Jakob Pelletier will have to wait a little longer than expected, but all indications are that he will play his first game in the NHL on Saturday afternoon when the Calgary Flames receive the visit of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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The Neufchâtel native was recalled by the Flames on January 7 and watched the team’s last six games from the stands. On Friday, however, he trained with Trevor Lewis and Walker Duehr on the left side of the team’s fourth row.
After training, assistant coach Kirk Muller did not want to confirm whether he would use the striker from Neufchâtel or whether the decision would be made shortly before the meeting, which started at 3 p.m.
But let’s suppose it would be very surprising if he wasn’t in the Flames’ line-up this afternoon.
“This morning we got a call from Jakob telling us that he was practicing on the fourth row and that there is a chance he will play tomorrow. Then, around 3:30 p.m., we had 99.9% confirmation that he was going to play,” said his father Mario, who was reached by the Journal by phone on Friday while the whole family was busy packing suitcases for departure to prepare for Calgary.
The Pelletiers made their way to Montreal to catch the 9:30pm flight and make sure they were in Calgary for Saturday afternoon’s meetup.
“I will not hide that we shed tears. It’s been 14 days since he tasted his dream but he’ll finally be able to take a good bite,” the dad introduced himself.
good habits
His first game may not have come as quickly as hoped, but Pelletier will still be able to use 14 days in an NHL environment to prepare for what awaits him tonight.
And the flames liked what they saw of him.
“What we notice is that he has good work habits. You often have to correct that with young players, but he works hard and trains properly. It shows that he is already a good professional despite his young age. He’s ready to play. He’s an intelligent player, he understands the game, he’s offensive but also responsible without the puck. That’s key,” Muller told local media.
Pelletier, who had 34 points in 31 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers prior to his call-up, wants to stick to basics against the Lightning.
“I have to have a competitive mentality. It’s a good team so I have to give my all every time I play and that will be important.
expensive steak
Relaxed by nature, Pelletier didn’t seem too nervous when speaking to the Alberta press. He even allowed himself to make her laugh a few times.
A journalist first told him what came to mind when he thought about doing the famous Solo First Laps during warm-up, a ritual reserved for players playing their first game in the NHL.
“Don’t fall!” he replied, tit for tat.
He was then asked how his experience was hanging out with pros over the past two weeks, and his response was just as entertaining.
“To hang out with the boys, eat steak and check the bill afterwards. Whew, it’s still expensive, huh!” he started candidly.