FLAMES’ SPROUL HOPES TO RECEIVE GREEN LIGHT
Defenceman brings offensive skill set to Calgary tryout,
Ryan Sproul has pretty much been going Green his entire hockey life.
That is, he grew up idolizing blue-liner Mike Green before joining the offensive dynamo in the early days of his own NHL career.
“I had his jersey growing up, and he’s been my idol for a while,” said Sproul, who’s on a professional tryout with the Calgary Flames seven years after being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings.
“Detroit had a lot of veterans there, including Green, a lot of older guys who have been there and done that. I learned how to play the game the right way from them, so I think they’ve helped my game a lot.”
“Mike’s a heckuva player and a heckuva guy, and I learned a lot from a guy like that,” Sproul continued. “So to be in a lockerroom beside him and learn from the way he plays was an awesome experience.”
Especially for a guy who considers himself an offensive defenceman, just as Sproul does.
The native of Mississauga, Ont., was essentially a pointper-game all-star player during his three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, capturing both OHL and Canadian Hockey League defenceman-ofthe-year honours in 2012-13.
And he can find the back of the net as underscored by his double-digit goal-getting totals during three of his six American Hockey League campaigns.
Sproul, now 25, is hoping his penchant for playing Greenesque with the puck helps him land a gig with the Flames this fall.
It probably doesn’t hurt that Flames head coach Bill Peters knows him first-hand, too.
Peters was an assistant coach with the Red Wings when Sproul was chosen by the Detroit club with the 55th pick overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
“I know Bill likes to work the game kind of like (former Red Wings and current Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike) Babcock does,” Sproul said. “Bill Peters practices are always uppace and offensive. He likes a real fast game, and that’s the way I like to play.
“It’s always good to go to a team that fits your style. And I knew that coming in. I think it’s a good fit.”
So far, he’s got the green light to show what he’s got, having played in three of the four pre-season games for the Flames on this side of the Pacific Ocean.
Another appearance could be in the works for him Monday night, when the Winnipeg Jets take on the host Flames at the Saddledome (7 p.m., Sportsnet 960 The Fan).
“Each game feels better and better, so that helps with confidence,” Sproul said. “It’s been a long summer, so to get back in it and get back into games feels good.
“I like that it’s an offensive team here.”
Sproul comes to Calgary on a PTO after spending five-plus seasons with the Red Wings organization and last year with the New York Rangers.
The six-foot-four, 205-pounder has played in 44 NHL games, registering 12 points, over three seasons, including appearing in a career-high 27 tilts during 2016-17 before getting hurt in Detroit.
He was then traded to the Rangers early last season and worked his way into 16 games on Broadway before becoming a victim in the massive rebuild at MSG.
“I thought I did pretty well there,” Sproul said of playing in New York. “I guess there was nothing available throughout the summer. I was an unrestricted free agent. My agent called and told me Calgary was interested. When I knew it was here, I was pretty excited.
“The goal is always to make the team, first and foremost,” Sproul continued. “If it doesn’t happen to work out here, since it is a PTO, you hope there’s a lot of teams watching and then somebody else gives me an opportunity.
“The NHL’s where you want to be all the time. Anytime you come to camp, you know you can do it and you want to get there.”
To be in a lockerroom beside (Mike Green) and learn ... was an awesome experience.