CALGARY -- Flames goaltender Cam Talbot is used to spending a lot of time at the rink but, these days, he’s spending all of his time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Talbot says the change has been a blessing in disguise.
“It’s nice to be able to have the extra time with the kids and they love having dad home,” Talbot told CTV via a FaceTime interview.
"My wife gets a little bit more relief and I get to spend more time with the kids so it’s a bit of a win-win situation for everybody."
The Talbots have three-year-old twins. Landon loves to jump around on the downstairs furniture while his sister Sloan loves to play with her dollhouse.
Talbot say he finds it busier than being between the pipes.
"I always joke that it’s harder being at home with two three-year-olds for twelve straight hours than it is to go to the rink and stop the puck,” said Talbot.
"My wife says it’s like having three kids at home instead of two. So maybe I’m not doing as good a job as I think I am, but I’m adjusting pretty well."
Between playing with the kids, Talbot also has to find time to train. He chose to stay in Calgary when the NHL suspended the season and says it’s worked out quite well.
"I was lucky. I have a set of weights at home and the strength coaches delivered bikes to whoever was sticking around Calgary. So I’ve been able to keep my endurance and strength up. I’ve also got some goalie specific drills and goggles and stuff like that that I can use at home."
Talbot has heard the rumours that the National Hockey League may resume play late in the summer in neutral site games with no people but, as of now, that's just speculation. He's been receiving daily updates from the league.
"There’s nothing specific about it. No one has the answers right now and that’s the frustrating thing about it. But right now we just have to listen to the health officials and, as much as we all want to get back to it, the safety of the players and the public are at the forefront."
Talbot says the thing he misses most about hockey is being with his teammates. Until he gets to do that again, he’ll continue to enjoy spending time at home with his family.
