Elliott hot to trot in Flames jersey
Former Blues goaltender happy to be undisputed No. 1 starter in Calgary this season
CALGARY — The temperatures outside are scorching, but new Calgary Flames goaltender Brian Elliott is eager to get back to the rink. After years of fending off challengers for his job in St. Louis, Elliott has big expectations entering next season as the unquestioned No. 1 in Calgary.
“This is a big one for me, so I’m really looking forward to it,” Elliott said when introduced to the media on Wednesday.
“Sometimes, you want that extra bit of summer to relax and enjoy your downtime, but now I’ve got really excited to get the pads back on and ready to get back at it.”
The Flames acquired the 31-yearold native of Newmarket, Ont., from St. Louis on the night of the NHL draft for a second-round pick. Elliott and his wife were on vacation in Croatia at the time.
“When I got the news, it was 2 o’clock in the morning and I saw my phone lighting up. I didn’t go back to sleep after that, I was so excited.”
Elliott has the second-highest save percentage in the league among goalies who have played at least 50 games over the past five seasons, at .925, just behind New Jersey’s Cory Schneider (.926).
Yet, as well as he has performed over that five-year period in St. Louis, he never seemed to fully gain the trust of the Blues coaching staff, who kept trying other options. He gave way to Jaroslav Halak in one playoffs, Ryan Miller was brought in to be the guy in another. Two years ago, it was Jake Allen the Blues turned to in the post-season.
“To have that good of numbers and not get the opportunity to be the No. 1 guy, sometimes it’s frustrating,” Elliott said. “But I’ve always believed if you worked hard, put your head down and plowed through it, opportunities will pop up for you.”
Last year, the Flames trio of Jonas Hiller, Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio collectively ranked last in the NHL in goaltending.
Calgary will turn to two new goalies for 2016-17. Veteran backup Chad Johnson was signed as a free agent.
Elliott was selected 291st overall by Ottawa in the 2003 draft and has played 323 career games (16599-32) with the Senators, Blues and Colorado Avalanche. He said he’s ready for this next chapter.
“It’s talked about a lot with goaltenders. It just takes longer to develop. You have to go through those experiences just to be able to be that consistent player and not really feel the ups and downs and the roller -coaster of a season,” he said. “Just stay calm. Trust your game, trust your work and just go out and play. It takes time to learn that.”
Flames general manager Brad Treliving said while Elliott’s on-ice performance was important, they also really liked the fit off the ice.
“The numbers speak for themselves, but a big part of us going out and getting Brian is also the person,” he said. “We talked to players who played with him, teammates who have had him, coaches who have coached him. The work ethic, the type of person that he is in the locker-room, the teammate stood out as much as the goaltender stood out.”