Flames notes: Kevin Bahl no longer banged up, now just fired up

Kevin Bahl doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who seeks the individual spotlight, but Calgary’s newest skyscraper is thrilled to be in a market where hockey comes first, second and third. (Sorry, Stamps.)

Bahl is arguably the Flames’ biggest off-season addition — and not just because the soft-spoken blue-liner is one of the biggest dudes on the roster at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds. The 24-year-old lefty is tabbed to log heavy minutes as Rasmus Andersson’s partner on the shutdown defensive duo. 

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“I’m very excited to be here, to be back in Canada. I’m pumped,” said Bahl, who was born in B.C., raised in the Toronto area and played his junior hockey in Ottawa before starting his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils. “Everybody knows what’s going on. All the neighbours know what’s going on. They’re up-to-date on everybody.

“I think that makes it fun, with the community on your back.”

That was certainly apparent Saturday, with about 3,000 season ticket-holders attending the Bonfire kickoff party, which featured samplings of new Saddledome menu items and a jersey-off-our-backs giveaway. (For those lucky individuals who left with the No. 20 or No. 52 or No. 91, they would have also noticed an ‘A’ stitched on their new sweater. That essentially confirms that Blake Coleman, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri will be joining Andersson and Jonathan Huberdeau in Mikael Backlund’s cast of alternate captains.)   

Bahl, acquired by the Flames in the Jacob Markstrom trade, was stuck waiting a little longer than anticipated to introduce himself to his new teammates and the C of Red.

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He missed the first week of practice sessions due to a lower-body injury. 

He was limited to a pair of exhibition games, including just one opportunity to find his groove alongside Andersson. The new guy notched an assist in Friday’s final tuneup, with Backlund deflecting his shot from the top of the circle, but his calling card will be sound, steady and sometimes surly work in his own zone.

“It sucked because I was so pumped and I was just really, really trying to do everything right, just so I could make a good first impression,” Bahl said of his stalled start in his first camp in Calgary. “I think the biggest thing is on the ice, showing what you’re made of and figuring out how the guys are, what their style is and just playing your game. Just to get out there and work your butt off, I think that’s the best impression you can make.”

Now that Bahl is back up and running, you can expect to see a whole lot of him. 

He played all 82 for the Devils last season, which requires both good health and a ton of trust from the coaches. Across the NHL, there were only 33 defencemen who didn’t sit for a single game in 2023-24, hardly a surprise when you consider that blocking 90 mph shots is a major part of the job description. 

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“That’s what I’m here to do — just play as much as I can,” Bahl said. “It’s definitely a goal of mine again and I’m going to take pride in that, for sure.”

WAITING FOR WORD

Adam Klapka’s proud father, Thomas, is waiting by the phone back home.

His son has been pleading for patience.

It seems like a near-lock that Adam has cracked the Flames’ opening roster as their fourth-line right-winger, but the 24-year-old from Czechia is cautious about making any assumptions before the news is confirmed.

It sounds like dad has been checking for updates on a … let’s say … regular basis.

“You know, during the camp, you don’t really have much to say about it because you don’t really know what it is going on,” said Adam, who was the leading scorer for the AHL’s Wranglers last winter and was also called up for six appearances with the Flames. “I just try to tell him to wait until when I’m going to know more information. I mean, he’s watching every game, he’s really excited for this opportunity for me, so I hope it’s going to end up well and I can tell him good news.

“He’s been with me since I grew up. He took me for all my practices. So I know he deserves the news first. He’d be the first guy I will call.”

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COOKOUT, THEN CUTS

It’s tradition for the Flames, on the last weekend of training camp, to gather for a barbecue. While a few of the attendees will be assigned to the Wranglers prior to Monday’s roster submission deadline, the message is simple — ‘If you’ve made it this far, you’re going to be a part of the team this season.’

There will be 27 players at this latest BBQ — 16 forwards, eight defencemen and three goaltenders. Four names must be trimmed by Monday at 3 p.m. MT. (There were no Flames on the waiver wire Saturday, so general manager Craig Conroy isn’t yet offering any clues.)

“We’ve talked a lot about the new depth that we feel like we have,” reiterated Flames coach Ryan Huska after Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Jets in the pre-season capper. “There are a lot of guys that had very good camps for us.”

ICE CHIPS: The Flames’ next practice is Monday, so there may not be a weekend update on the status of Yegor Sharangovich. The 26-year-old forward made an early exit Friday after being tripped up and falling awkwardly. ‘Sharky’ was the Flames’ leading marksman last season with 31 goals and is expected to skate on both the first line and top power-play unit.

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