Flames get their fill of hockey in Edmonton bubble

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EDMONTON — For a hockey fan, this is the ultimate set-up.

Everywhere you turn, there’s a game. Every hour, there’s a game.

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Don’t want to watch it on the giant screen and bask in the sunshine, just outside Rogers Place? Head back to your hotel room and turn on the T.V. Or head to the restaurant and it’s on any number of flatscreens there. Or join your teammates in one of the team’s suites. Or walk a few steps and you’re inside the arena and can watch it up close. Bring your jacket or a hot Double-Double from Tim Hortons to keep you warm though.

In the National Hockey League bubble in downtown Edmonton, part of the ‘Return to Play’ set-up to protect players and staff from the COVID-19 pandemic, the game is on.

“I’ve been saying it all along — it’s a youth hockey tournament. Everywhere you go, there’s a game on T.V. or you go to dinner or you’re at the game or you’re watching it,” said Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk. “It’s an exciting time for a hockey fan and for us players, it’s exciting too. We’re keeping tabs on the other teams, just watching as fans.”

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Categorize it as research and development, which adds to the scouting reports already compiled by the Flames’ catching staff.

With all of this free time on their hands, between preparing and playing themselves, what else is there to do?

“I never thought I’d be at an Arizona-Nashville game live, but now I can cross that off the bucket list,” said Flames forward Milan Lucic with a chuckle. “But it’s fun to go watch, it’s fun to see other guys and see the talent and all that type of stuff. You’ve gotta do what you can to stay busy here and that’s one of the options we have.”

With no families in the hub, no kids to entertain, no meals to cook, no household chores, and no off-ice obligations with their personal lives, everything revolves around hockey. On top of it all, they have time to sit down and fully immerse themselves in the game and highlights.

“I find it more fun to watch on T.V. now,” said Mikael Backlund. “Watching without fans is completely different, I find. Playing, I don’t really care — I miss the fans but we’re so into the game, you don’t focus on it as much. But on T.V., you can definitely notice a big difference.”

The Flames have a group chat going and will organize whoever wants to head over to the arena to watch a few periods here and there on an off-day.

“Just to get out of the hotel sometimes is nice to go for a little walk,” said Flames captain Mark Giordano. “The games are on everywhere. They’re on in your room, on T.V., they’re on in our lounge on T.V., then you have the opportunity to watch them live. We try to watch as many games as possible but sometimes that gets old too. Sometimes it’s good to get away.”

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After the Flames opened their best-of-seven series against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, the epic quintuple overtime game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning was still going on in the Toronto hub.

In the empty Rogers Place arena, following Calgary’s 3-2 win over the Stars, you could hear cheers of players that had stuck around to see the ending.

Then, Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. MT., the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins were playing their postponed game to kick off another full slate.

Is there anything better than watching morning NHL hockey … in the summertime?

“It’s been a lot of hockey,” said Flames forward Sam Bennett. “I feel like everywhere you go, you get to see highlights or games on. I’m not used to watching this much hockey in August, but we’re all big hockey fans so it’s been fun.”

kanderson@postmedia.com

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