Wild's Dumba was big fan of Flames in 2004 cup run
Being far removed from his hometown, Matt Dumba is asked about the buzz returning to Calgary given the state of his (former) favourite playoff chasing National Hockey League club.
“Well, ACTUALLY,” says the rookie defender, pointing to his stall-mate in the Minnesota Wild locker-room at the Xcel Energy Center on Friday morning. “If you look to my left . . .”
Sure enough, Mr. 2004 Red Mile himself, Jordan Leopold, currently occupies the spot next to the rookie defender after being traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2015 NHL trade deadline.
And, of course, he’d wind up sitting next to Dumba. And, of course, they’d eventually wind up as defence partners.
“That was probably when I was the biggest Flames fan,” recalls Dumba of the Flames’ 2004 Stanley Cup run.
“I’ll always remember him and (Robyn) Regehr on that blueline, Jarome (Iginla), (Craig) Conroy, (Martin) Gelinas. Guys like that, it’s pretty cool looking back. Me and Leo talk about it all the time. We were talking about that run and how crazy it was.”
Time will tell if that craziness returns as the Flames continue their push toward the post-season.
These days, Dumba, Minnesota’s seventh overall pick in 2012, is more wrapped up in what’s happening with his playoff chasing group. But back in 2004, when the Flames made that improbable run as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, Dumba recalls being a huge fan of No. 4 and No. 28.
“They were a sick ‘D’ pairing,” said the 20-year-old, who spent the bulk of his Western Hockey League career with the Red Deer Rebels and Portland Winterhawks.
“Rocket Robin and Leo . . .we talk about the Red Mile. It’s kind of funny now. I was so young and he was right in the middle of it. It’s kind of crazy how these worlds collide, crazy how small the hockey world is.” Leopold shakes his head.
“Here I come in, I’m traded and sitting next to him in the lockerroom. He’s a kid from Calgary and was eight or nine years old when we made that run. I’m sure he was wearing his Calgary jersey and was a big fan. It’s special.”
For Leopold, who had 10 assists in 26 playoff games in 2004, that run cemented his place in the NHL.
“You don’t forget about those things,” he said. “Looking back, it’s been a long time ago. It goes by quick but we really transformed the city to what it is today.”
And the pairing also serves another purpose as Leopold acts as a bit of a mentor to Dumba who plays an uptempo, high-risk, highreward style.
“We’ve talked about that,” said Leopold who, including Friday’s game against the Flames, has been paired with Dumba for the past four games.
“He’s going to make mistakes. It’s what you do after you make mistakes that makes you a better player. How you stay composed. Hey, I was a young player at one time, too, and made a lot of mistakes. “We believe in him here and he’s got a big bright future ahead of him.”