The Calgary Flames got out of town before Friday’s FAA shutdown could turn their travel day into a headache.
The United States’ Federal Aviation Administration issued a ground stop across all American airports on Friday afternoon, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The order kept flights that were still on the ground from taking off, while planes already airborne and bound for U.S. airports were allowed to keep going.
That timing worked out for the Flames, who had already left Calgary for Los Angeles International Airport. The team was headed to LAX from Calgary International Airport for Saturday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena.
The Flames had practiced earlier Friday morning at the Scotiabank Saddledome after a scheduled day off on Thursday. According to QR Calgary’s Pat Steinberg, the main note from the session was a small change to the bottom six forward lines, and injured forward Jonathan Huberdeau will not travel with the club even though he is nearing a return.
After practice, the Flames went straight to the airport, boarded their charter, and departed in the early afternoon Calgary time. By the time the FAA announced the ground stop, the team was already in the air and about halfway to LAX. Their plane was reported to have landed as scheduled.
Calgary, now 8-10-1, is in California for a three-game road trip that continues with Sunday night’s matchup against the Anaheim Ducks and Tuesday night’s visit to the San Jose Sharks. The Flames typically use a charter bus between their hotels in Los Angeles and Anaheim, so they won’t need another airport trip until after Sunday’s game, when they head north for the final stop on the trip.
In Other News...
Sharangovich Is Becoming A Real Flames Roster Problem
The Flames have found enough early-season production from Joel Farabee, Matt Coronato, Matvei Gridin, Adam Klapka, Kevin Bahl, Zayne Parekh and Devin Cooley to stay afloat through a better-than-expected 8-10-1 start, but the roster picture is getting messier in a hurry. A few regulars have lagged behind the pace, and among them, Yegor Sharangovich stands out as the most troubling case for a team trying to sort out its forward group on the fly.
Sharangovich arrived with real expectations after signing a five-year contract following a strong initial season in Calgary, but this year has been a sharp step back. With Jonathan Huberdeau and Sam Honzek working their way toward returns from injury, the Flames may soon have more bodies than spots, and Sharangovich's place in the lineup is suddenly anything but secure. For a club that has gotten more than expected from some young pieces, the challenge now is deciding how long it can keep waiting on a veteran who has not delivered. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Coaching Situation Suddenly Feels Like A Bigger Story
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For Calgary, the timing matters because the club is still sorting through its own blue-line response to Kevin Bahls season-ending injury. Management appears more inclined to open the door for younger defenders than to chase a major veteran fix, and that approach could shape how aggressively the Flames browse the market as the trade deadline gets closer. As the deadline chatter builds, so will the list of possible trade targets and roster tweaks. [Read more 🡒]
Craig Conroy Thinks The Flames Can Change A Brutal Narrative
The recruiting pitch around Canadian teams is always a little different, and Flames general manager Craig Conroy knows it. He said some players and agents still show hesitation about coming north, with Calgary sometimes carrying its own reputation in those conversations, but he pointed to the Jacob Middleton trade as proof that the door is not closed for players who want to be here.
Middleton, for his part, offered a reminder that the reasons players choose a team are not always complicated. He talked about his Canadian roots, his family and the direction of the organization, which is exactly the kind of response Calgary wants to keep hearing as it tries to reshape that long-running narrative. [Read more 🡒]