It’s become a sort of inside joke for the Calgary Flames, one that doesn’t require a whole lot of explanation to those who don’t have preferred parking privileges at the Saddledome.
Rasmus Andersson was midway through a media interview earlier this week when his blue-line buddy MacKenzie Weegar strolled past and quipped, “There’s the distraction.”
From a team golf outing just before training camp, Weegar made a similar joke on social media.
It is, of course, a reference to Andersson’s uncertain future in Calgary, with his contract running out at the end of this season and the trade winds continuing to blow.
It was supposed to be the big question facing the Flames this fall — would there be an unsettled, awkward feeling around the rink because one of the locker-room leaders could soon be on his way out of town?
There’s been no hint of that yet. Just the odd wisecrack about it.
“I just think it keeps it loose in the dressing room,” Weegar said. “It creates a different distraction for our group. It’s a distraction against the distraction, I guess. We can all laugh about it.
“And also, I think it helps a bit with Ras, the player. If it’s loose and he knows it’s not a distraction to us, then it’s not going to affect him. We still need him to play for us right now too and not worry about the business side of things, and neither will we. That’s my focus on it.”
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If you have been watching the first week of Flames’ training camp, ‘distraction’ certainly doesn’t seem like a fair description for Andersson.
‘Disruptive’ maybe, a sign that he’s his usual self.
The 28-year-old Swede has long been an enemy of silence, and he’s not adjusted his volume any amidst all the outside noise.
He still loves to chirp. If fitness-testing included words per minute, he would have been crowned the fastest Flame in at least two languages.
“He’s just Ras, there’s no difference,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “I’ve seen a guy that has worked very hard in camp this year. I know from last year, with the six of our guys that we leaned on heavily in the leadership department, Ras takes it very seriously. And I’ve seen a lot of that this year and even him taking it to another level.
“So nothing really different. He’s still … I don’t know how to put it … bothersome to his teammates off the ice. He’s the practical joker. He’s always got a comment for something. So there has been nothing that has changed with his approach this year.”
Nothing will change in his approach.
Andersson, one of Calgary’s alternate captains, has been adamant about that.
“Everybody knows my contract situation. That’s nothing new,” he said. “But I try to be myself. I can’t come to the rink and be someone else. I’ve always had that louder personality. I come to the rink and have fun and work hard.”
Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson as training camp kicked off at WinSport in Calgary on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
What hasn’t gone unnoticed is that he’s also been quick to offer pointers to youngsters like Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz, two rising righties who might be complicating his own future with the only NHL organization he’s known.
While you’ll see reports that both the Flames and Andersson are leaving the door open on possibly rekindling extension talks, a trade still seems to be the most probable outcome.
Until then, however, Andersson will continue to log massive minutes, continue to wear an ‘A’ on his sweater and continue to rival the decibel level of the locker-room speaker system.
Throughout training camp, he has been paired with Parekh on Calgary’s second power-play unit. The wily veteran marvelled “it’s crazy when you see the skill” that the kid has. Andersson seems to be enjoying the opportunity to wallop one-timers off Parekh passes.
“I think I’m a good competitor, and I want to have success here, right?” Andersson stressed. “I want us to push for a playoff spot the whole year. If it’s with one, two, three, four, five young guys, I don’t care. Just as long as we have a good team.
“So you just want them to feel as comfortable as possible. I remember, when I came up, you liked the people that you could mess around with a little bit with and have fun with. I obviously got close to Gio (Mark Giordano) pretty early.
“I just hope they’re feeling comfortable around us. Because I think we’re pretty chill guys, me and Weegsy. We like to screw around and have fun. We chirp ’em here and there. And I expect to hear a chirp back sometimes.”
Maybe something about a distraction?
ICE CHIPS: The Flames have reassigned power-forward-in-progress Hunter Laing, a sixth-round pick in 2024, to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.