Bartkowski in Calgary is ‘meant to be’
Matt Bartkowski’s National Hockey League career has nearly come full circle. Well, sort of. Back in the spring of 2013, the 28-year-old defenceman was almost a member of the Calgary Flames. His name was notoriously thrown in as part of a package deal from the Boston Bruins that also included centre Alexander Khokhlachev and a first-round pick in exchange for former Flames captain Jarome Iginla.
The hockey world thought the deal was done. The media thought the deal was done. Bartkowski thought the deal was done.
But, as the story goes, Iginla changed his mind at the last minute and headed to join Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Bartkowski, signed to a professional tryout offer on Wednesday, chuckled at the scenario.
It was fate that he would wind up in Calgary one day.
“Ever since that Iginla thing, it’s kind of been rumoured,” said Bartkowski following his first practice at the Scotiabank Saddledome. “My agent had been talking to them and there were mutterings around the league that they wanted me to come here. It’s ironic, or whatever.
“But it’s kind of meant to be that I’m here and given a chance.”
Right now, with the Flames, that’s all it is — a chance. But the six-foot-one, 196-pound native of Pittsburgh, Pa., is hoping for more: another shot at the NHL.
“I’ve been waiting the whole year to be given this chance,” said Bartkowski. “I just have to take advantage of it.”
There’s a good chance the Flames will ink the former Vancouver Canuck as they’re clearly preparing for this summer’s expansion draft and, in the immediate future, are in need of some depth on defence.
“He’s a great skater, a fantastic skater,” Calgary head coach Glen Gulutzan said. “In Vancouver we used him a bit on the penalty kill not much on the power play. He’s a guy that can move and is very mobile.”