MEET THE NEW FLAMES
Introducing Hamonic and Smith
In the midst of donning his first Flames jersey Monday, Travis Hamonic hadn’t even tugged No. 24 all the way on when he instinctively sprang into beast mode.
“Should I do up the (fighting) strap?” he said jokingly of the snap at the back of every jersey securing it to the pants to prevent it being removed during a scrap. Ever-ready for a challenger. Come fall, you can bet the 26-year-old defenceman will have the ol’ strap securely fastened at all times as part of an approach that will see him inject much-needed feistiness into the Flames lineup.
Same goes for the lad who was introduced alongside him, goaltender Mike Smith, who quickly added that maybe he needed to tie down as well.
Fact is, for all the assets the Flames’ two shiniest new objects were brought on board for, perhaps one of their most noticeable contributions will come from the energy, competitiveness and emotion they bring.
Expected to be T.J. Brodie’s new partner on the second pairing, you can expect Hamonic to replace some of the truculence that made Deryk Engelland so popular.
Having played hard against some of the top players in the league for the bulk of his seven years with the New York Islanders, Hamonic is a take-no-prisoners type grinder the Flames can use.
“I think that’s just the way I grew up playing the game — you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” said the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Hamonic, unafraid to back up his boisterousness with his bare knuckles.
“If you ask players, they’ll say I’m someone to who wears his heart on his sleeve and invests a lot in the game.”
Same goes for Smith, who brings a different type of competitiveness to the fold.
EMOTIONAL RANT
Last year, he made headlines with an emotional rant about how tired he was to be part of an Arizona Coyotes organization that didn’t seem to care much about winning.
He gave us a taste of his recent frustration and outspokenness Monday when he joked after the news conference about his legendary puck-handling skills.
“I’m really looking forward to passing it to guys who can actually score,” joked the 6-foot-4, 215-pound all-star on the radio.
“I am emotional, but I have learned to channel that.
“I’m a passionate player. I’ll do whatever it takes to win. I think there’s a good chance to do that here. I use that energy as a good thing. It’s a breath of fresh air to be with a group like this.”
Flames general manager Brad Treliving spent several years working with Smith in the desert, where he became familiar with the 35-year-old’s spirited approach to everything.
“You play cards with him and he gets salty if he loses — I like that,” said a smiling Treliving, who acquired Smith from the Coyotes last week.
“You have to calm him down the odd time, but I often find it’s easier to pull the reins on a horse than kick him in the rear end.
“You can never have too much competitiveness on your team and too many competitors. He’s ultra competitive.
“Same with Travis. They’re good men. We’ve added guys who both have a voice and both have a lot of character. You keep adding those type of people to your roster, it doesn’t guarantee anything but it gives you a better chance.”
Obviously both players are thrilled to be rid of the instability of their former clubs to join a team poised to be a Cup contender. On paper anyway.
Their job is to help spark a club that needs to marry its formidable skill with an emotional edge both bring.
“We do a lot of homework on the people. I think you win with great people and Travis is certainly one of those,” said Treliving, who may have given Calgary the NHL’s blue line with the addition of Hamonic.
“I think he is going to be a big voice in our locker-room. On the ice he’s an edgy guy who plays for keeps. Both these guys are ultracompetitive.”
It’s evident just listening to the passion in Hamonic’s voice as he speaks of coming to a city he’s long felt a connection to.
“To throw that jersey on is a dream come true,” said the native of St. Malo, Man., swapped to the Flames for a first rounder and two seconds on Saturday.
“Truthfully, when I was playing for the Moose Jaw Warriors, we used to come through and play the Hitmen and watch the Flames pre-game skate you kind of wished and dreamt of playing for the Flames. Their games were always on TV, so I was a huge fan growing up. Pulling up on the other side of the rink was a special moment.”
There should be plenty of those in the near future as several years of retooling now has the Flames poised to do significant springtime damage.
Do up the strap Calgary, this could be one heck of a ride.
You have to calm him down the odd time, but I often find it’s easier to pull the reins on a horse than kick him in the rear end.