(Calgary) The 68 games Martin St. Louis played for the Calgary Flames, from 1998 to 2000, did not significantly affect the balance sheet of his long and prolific career.
Posted at 2:43 pm.
Updated at 3:38 pm.
That doesn’t stop the former striker from keeping very vivid memories of his first NHL skating moves…especially since he made them in Japan!
The Flames and the San Jose Sharks actually kicked off the 1998-1999 campaign with two games in Tokyo. Then St. Louis, 23, completed a hat-trick with Theorin Florey and Andrew Castles.
“They had a good weekend, but not me, so I got off really fast! The Canadians’ coach, recalling the anecdote, exclaimed Thursday morning, a few hours before the CH-Flames duel scheduled for the evening.
Checked out, Florey collected six points, including five during Game Two, and Cassells had two assists. During this trip, Kipkere finally played only 13 games for the big club that season.
This does not prevent Calgary from retaining a precious place in it [son] Heart, “because there was a” chance to realize [son] dream “.
When asked by a local journalist to describe the young man who was at the time, St. Louis took a moment to think before uttering the word “starving.”
“But not just to play in the National Hockey League, it was accurate. Because there is a huge difference between playing and having a career, and between having a career and being successful for a long time.”
Reunion
This Calgary stop will also mark the reunion between St. Louis and coach Daryl Sutter. This topic is generally invoked when two former teammates meet, or when a player and his former coach meet.
However, the two never worked together, strictly speaking. However, they have faced each other several times, including twice in the Stanley Cup Final. In 2004, she defeated St. Louis and Tampa Bay Lightning Sutter and Calgary Flames. The roles were reversed in 2014 when the Los Angeles Kings, led by Sutter, defeated St. Louis and New York Rangers in five games.
On Wednesday, Sutter rightly expressed the great respect he feels for the person he will have on Thursday evening.
St. Louis emphasized that it is not a one-way street. I have a lot of respect for what he accomplished in hockey as a coach, for everything he won. It’s always difficult to face his teams. »
After nearly 35 years behind the NHL bench, Sutter hasn’t lost any of his “severe look all the time”. Everywhere he’s been, including today in Calgary, his bands “play with strength, with rhythm, and with structure.”
“Everyone can see that he is the boss. No wonder his squads are successful, because he enforces his discipline.”
Speaking of success, it’s on fire (sorry) these days. And not a little. They have won 12 of their last 13 matches and have not lost at home since January 13th. Their 15-4-4 record at Saddledome testifies to the fact that there will be no giveaway against the Canadian.
“It’s a great opportunity for us, Mike Hoffman abounded. We play hockey really well, so playing one of the best teams on our soil, if not one of the best ever, is a good challenge.”
PHOTO BRAD PENNER, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVE
Andrew Hammond
Michael Pesetta will return to the Canadian squad, while Mathieu Perrault will be left out. In goal, Andrew Hammond, who made his last match last Saturday, will face Jacob Markstrom.
The game will start at 9:00 PM Quebec time.