Tyler Pitlick eager to make Flames debut as team hits the road for five games
Tyler Pitlick is entering his sixth full-time season in the NHL and it willl be his first with the Calgary Flames.
Pitlick was signed as a free agent in the off-season and was expected to add some speed and physical play to the lineup.
But Pitlick has had to wait to make his regular season debut with the Flames. He was injured in the pre-season and just rejoined the team for practice this week.
The 29-year-old says he is good to go and will likely play his first game with the Flames on Thursday night in Detroit.
"I feel good. The only way you can really be ready is to do it so get in there and play and I'll be fine."
NOT EASY WATCHING
The Flames will be Pitlick's fifth NHL team. Previously he played with the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars, Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes.
He says it's been tough watching the games from the sidelines while rehabbing his injury.
"It's not easy being away from the guys and just not being around them and getting to know the guys and getting a feel for everyone," Pitlick said.
"I've tried to be around as much as I can. It's been tough because you're kind of on your own page.
“You're in early before the guys and then you're out but it will be good for me to get out on the road.
SUITS HIS STYLE
In 286 NHL games, Pitlick has scored 47 goals and added 37 assists. When the Flames practiced on Tuesday, he was skating on a line with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman.
The 6'2’ (188 centimetre) 210 pound (91 kilogram) forward believes he will fit into the Flames’ style perfectly.
"The team works hard and I think I'm going to fit in here because that's what I do,” he said. "I work hard and play physical. I'm going to create energy and help the guys get going.”
MATCHING COLEMAN
Coleman set the bar for scoring early in his Flames debut. He beat John Gibson just three shifts into Monday night’s game.
Pitlick says he's not sure if he can match that.
"We'll see. Yeah that's tough to beat but we'll see," he said with a laugh.
GAWDIN ON WAIVERS
One other note from the Flames - they put forward Glenn Gawdin on waivers to make room for Pitlick. If he's not picked up by another team it's likely he'll be headed for Stockton of the American Hockey League.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.