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Flames Forward Caps Long Journey to NHL With First Goal

The Calgary Flames are hoping the hot start from one of their depth forwards will continue being one of the most heartwarming stories of the NHL season.

Jacob Punturi

Oct 13, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Calgary Flames celebrate a goal scored by forward Justin Kirkland (58) during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Oct 13, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Calgary Flames celebrate a goal scored by forward Justin Kirkland (58) during the third period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images / Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
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The Calgary Flames are one of the most surprising teams as the NHL season begins. With a 3-0 record to start the year, their hot start has the league's attention. Many projected this team to finish towards the bottom of the standings, and while that's still possible, their start is bucking those trends.

A huge part of the Flames early success is the contributions they are getting throughout the lineup. That includes 28-year-old winger Justin Kirkland, who recorded his first career NHL goal in the team's recent victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

Kirkland is just one example of persistence paying off in the NHL. The Canadian-born winger was selected in the third-round of the 2014 draft by the Nashville Predators, but it's been a decade-long journey to get to his first point in the NHL. Bleacher Report's hockey X account, Open Ice, shared an incredible infographic on Kirkland's career arc.

After concluding his junior career in the Western Hockey League, Kirkland spent the start of his professional career in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) with the Cincinnati Cyclones. He graduated to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he would play the next seven seasons without receiving any NHL call-ups.

That all changed during the 2022-2023 season, when the Anaheim Ducks called him up for seven games. He failed to record a point, but it was his first taste of the show. It would led to a contract with the now defunct Arizona Coyotes and another two NHL games with their club. Again, he spent the majority of his time with Arizona with their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, recording 30 points in 43 games.

That caught the attention of the Flames, who signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason. He surprisingly made the NHL team out of training camp, and now he's making an impact right out of the gate. He fared strongly in his first taste of the Battle of Alberta, scoring his first career goal against the Edmonton Oilers.

It's unclear how long this hot streak will run for Kirkland, but he doesn't care. This is a culmination of a decade of dedication and hard work finally giving him an opportunity. While he has it, he's making the most of it with the Flames.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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