I got a bad feeling when I read this piece by Calgary beat writer Eric Francis about the fight between the Flames' Travis Hamonic and Vancouver's Erik Gudbranson on Wednesday night.
Hamonic went after Gudbranson after the big Vancouver defender was penalized for a hit on Calgary rookie Dillon Dube on his opening shift.
#Canucks Gudbranson on early hit on Dube
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) October 4, 2018
‘Truthfully that was a bad hit on the kid’
Gudbranson may be big, but he's not the fighter that Francis makes him out to be. According to HockeyFights.com, he dropped the gloves with some regularity early in his career, when he was in Florida. But he has had five fights since joining the Canucks: against Zack Kassian of Edmonton and Matt Martin of Toronto in 2016-17, against Tim Schaller (then of Boston) and Tom Wilson of Washington last season—and on Wednesday against Hamonic.
Hamonic may give away three inches and 15 pounds to Gudbranson but at 6'2" and 205 pounds, he's not small by any means. It's also not unusual to see him punch above his weight. He has also dropped the gloves much more regularly than Gudbranson in recent years and his seven opponents last season included big dudes like Anthony Mantha of Detroit (6'5" and 225 pounds) and Darnell Nurse of Edmonton (6'4" and 221).
Hamonic initiated the fight on Wednesday—and he can handle himself. What came next was just bad luck for him.
A gasp went through Rogers Arena on Wednesday night when Gudbranson landed that wicked uppercut to Hamonic's jaw. Hamonic did return to the game with a facial protector attached to his helmet but after further medical evaluation, he has now been ruled out of the lineup—listed as week-to-week with a facial fracture.
As Francis predicted, big Dalton Prout is drawing into the opening on Calgary's blue line, bringing a more physical presence to the Flames lineup for the rematch in Calgary on Saturday night.
#Flames at practice today:
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) October 5, 2018
Gaudreau-Monahan-Lindholm
Tkachuk-Backlund-Czarnik
Dube-Ryan-Neal
Bennett-Jankowski-Frolik
Giordano-Brodie
Hanifin-Stone
Valimaki-Prout
Andersson
So here we are: talking about revenge and retribution, just two games into the season. I'm having nightmare flashbacks: to the infamous Flames/Canucks line brawl of 2013, when John Tortorella got so mad he stormed the Calgary dressing room, and also to the rhetoric that built up before the Todd Bertuzzi/Steve Moore incident back in 2004.
Hockey, why ya gotta be like this?
I'd rather see a snoozer on Saturday than see anybody trying to exact his pound of flesh.
Anyway....let's move on to more pleasant and predictable fare:
Sedins sighting in hallway outside #Canucks room this morning
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) October 5, 2018
Also...
Roussel is on the ice this morning for #Canucks practice. pic.twitter.com/VNWSJabQSk
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 5, 2018
This is the first time that Roussel has skated with the team after suffering his offseason concussion.
Roussel actively involved as PK’er at practice. Still on IR, but looking like he can’t be too far away
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) October 5, 2018
As we've discussed previously, once Roussel is ready to get into the lineup, that could mean another waiver move for the team. That segues into what I was originally planning on covering today:
The Utica Comets kick off their regular season tonight at home against the Toronto Marlies!
Game time is 4 p.m. PT from Utica, and this weekend's games can be streamed for free through the new AHL TV:
Are you ready for #AHLOpeningNight?
— AHL (@TheAHL) October 4, 2018
Watch every game of Opening Weekend FREE on #AHLTV. Yes, free.
Details: https://t.co/bMAYmlw8z0 pic.twitter.com/df3boSvuyg
The Comets announced their opening-night roster on Thursday:
Comets keeping 29 players to start the season. No other cuts now. pic.twitter.com/yQmDKav0yf
— O-D Comets (@OD_Comets) October 4, 2018
Thatcher Demko and Yan-Pavel Laplante remain on injured reserve.
After clearing waivers, Sam Gagner was loaned to the Marlies, so he'll be suiting up on the other side of the ice tonight.
Sam Gagner leads to post practice stretch at his first practice with the @TorontoMarlies pic.twitter.com/eMzXu0gO0i
— Todd Crocker (@HockeyCrock) October 4, 2018
The loan to the Marlies is not uncommon at the AHL level and is a gesture of support for Gagner, who grew up in the Toronto area. His wife Rachel and two young boys, Cooper and Beckham, were with him in Vancouver during preseason:
If they're not there already, it shouldn't be long before the whole Gagner crew reunites in Big Smoke.
Gagner's placement could also prove to have some benefit for the Comets, as he won't take up a veteran roster spot. From AHL.com, here's a reminder of the league's "Development Rule."
Of the 18 skaters (not counting two goaltenders) that teams may dress for a game, at least 13 must be qualified as “development players.… Of those 13, 12 must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (including AHL, NHL and European elite leagues), and one must have played in 320 or fewer professional games. All calculations for development status are based on regular-season totals as of the start of the season.
The Comets have a massive influx of new faces on their roster this year: youth will be served.
Tune in tonight to see stalwarts like Darren Archibald, Reid Boucher and Brendan Gaunce skating alongside Jonathan Dahlen, Adam Gaudette, Kole Lind, Lukas Jasek, Petrus Palmu, Jonah Gadjovich and Olli Juolevi.