HAMONIC TAKES, AND IS, A HIT
Blue-liner sticks up for rookie Dube
Dillon Dube was naturally a wee bit jittery prior to puck drop.
He was, after all, logging his debut at hockey’s highest level.
The Calgary Flames rookie speedster was admittedly nervous again later as he sought out teammate Travis Hamonic to say thank you.
It was Hamonic who rushed to Dube’s defence after he was popped by Vancouver Canucks rearguard Erik Gudbranson on his very first shift of Wednesday’s season opener at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
Gudbranson was ushered away to the penalty box for interference, but Hamonic, despite giving up three inches and a dozen pounds, demanded a dance at the next opportunity.
His reward for sticking up for his kid teammate was an uppercut to the jaw. Hamonic would immediately retreat to the locker-room for a medical looksee before returning in the final minute of the first with a shield around his mouth area and playing the rest of the night.
“I was even nervous to go talk to him after the fight because I didn’t know if he would be mad at me for having to go fight,” Dube said after Thursday’s practice at the Saddledome. “But I think he was happy about it. He was proud. I can’t say enough about that leadership and that really makes me feel welcome in the room when somebody will go and do that for you.
“I actually sat down with him on the plane and talked to him about it for a bit. Just saying thanks and asking how he is — hoping he’s good — and when he’s going to be back.”
That last part — when is he going to be back? — is now the big question.
Despite working a regular shift in Wednesday’s second and third periods, Hamonic was not on the ice for practice the next day with head coach Bill Peters telling reporters the 28-year-old would be re-evaluated later in the afternoon.
For fans of the Flames, there was a lot to cringe over in a 5-2 defeat to the Canucks on the first night of the 2018-19 campaign.
Their power play was punchless with nothing to show for seven man-advantage opportunities.
They have now lost nine straight season openers, a lengthy string of ugly intros.
It would be another blow if one of their top-four defencemen was unavailable for Saturday’s rematch at the Saddledome (8 p.m., CBC/Sportsnet 360). We’ll know more Friday.
“I can’t thank him enough for what he did and it’s pretty unfortunate what happened,” said the 20-year-old Dube, who had yet to reach for a clearing pass along the sideboards when he was crunched by Gudbranson in the neutral zone. “He stuck up for me and obviously I have to do a lot for him for the rest of the year. I look up to him because when you do that for a teammate, it means a lot.
“Gudbranson, he’s a pretty big dude. So when you go up and do that, I just hope he gets back as soon as he can.”
Indeed, they would miss him. The Flames are counting on Hamonic — not known as a knuckle-chucker, but still tops on the team with seven scraps last season — to strike some chemistry with new arrival Noah Hanifin on their second pairing.
He is also a regular on their top
For him to step up ... it goes a long way in the dressing room. That’s something I think we need more of this year.
penalty killing unit.
“For him to step up like that, it goes a long way in the dressing room,” said first-line centre Sean Monahan. “That’s something I think we need more of this year.”
“I loved it,” added newly minted alternate captain Matthew Tkachuk of Hamonic’s response to the hit on Dube. “That’s just the type of guy he is, the type of teammate he is.
“Obviously he was hurting a little bit after, but he’s a heartand-soul guy and he’s willing to do anything to stick up for his teammates. We all love him in the room. He’s the epitome of a team guy. For him to do that, it was no surprise, but I definitely respect it.”
And Dube definitely appreciates it.
“I owe him one now.”