The Calgary Flames will look very different next year following the departures of Brad Treliving on the general manager’s seat and Darryl Sutter behind the bench. But for Jakob Pelletier, this revival will not make him change his philosophy.
“For me, the first step will be to get a position with the Flames at the end of camp,” Pelletier said in a phone interview with the Journal on Tuesday. The Flames will still keep the same core with Lindholm, Huberdeau, Backlund, Kadri, Toffoli, Weegar, Tanev etc. As a team, we’ve had a difficult year and we’ll want to rehabilitate ourselves.
“In my eyes, next year in Calgary could be a year of redemption,” he continued. I will still have to fight for my place.”
Even though the Flames are already out of season and haven’t won a Western Conference playoff berth, Pelletier hasn’t put down his sticks just yet. The 2019 Flames first-round pick continues his journey with the Calgary Wranglers.
The Wranglers lead 2-1 in a best-of-five series against the Abbotsford Canucks in the semifinals of the American League Pacific Division.
Like Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, who played with the Laval Rocket in the playoffs, Pelletier could be on his American League farewell tour.
“I don’t know,” he replied, laughing. But I won’t lie. I want to open next season in the NHL with the Flames. My focus now is on the Wranglers. We have a very good team, we ended up at the top of the American League.
A winning mentality
There is no exaggeration in Pelletier’s words. The Wranglers have an impressive team. They finished top of the AHL with 106 points (51-17-4) in 72 games.
Photo courtesy, Calgary Wranglers
In the coming weeks, the winger is therefore on a mission to lead his team as far as possible into the playoffs.
“It’s very important,” he said. All teams are looking for winners. If you’ve already won the American League, you’ll catch the eye of NHL teams even more. They can also land orders more easily.”
“I also love our supporters at the Wranglers. In the playoffs we have between 8,000 and 10,000 fans. The hitmen are also eliminated in the Junior League West. You are simply our team. It reminds me of the atmosphere at Rocket in Laval last year, but we’re playing in the big Flames building in the Saddledome.
No conflict with Sutter
In his sophomore year as a pro, Pelletier split his time between the Flames and the Wranglers. Called up to the NHL in January, he finished the season with the big club, recording 7 points (3 goals, 4 assists) in 24 games. Before that, he had 37 points (16 goals, 21 assists) in 35 games with the Wranglers.
At the end of the season with the Flames, Pelletier was exhausted by playing just two of their last 14 games.
“I found this experience difficult,” he admitted. We were in a race for the playoffs but I couldn’t help my team. I understood that the coaches wanted more experienced players. As a player, I wanted to play. It was the first time in such a long time that I was in the stands. I found it tough but it remains another experience in the bank.
In his early days with the Flames, despite his will, Pelletier found himself at the heart of a minor storm. Journalists had denounced the attitude of Sutter, who had played comedy, by asking what number his young player wore after they first met in the NHL.
“Darryl before the media was a different person,” Pelletier recalled. In front of us was another Darryl. He doesn’t like to talk about individuals at press conferences with journalists. It could upset him sometimes. When I was alone with him I thought he was a very good man. He’s a family man and he’s funny.”
“But he remains a sought-after coach. He is also open. If you do something that doesn’t sit well with her, you’ll find out pretty quickly.”
The Flames are now looking for a new coach. Mitch Love, head coach of the Wranglers, is said to be among the candidates.
Dustin Wolf: ready for the NHL
It’s not just Pelletier who will be appearing at the Flames next fall. So will goalkeeper Dustin Wolf. The Californian won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Trophy this year and last, which is awarded to the best goaltender in the American League. The 6-foot, 175-pound goalie was 42-10-9 with a 2.09 GAA and a .932 save percentage this season. He had seven shutouts.
“He has nothing left to prove in the American League,” Pelletier said. He played the last game of the year against the Sharks in the NHL. I was at that meeting and he still played very well. People will say he’s small but he’s so fast. He’s still in a good position.”
Huberdeau will bounce back
With the Flames, Pelletier benefited from the advice of Jonathan Huberdeau, who acted as his big brother within the group. In his first season in Calgary, Huberdeau suffered a significant drop with 55 points offensively compared to 115 points with the Panthers in 2021-2022.
“When the Flames replaced him on the left wing at the end of the season, he became dangerous again,” Pelletier said. We’ve seen the hubby before. When he played in Florida he didn’t really have any pressure. He landed in a big market for the first time. He had the supporters behind him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had an incredible season next year. And people will say he’s back.”