College Star Spencer Foo to make NHL debut with Calgary Flames on Saturday

During their courtship last off-season of this highly-sought collegiate free-agent, the Calgary Flames cranked up the Jumbotron during Spencer Foo’s visit and showed several clips of his scoring exploits.

Just imagine …

Now, Foo will be aiming for a real-deal replay.

On the big screen.

On the big stage.

Signed last July and stationed for most of the season with the Flames’ farm club, the 23-year-old right-winger was recalled Thursday from the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat.

Foo should log his NHL debut in Saturday’s Battle of Alberta.

“He’s really come on, so this is a guy who’s deserved to get up here,” praised Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “He’s another guy we covet … and we want to see him play now.”

Foo notched 20 goals and 37 points in 59 showings in Stockton before Thursday’s dream-come-true call from Calgary.

Those numbers are not too shabby, but they’re more impressive when you consider his sluggish start in his first couple of months in the professional ranks.

The 6-foot, 190-lb. righty from Edmonton managed one measly marker and a half-dozen assists in his first 19 outings at the AHL level. Since a slump-busting, confidence-boosting hat-trick in early December against the neighbouring San Jose Barracuda, he’s been averaging 0.75 points per game — with 19 tallies and 11 helpers over that impressive stretch.

Foo is now just one goal shy of matching injured left-winger Andrew Mangiapane — finished for the season due to shoulder surgery — for Stockton’s team lead.

That quest, however, is on hold while he enjoys a late-season look-see with the Flames.

“Obviously, I wanted to come in and make an impact right away but with it taking some time to finally get there, I did learn a lot,” Foo said earlier this week, before receiving the orders to stuff a suitcase and report to the Saddledome.

“And now that I’m kind of at that point, it’s a bit of a different feeling going into the rink when you know your team is relying on you to produce. At the start of the year, we had so many guys that are up (in Calgary) now that were helping our team score every night. Since those guys have been gone, there hasn’t been a ton of secondary scoring, so I’m glad I’ve been able to round out my game there and start helping our team in that way.”

• Flames highly touted prospect Foo finding pro groove

Foo’s knack for finding the back of the net is the reason several NHL organizations made a serious pitch as the Hobey Baker Award candidate weighed his entry-level contract options last June.

He’d racked up 26 goals and 62 points in 38 dates during his junior campaign with the Union College Dutchmen. Across the NCAA’s Div. I landscape, only three guys — all seniors — had tickled twine more often.

Put it this way — the Flames didn’t struggle to find highlights for that big-screen sampler on Foo’s recruiting trip to the Saddledome. (He also visited the Vegas Golden Knights, Detroit Red Wings and his hometown Edmonton Oilers before signing in Calgary).

“At the beginning of our year, I think he was finding his way,” said Heat head coach Ryan Huska. “You’re, I guess if you want to put this way, a big fish in a small pond (in college). Then all of a sudden, that role gets reversed on you a little bit, so it does take a bit of getting used to.

“But the thing you really love about Spencer is he works very hard. He’s similar to Andrew Mangiapane in that he always wants to be on the ice, so he’s consistently working on extra things after and he really does love being out there. So there are reasons his play has improved over the course of the year, and a lot of it has to do with his commitment and his work that he’s put into it.”

Certainly, it shows on the score-sheet.

As Foo boarded Thursday’s flight to Calgary, that early-season dry-spell must have seemed like a distant memory.

“I just knew if I stayed with it and kept working on my all-around game, I thought the offence would always come,” he said earlier this week. “And I’m sitting here now and things have paid off a little, so I’m just happy I was able to stay positive through it all.

“I’m feeling as confident as ever out there now, so things are good.”

Source: Flames reward former college star Foo with late-season call-up | Calgary Sun