Sharks (GET TICKETS), before the club heads east for a half-dozen road fixtures that promise to play a huge role in their future playoff hopes.
Sharangovich’s eyes are certainly on the prize.
“We have like 27 games (left),” Sharangovich said. “We need to have good practices, like the last couple days, to be ready for the next game.”
