By Tim Ubels (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: September 11, 2013
Over the weekend the Calgary Flames participated in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, BC for the third consecutive year. As the final touches were put on the Scotiabank Saddledome after the summer’s flood damage, the Flames prospects headed west to showcase their talent against kids their own age.
The round-robin tournament, which took place September 5 to 9, saw the young Flames suit up against conference rivals from the Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, and San Jose Sharks.
Heat bench boss Troy G. Ward was given the duties of coaching the young Flames, and got a quick glimpse at some of the newer prospects that will inevitably report to the Heat after training camp is over at the end of the month.
The five-day round-robin featured eight games between the prospect teams and also included an alumni game where retired Canucks Cliff Ronning, Greg Adams, and former team captain Stan Smyl laced up against the Penticton Old Timers.
Flames scouts and management were keeping an eye out for youngsters who are not only expected to crack the Flames’ line-up this year, but also demonstrate that they can take on bigger roles early in the season. Several veteran Flames were either dealt or left unsigned in the offseason in order to provide the opportunity for young players to fast-track their development, so there was pressure for the young players to perform well.
The Flames’ roster, which included the likes of 2013 first-round draft pick Sean Monahan and highly touted forward Sven Baertschi, with Laurent Brossoit and Joni Ortio battling it out in goal, showcased obvious talent.
On another note, the young Flames suited up without former third-round draft pick Ryan Howse, who was suspended indefinitely by the team after failing to report for training camp. Howse has been criticized in the past for failing to shore up his two-way game and put up points in the minors, recording just one assist in 20 games last season with the Heat.
The weekend tournament was kicked off with the Battle of Alberta as the Oilers’ prospects faced the young Flames, and for the first time in recent memory the Calgary prospect pool looked much deeper on paper than their provincial rival’s. This became apparent on the ice once the Flames jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first period, with Flames’ forward Markus Granlund picking up two goals in the frame. The Oilers clawed back in the second and caught a break after Flames’ defenseman Ryan Culkin deposited the puck into his own net. However, after a strong third period, the Flames prevailed 5-2 over Edmonton, outshooting the young Oilers 32-18.
Next up for the Flames was the host province team, the Vancouver Canucks, a team that featured the biggest challenge for the Flames’ prospects, with the likes of Brendan Gaunce, Bo Horvat, Frank Corrado and Joacim Eriksson all suiting up for the Canucks during the Friday night tilt. Although the Canucks controlled the pace for most of the game, had a much more dynamic powerplay, and were able to fire 40 shots at Flames’ netminder Joni Ortio, the Flames still managed to pull out a 4-1 victory. Ortio’s desperate blocker save in the third period on a tic-tac-toe play prevented Canucks’ forward Bo Horvat from putting a damper on the Flames’ second straight win in the Young Stars Classic.
The tournament gave residents of Penticton and neighbouring BC communities a chance to see first-hand the kind of talent that is making its way to the big leagues, but also gave the prospects themselves a taste of what professional competition feels like, and a glimpse at future teammates and potential rivals. Only time will tell if these prospects will be facing off against one another at the junior, AHL, or NHL levels this year.
