A former captain of the Victoria Royals got the rookie treatment when he made his National Hockey League debut on Wednesday night.
Matthew Phillips led the Calgary Flames out onto the ice for the pre-game skate before Wednesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. And as the tradition goes for any NHL newby, the rest of the Flames held back in the hallway to give Phillips a couple lonely laps around the Calgary end before they eventually joined him for the warmup.
Making his NHL debut in his hometown 🔥
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 19, 2021
Welcome to The Show, @mattphillips_8! pic.twitter.com/rNuEzObvUv
The solo skate came in front of an empty Scotiabank Saddledome, but it was still a special moment for the kid from Calgary.
“It was just so cool,” Phillips said in a post-game interview. “Especially at the Saddledome, it just makes it that much better.”
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The 23-year-old played for the Royals from the end of 2015 campaign through the 2018 season. A scoring star for the Royals, Phillips had 136 goals and 145 assists in 212 games during his Western Hockey League career.
Phillips then played three years with Calgary’s farm team, the Stockton Heat, where he tallied 36 goals and 56 helpers in 133 American Hockey League contests.
"It's hard to put into words."
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 19, 2021
Calgary's own Matthew Phillips checks in after his NHL debut to talk about the experience. pic.twitter.com/h9qV3kIn23
Phillips had two shots on goal in just over 14 minutes of ice time during the Flames’ 6-2 win over the Canucks.
"He's got a big heart and he tries hard."
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 19, 2021
Darryl Sutter on Matthew Phillips' NHL debut. pic.twitter.com/zFi1nc6DKA
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