Dube making early impression at camp

There were a few hot topics in Calgary on Thursday.

The 2026 Olympic Games plebiscite, the dipping temperatures, a bobcat spotted roaming the streets in a southeast neighbourhood. And Dillon Dube.

After two rookie games against the Edmonton Oilers and four days of practices, it’s clear the Calgary Flames centre is just heating up during an ongoing fall audition for his first year of pro hockey.

The progress has been steady for the 20-year-old Cochrane resident, who was easily the best player on the ice in Wednesday’s 6-3 rookie game win over their Edmonton Oilers counterparts at Red Deer’s Enmax Centrium. He had two assists, both great setups. In Sunday’s 7-3 rookie game win over the Oilers at the Saddledome, Dube had a goal and an assist.

“He’s a player who when he’s on the ice, you’re comfortable as a fan, as a coach and a member of the organization,” said Flames assistant general manager Brad Pascall, who has been monitoring the rookies while general manager Brad Treliving and assistant general manager Craig Conroy are in China.

“I think he just continues to show that. He plays a confident game and can play in every situation. Here against his peer groups, he’s shown that. Now, he’ll have a couple days off and turn his focus into main camp.”

While the veteran-laden roster departed for China last week, up-and-coming forwards such as Dube, Andrew Mangiapane and Spencer Foo were focused on dominating among the rookie group.

“I thought I was a lot better in the first game, to be honest,” said the 5-foot-11, 190-pounder who is a left-shot centre. “I didn’t have as many chances as the last game. My linemates (seventh-round pick from 2018 Dimitry Zavgorodniy and Mike McMurtry) clicked really well. (Wednesday) was a lot faster and more like a mid-season game. I didn’t score any goals, but I felt like I was on my game.”

On Wednesday, he made his linemates better, similar to Sunday’s first game when he skated with Mangiapane and Foo.

“I feel like playing that way and playing fast helps the team win,” said Dube, who notched 38 goals and 46 assists in 53 Western Hockey League games last year with the Kelowna Rockets. “Right now, I just wanted to get my feet under me heading into main camp.”

Technically, main camp starts Friday. The professional tryout offer players reported for physical testing and medicals on Thursday. With the majority of the Flames’ main group playing in the O.R.G. Games in China, it’s tough to gauge how some of the hopefuls will fit in.

The players here in Calgary will have three exhibition games to prove themselves before the main team returns: Monday against the Oilers at the Saddledome, Wednesday in Vancouver and Friday in Winnipeg. There’s a good chance some of the Flames’ big names sit out the game against the Canucks on Sept. 22, too.

No matter. That gives players like Dube a little more time to show what they can do.