‘I used to be informed to not cross the puck to the center, however they didn’t say something about capturing so …’
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Calgary Flames’ crease hopeful Waltteri Ignatjew has some chill to him.
He proved that final season as a workhorse for Mora IK, incomes the goaltender-of-the-year award in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan and elevating eyebrows with this artistic — and chilly — strategy to his restoration routine.
“We didn’t have an ice bathtub at our rink in Sweden so me and one different Finnish man, we wanted to take issues in our personal palms,” mentioned Ignatjew, who hails initially from Helsinki, with a large grin. “There was, like, a small river beside the rink so we determined to chop a gap within the ice when it was frozen. We minimize a gap and simply dipped in and that was our ice bathtub the entire yr.
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“The Swedish guys have been all laughing at us. They have been like, ‘Who the heck are these two silly Finnish guys, simply sitting within the river?!?’ It’s minus-20 exterior, and we’re simply chilling within the river. However I cherished it.”
Who the heck is Waltteri Ignatjew?
That’s what Flames followers have been asking since mid-April, when the undrafted puck-stopper joined the group on a one-year, two-way contract.
The 24-year-old made his unofficial debut — and first profession begin on an NHL-sized rink — in Saturday’s prospects-only version of the Battle of Alberta, surrendering just one aim on 25 pictures to backstop his squad to a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers’ up-and-comers on the Younger Stars Basic in Penticton, B.C.
If Ignatjew had been profitable on his try to attain an empty-netter within the late levels, he would have instantly made a reputation for himself amongst hockey highlight-watchers. “It was a great rip,” as his coach put it, however one of many Oilers managed to knock it out of the air within the impartial zone.
“We went via somewhat bit, in pre-game skate this morning, what the performs are once I go behind the online,” a beaming Ignatjew informed reporters in a post-game scrum in Penticton. “I used to be informed to not cross the puck to the center, however they didn’t say something about capturing so … ”
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A goalie aim would have been gravy, however Saturday’s stingy efficiency was nonetheless an encouraging first step as Ignatjew adjusts to the pace and angles on the smaller sheet.
“It’s a brand new world on the market, so there’s quite a lot of issues I must get used to,” he informed Postmedia. “As I prefer to say, I’ve to get extra instruments in my toolbox. It comes right down to working with the coaches, working with the employees to get the most effective out of myself this yr. However for me, I identical to to have the chance to show myself right here. I do know it’s a step increased. It’s a greater league than I performed in final yr, so I have to be higher than final yr. I want to tug it up from final yr, preserve the boldness up, and I believe good issues will come.”
Certainly, it’s a sizeable soar from Allsvenskan to the AHL — Ignatjew is projected to open this season as Devin Cooley’s backup with the Calgary Wranglers — however the employees on the Saddledome see gobs of potential on this new addition.
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Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 lb., he brings a mix of dimension and athleticism. “I believe I learn the sport nicely,” he added. “Despite the fact that I’m a giant man, I really feel like I’m in a position to transfer shortly and beat the cross.”
Ignatjew was, by far, the busiest backstop in Sweden’s second division in 2023-24 and responded with a 26-18 document, a 2.34 goals-against common and .918 save proportion. His GAA was even decrease in a dozen playoff outings.
As Flames director of goaltending Jordan Sigalet described after the signing was introduced within the spring: “He simply has an aura to him when he performs. There’s this calm confidence to his recreation.”
A bit little bit of chill, you would say.
“I’m tremendous grateful to get this opportunity to show myself with the Flames,” mentioned Ignatjew, who idolized Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne as a child and has, in fact, heard the tales of Miikka Kiprusoff’s heyday in Calgary. “The NHL is one thing I’ve been all the time dreaming about, since I begin taking part in hockey. It’s an unreal feeling to be right here now.
“In fact, the NHL remains to be far-off, so I assume it’s nonetheless a dream. However I’m one step nearer to make that dream come true.”
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As a bonus, he received’t must step exterior for a soak after practices and video games this season.
On his first tour of the Saddledome, he was thrilled to identify an ice bathtub within the dwelling locker room.
“I don’t must go discover a river,” he quipped. “In order that’s good.”
ICE CHIPS: The Flames will wrap the 2024 Younger Stars Basic with Monday’s matchup towards the host Vancouver Canucks. Puck-drop is about for 3:30 p.m. MT and the motion can be live-streamed on the workforce web site and broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fan … Sam Morton has been Calgary’s event standout to date, with two targets and an help. Morton turned 25 over the summer time, which means he has a number of years of expertise on most of his foes, however it’s nonetheless a great signal that this school free-agent signing has been a pressure in Penticton … Luke Misa, a fifth-round decide within the 2024 NHL Draft, put up two factors towards the Oilers. The 18-year-old Misa notched a hat-trick in July on the Flames’ growth camp scrimmage, so the undersized ahead is absolutely displaying a knack for placing his title on the rating sheet. He’ll be a go-to man this winter for the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads.
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