Kevin Rooney enjoys new role with Flames

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Kevin Rooney has been waiting 14 months for another chance to prove he belongs in the National Hockey League.

What did the 30-year-old center do when he was recalled as a rookie in early February after spending most of last season in the minors and sustaining a serious shoulder injury in an unfortunate spill during a training camp practice? I wonder if I was thinking that. How did it start with the Calgary Flames?

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It’s interesting so you should give it a listen…

“I was in LA with the Wranglers and there were only three middle seats left on the plane to Boston,” Rooney said with a smile. “So me and Schwinny (Cole Schwindt) and Peltz (Jacob Pelletier) were all on the plane the whole time, all sitting in the middle seats. All that was inside was, “I want you to get off this plane.” ”

Thanks to his accomplishments since then and his emergence as a key part of the penalty kill unit, you can’t leave him out of the lineup.

Looney was limited to just 17 games in his first season with the Flames.

With this latest stint, he has now suited up 19 times in a row. Head coach Ryan Husker continues to tinker with the checking unit combo, but Looney has been key over the past six weeks.

Asked about the rhythm of his nightly role, Rooney said, “It’s huge.” “It never crossed my mind that if I messed up one play, I might be taken off the roster. Even when I was hurt, the Husks were watching from above, and probably for much longer than they have in the past.” He pieced the lines together and I was excited to come in and show him what I could do and hopefully get an identity and a role for the team.

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“I think they were probably tougher on them this time than they were last year in keeping me out of the lineup,” he continued. “Now, it’s up to me to keep doing it. What have you done for me lately? League type. I learned that the hard way last year.”

In fact, Rooney’s first season in Calgary was as smooth as riding a bull’s back for eight seconds.

He spent the fall in Darryl Sutter’s kennel and then winter at the Wranglers. Despite his one-sided contract, he was demoted in December and was never recalled.

Heading into the 2023-24 season, many had questions about Looney’s suitability (and future) with the Flames. He must have done the same, but he left no doubt. He changed his summer training plan, worked with a skills coach in California to increase his confidence with the puck, and showed up on a mission to re-establish his status as a full-timer.

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He was on track to crack the Flames’ opening roster, save for a freak shoulder injury he suffered at the end of training camp. He swerved to avoid a collision with netminder Jacob Markstrom and instead crashed into the end boards.

Surgery was required.

The wait continued. (Once contact was cleared, he returned to the AHL for a quick rust stop.)

The fourth-line center hasn’t gotten much attention, but Looney has been a positive story for the Flames since being called up to play in the NHL again.

Whenever his team is short, he and Mikael Backlund are the first forwards designated for penalty-kill duties. On Monday against the Washington Capitals, that meant trying to prevent Alex Ovechkin from unplugging that legendary one-timer.

Not only did Looney earn a regular role on this restructured team, he was rewarded with a one-year contract extension on trade deadline day. “He did what we set out to do last year and we couldn’t be happier,” general manager Craig Conroy praised after completing his paperwork.

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“After last year, even in the summer, there were a lot of nights where I thought, ‘What happened? So what was it that made me successful before?'” Rooney said. “After my season with the Wranglers ended, I thought, ‘As the season goes on, I get better and better and I feel like I’ve established an identity there. I’m going to come back and be exactly the same person. , wanted to be the same player.

“But yeah, there have been a lot of tough nights. It makes me realize what a huge privilege it is to be here in the NHL.”

That’s not just because major league charter flights don’t have middle seats.

Rooney grins at the good news.

“I hope this is the end.”

wgilbertson@postmedia.com

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