It’s pretty easy to notice Adam Klapka whenever he’s on the ice.
But the assembled media at Flames training camp let out a collective gasp Saturday when Klapka, carrying the puck through the neutral zone during a drill, tried a spin-o-rama in an effort to get past his defender.
He was tripped, the rep went for naught, but the effort alone suggests that after 31 games in the Show a season ago, Klapka has returned to Calgary feeling pretty good about his game.
“Yeah, I feel good,” the 6-foot-8 winger said with an ear-to-ear grin. “You know, it's hard practicing, but it has to be like that. It's a new season and new people came in, and they fight for a spot.
“It's the same, like last year, (I) just play my game and take it day by day.”
At 25, Klapka has progressed since arriving in the Stampede City three years ago as a free-agent signing. So much so, the Czech forward earned 31 NHL appearances in 2024-25, during which he chipped in with six goals and 10 points.
But despite those NHL games played, Klapka’s arrived at camp still feeling like he has a lot to prove.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “I mean, I've just played 37 (career NHL) games, so I mean, it's so much I have to prove.
“The second (full NHL) season, it's always harder, so I'm trying to be ready for it and we'll see how it goes.”
Klapka’s mix of size and skill offers a unique package within the Flames forward corps, though.
There’s a sense of versatility with him - and other Calgary forwards - that excites head coach Ryan Huska, and also offers him the chance to tinker with different forward combinations to suit unique situations.
“I think up front, that's basically what our team is: I think any given night, a player can be Adam Klapka, he can be bumped up to a first line play with Nazem Kadri, and end up scoring a goal and having a fight and having three big hits and being the first star in a game,” Huska explained earlier this week. “There's also situations where Adam's going to be a hard, straight line fourth line guy, and I feel like we have a lot of players that fit that mould.”
“I’m going to play every way they’re going to tell me, I’m happy that I can play,” Klapka added. “It doesn't matter which line it is.
“You have to be good, you have to play smart whether you play first or fourth line. So if the opportunity comes (to play up the lineup), I will be ready.”
This week at camp, Klapka has found himself on a line with Ryan Lomberg and Martin Pospisil, a three-man unit that has the makings of a group that can cause havoc on the ice and chip in at both ends of the rink.
That suits Klapka just fine, too.
“It’s awesome. I played a lot with Lomberg last year, I just played one game with Pospy, but we all know that if we're gonna play our roles and what we can do on the ice, we can be successful, he said. “It’s going to be fun to play with them because it's going to be hard (for opponents) to play against, also.
“I mean that's the goal of our line - to be hard to play against -and I think we're all able to do it.”
And whether that three-man unit takes the ice in either of Calgary’s exhibition openers Sunday against Edmonton (tickets for the split-squad game at the Scotiabank Saddledome HERE), Klapka’s more than ready to start testing his mettle against live opposition once again.
“You know, every time it's nicer to play games than to practice,” he smiled.
“I can’t wait until the games start.”
