'THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY'

Three days a week, Daniel Vladar returns to his old hockey abode.
That cozy little town of 68,000 - about a 30-minute trek, due west from his home in downtown Prague - is one of the game's great nurturing grounds.
But of all the names that have graced Kladno and the old Zimni Stadion over the years, one, in particular, stands out.
Turns out, he's excited about the trade, too.
"I actually talked to him this morning about Calgary," Vladar said of his impromptu chat with longtime NHL legend and former Flame Jaromir Jagr. "He's the (HC Kladno) owner, so he's there a lot and we met up after my skate. He told me a lot of good things.
"The first thing I did was ask him about the weather, but he said it was good. He said the city was great, the equipment guys were unbelievable, that were a bunch of beautiful lakes and mountains around.
"It sounds amazing."

How's that for a ringing endorsement?
The 23-year-old tended the pipes for only season with Jagr's European-based outfit - unfortunately, at a time when The Ageless Wonder was casually searing the North-American circuit - so the two never did suit up together in a game situation.
In practice?
That's another story.
"He basically runs our show," Vladar laughed. "It's crazy. He's still so good. His speed isn't at the level that we're used to, but he's still so strong, he works out constantly, and he always has a smile on.
"He's still the same guy."
To this day, Jagr is not only an immortal hockey star, but a luminary in his homeland - an inspiration to so many of the country's top youth, and a shining example of what hard work, passion and perseverance can lead to.
The same qualities and core values that Vladar lives by in life, and sport.
The road hasn't always been easy for the young puck-stopper, who was acquired by the Flames Wednesday in exchange for a third-round draft choice. He was drafted by the Bruins in 2015, but spent four of the next five years toiling in the minors - often, between the B's top affiliate in Providence, and with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL.
It wasn't until last summer - in Game 3 of the Second Round against the eventual Cup champs - that the highly touted prospect would get his first look at the NHL level.
It was a dream come true, even if the game didn't go so well.
But having lived the experience of that pressure-packed moment, the 6-foot-5, 185-lb. netminder was better prepared for his next turn of the wheel.
On March 16, 2021, he returned to the net and posted 34 saves in a 2-1 win over the Penguins that featured a ridiculous paddle stop off Colton Sceviour in the opening 10 minutes.
It was one of those 'I've made it' moments that immediately calmed the nerves.

"Sometimes it happens where you sign your contract, you go to camp, one goalie gets hurt, and all of a sudden you're in a backup position and you get a chance to play," Vladar said. "That didn't happen for me.
"But at the same time, I think it kind of changed me as a person. I understand that everything's not easy. If you want to really do something, you have to work hard for it and it's not always going to come quick. Obviously, that helped me a lot.
"And after I got the first start and I won the game, I really felt like I earned it. Like I belonged. That I deserved it. But at the same time, I had that feeling in my gut - like, I don't want to do this once or twice.
"I want to do it more."
In five appearances last year, Vladar had a 2-2-1 record, along with an .886 save percentage and a 3.40 goals-against average - numbers, cruelly, skewed by his final outing of the season when he surrendered eight goals against the Washington Capitals.
If you remove that one outlier (and, yes, we understand the complexity of presenting data in that fashion), he would have had a .922 save percentage and a 2.25 goals-against average.
It goes to show how strong he was in the other four tilts, and why - after all these years of rigorous development in the minor-pro ranks - the affable netminder was a prime target for the
Flames.
"We've had an eye on him since his draft year in 2015," said the Flames' Director of Goaltending, Jordan Sigalet. "For such a big guy, to move as well as he does and to be athletic as he is, it catches your eye right away. Then, you start to do your background work on the personality and the character, his attitude and work ethic, and it sounded like a perfect fit.
"I think Jacob (Markstrom) will be a great role model and mentor for him to keep elevating his game."
In Boston, Vladar was a victim of the numbers game, with longtime stars Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak on guard at the NHL level. Now, with Linus Ullmark in the fold and hotshot prospect Jeremy Swayman waiting in the wings, the road was closed off entirely before the deal went down.
Here, it's a new opportunity - a chance to really showcase himself, while at the same time playing a crucial role on a Flames team need of a bounce-back season.

"For us, it was a choice," Sigalet said "Do we go with an older guy that has experience? If so, how motivated will that guy be taking a smaller role? Or, do you go with a guy that's young and hungry and has plenty of upside?
"With Dan, he's not even close to his ceiling yet.
"To get a guy with that talent, that's ready to pop and is ready to step right into the NHL at the cost we got him for?
"It was a great move for us."
Vladar knows that Markstrom will carry the mail after riding a 63-game pace last year, but is eager to work alongside the talented workhorse and learn the tricks of the trade.
Until now, he never knew when this once-in-a-lifetime chance would come.
Or, if it ever would.
"When I woke up this morning, I felt this energy - like I was already part of the team, even though I'm not there yet," Vladar said. "I'm really thankful for the opportunity.
"Boston was a great city - a big fanbase and I met a lot of great people.
"But I wasn't sure if it was the right time for me to be there."
Initially, Vladar was caught off guard when his agent called him with the news Wednesday.
But you can you blame him?
He was one of the tens of thousands on hand to watch his hometown Sparta Prague defeat Rapid Wien two-nil in the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Round. Between the excitement of that unfolding around him, and the shock of being dealt to a new city with only 20 minutes left in that pivotal match, it was truly a night to remember.
His girlfriend even surprised him this morning with a new t-shirt so that he could proudly don the Flaming C on his first video call with Flames TV.
What a rush.
And it's only the beginning.
"I'm super excited and I'm ready to go," Vladar said. "It really feels like the organization wants me there."