Kulak eager to earn his spot on Calgary blue line
Defence prospect excited about landing new contract with Flames before camp
Brett Kulak did not hesitate, not with the type of opportunity right in front of him.
“Never in my mind was I going to think about something else,” the 23-year-old Calgary Flames blueliner said of his recently inked oneyear contract. “I kind of knew once I got qualified that this was where I was going to sign and continue with these guys.
“It’s another year to get better and grow my game. It’s another year to take that jump and give myself that chance to go back to camp and prove I can be a full-time guy at the blueline.”
If you’re a keen fan, eager to sort out the local NHL team’s roster, you’ve probably already pencilled in Kulak at the sixth or seventh defenceman’s spot.
With the summer trade for Travis Hamonic and a top-four sure to be the envy of the league in Hamonic, Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie and Dougie Hamilton, it would seem the top two pairings have already been decided.
So that leaves Michael Stone and … who? The door is wide open.
Fighting to get through are Kulak, Matt Bartkowski, Rasmus Andersson and Oliver Kylington along with other fresh-faced prospects and likely a few late players on professional tryouts.
As such, the 6-foot-2, 187-pound left-shot Kulak has spent the entire summer in Calgary, living with Flames winger Hunter Shinkaruk and training with a group of players.
This week — and for a large part of the off-season — he’s been skating at Winsport with Giordano, Andersson, Sean Monahan, Troy Brouwer and an assortment of other Flames and prospects who are putting in some work before training camp kicks off with physicals Sept. 14.
“The following weeks leading up to camp, they’re important,” Kulak said. “Guys are back in town and getting that practice time to be out there before training camp even starts. Obviously, I’m going to have to come in and play my best because everyone works hard all summer and tries to become better and be at their best for camp.
“I’m just going to have to bring consistent play all through training camp and through the preseason and going into the regular season.”
Last year, he took another step toward that goal.
Kulak played 21 NHL games with the big club and was a big contributor in their American Hockey League affiliate’s playoff run, adding four assists in five games with the Stockton Heat.
With a one-year, two-way contract worth US$650,000, Kulak hopes to keep building.
“The first few years of my career, I’ve been trending in the right direction,” Kulak said. “I started down on the coast then got into the minors and now getting some NHL time. Last year, playing a good chunk of the season in the NHL ... all of that together has helped me so much. Coming into this year, getting signed right before camp just makes me really excited for the season.”
ICE CHIPS
The Flames have signed winger Tanner Glass to a professional tryout offer.
The 33-year-old Regina native has played 511 NHL games, but only suited up for 11 contests last year for the New York Rangers, scoring one goal and one assist and being assessed 17 penalty minutes.
Glass played seven post-season games and had one goal and three assists. Before that, he spent the majority of the 2016-17 campaign with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, playing in 57 games and netting six goals and nine assists.