Airdrie’s Rattie joins Blues to face his hometown heroes

It’s easy to guess who Ty Rattie cheered for back in the day.

“Jarome Iginla was the man,” the 22- year- old from Airdrie was saying on Thursday morning in the St. Louis Blues dressing room at the Scottrade Center. “I named my dog after ( Miikka) Kiprusoff. He was Kipper. That run they had when they lost to Tampa Bay was my favourite childhood memory. We watched every game with my family.”

Not exactly the favourite memory of many Calgarians, including Iginla and the 2004 group of Calgary Flames that lost a Game 7 heartbreaker to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Still think that Gelinas goal went in,” said Rattie, a former Portland Winterhawk who still holds the Alberta Major Bantam Hockey League record for goals ( 75 in 33 games) with the Airdrie X- Treme.

With Vladimir Tarasenko dealing with a lower body injury, the reigning AHL player of the week was summoned from the Chicago Wolves on Wednesday — only to draw in against his childhood idols on Thursday night.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Rattie said before recording two shots and two hits in 10: 45 of action on Thursday. “Obviously ( when) I grew up, I was all about the Flames. I think I watched every single game, me and my family.

“To get to play them tonight is going to be a lot of fun. It’s going to be a special memory.”

Wednesday was Rattie’s second recall this season after being called up in late January for five games. He’s been tearing up the American Hockey League as of late. Through 59 games for the Wolves, he’s second in team scoring with 21 goals and 42 points.

Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said Rattie didn’t take the demotion to the AHL well but has since earned another promotion.

“He played really well when he was up here, we were really happy with him,” said Hitchcock. “( But) he didn’t get better when he first went down. He got down on himself a little bit. Then here in the last two or three weeks, he’s been white hot.”

Hitchcock said Rattie was on their recall list because of his skill level.

“For him, this couldn’t happen at a better time,” he said. “He’s not coming in with a bunch of kids and playing a fourth- line role.”