Newcomers making a splash

It’s a game day and the Calgary Flames dressing room is buzzing.

The Sportsnet broadcast crew — play-by-play announcer Rick Ball and colour analyst Kelly Hrudey — are talking to players and extracting information for their 7 p.m. telecast. A handful of local print and online journalists are working on their next story, gathering insight. Ditto with the Calgary Flames own in-house reporting staff. The Sportsnet 960 The Fan radio broadcast group are pre-taping interviews and recording for their afternoon show. Cameras and reporters from CTV and Global are filming the story of the day.

Flames forward Derek Ryan might not read tomorrow’s story about Johnny Gaudreau or watch highlights of David Rittich’s big save, but the newcomer from the Carolina Hurricanes respects the daily tasks of the media.

And, like a few others who joined the Flames in the off-season from the ’Canes, he has been adjusting to life in the spotlight of being in a Canadian National Hockey League market. Ryan, for one, has definitely noticed the increased volume of interest in the team’s day-to-day activities.

“There is a little more press travelling with us,” admitted the 31-year-old, who spent the past two full seasons in Raleigh after a winding hockey career that has taken him from the Spokane Chiefs to the University of Alberta to Europe to North Carolina. “There’s more in the dressing room. But it’s not too big of a deal … college basketball was probably the biggest (media draw) in Carolina. (On a game day) there would be way less media, for sure, in the dressing room. But the fans there, there were pockets in the city where you’d get recognized. In Calgary, it’s a little more so. People know what you look like and who you are.

“But there are obviously more reporters here.”

In a place such as Calgary, where the Flames are the No. 1 professional sports team — followed by the Calgary Stampeders and the Canadian Football League — the attention is focused firmly on the Scotiabank Saddledome’s main tenants.

Good or bad, win or lose, goaltending struggles and triumphs, the success of their rising stars, the media are there in the dressing room, conducting interviews. Covering games and analyzing the highlights. Reviewing statistics. Watching practices. All of which is aimed to share insight and tell stories on whatever the topic of the day presents.

Admittedly, Elias Lindholm would rather stay behind the scenes.

Having scored 11 goals and 11 assists in 21 games, along with four power-play goals and nine man advantage points, the 23-year-old is one of the hottest topics in the city.

His off-season arrival from the Hurricanes — a trade that also saw the Flames acquire Noah Hanifin and send defenceman Dougie Hamilton, forward Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox to North Carolina — has made a major impact on the Flames’ top line.

He’ll talk about his success. He’ll address the media when requested. He understands why the media would be interested in talking to him.

But it doesn’t mean he yearns for the media spotlight.

“It’s a part of the game,” acknowledged Lindholm. “Media are trying to write the stories and we tell the stories. It’s just a part of the game … it’s a little different for sure. Obviously, some guys are more open to do interviews and some guys just don’t want to do it. It’s part of the game and you kind of have to do it. But it’s notabigdeal.

“It’s more about hockey here and creating more stories. People want to hear more stories in Canada compared to where I was before. It’s different.”

This year, the Hurricanes have one travelling reporter outside of their own in-house media. On a busy day at home at PNC Arena, a scrum would consist of around four media outlets — again, not including the team reporter and flagship television station.

It’s the nature of the market, especially in a college-crazy city like Raleigh. But playing for the Hurricanes certainly made it a lot easier for a guy such as Lindholm to fly under the radar.

“There were people there but not the same as here. A little fewer … but there were days where you didn’t talk to anyone,” he said. “It’s a lot of people (in Calgary). It’s a little different. I’m the type of guy that doesn’t want to be in the media too much. I just want to focus on hockey and just focus on what I can do to get better.

“But obviously, it’s a part of the game and I guess I have to get used to it a bit more.”

Hanifin grew up in the Boston area, which is sports-crazy over the New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Celtics, NCAA sports, you name it. The media attention is magnified, in every sport.

And the 21-year-old loves it. “It’s cool, you know? It’s cool being in a big market like Calgary,” said Hanifin, who spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Hurricanes. “Whenever we came to Canada (with the Hurricanes), there’s always a lot of media here. It’s definitely different than what I’m used to. But I love it. It’s awesome that people have the passion … a super passionate hockey town and I love being part of it. It’s been a great experience so far, I love the city. I love everything about it.

“It’s everything I expected so it’s been awesome.”

It’s awesome that people have the passion … I love being part of it. It’s been a great experience so far, I love the city.