{"id":675035,"date":"2026-09-30T10:01:08","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T10:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/675035\/"},"modified":"2026-09-30T10:01:08","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T10:01:08","slug":"after-earning-last-flames-roster-spot-what-can-brennan-othmann-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/675035\/","title":{"rendered":"After earning last Flames’ roster spot, what can Brennan Othmann be?"},"content":{"rendered":"

From the start of Calgary Flames<\/a> training camp, it was always clear that there weren’t many jobs to be won.<\/p>\n

In the end, Brennan Othmann earned himself the one gig that was available.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old will be on the opening night roster<\/a> on Thursday night when the Flames open their 2026-27 campaign against the Seattle Kraken. Whether he’ll play or not, we’ll find out, but for the first time in his short career Othmann will be starting a season in the NHL.<\/p>\n

“We had a couple guys who were pushing,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “(Aydar) Suniev had a great camp. We all know that about him and I’m sure we’re going to see him sooner than later. The challenge for him is to go down and play and be the best player for the Wrangler team.<\/p>\n

“With (Othmann), he stepped in and even though it was 53 seconds in the first game, he (made an) impact on that game and he did the same thing in his next game. Him having a little bit of NHL experience leading into this has put him in a position to be ready for this. He did what he had to do, he made sure people noticed him and the one thing we really liked about what he did was he brought people into the fight with him and I think that’s really important for the makeup of our team.”<\/p>\n

As Huska referenced, Othmann was ejected from the Flames’ pre-season opener just five minutes into the game for a questionably high hit on the Seattle Kraken’s Ville Ottavainen. He’d already drawn a penalty in the game’s first few minutes, though, and made sure to drop the gloves and tussled with John Hayden before leaving the ice.<\/p>\n

In his second game, also against the Kraken, Othmann managed to draw a few more penalties and recorded two assists.<\/p>\n

He made people notice him, as Huska referenced.<\/p>\n

And now, it’s earned him a shot with the Flames.<\/p>\n

Picked in the first round, 16th overall, in 2021 by the New York Rangers, Othmann struggled to earn playing time with his first NHL employer. He’d put up big numbers in the OHL, but needed to adapt his game to the pro level.<\/p>\n

When the Flames acquired him in March, it was as much the grittiness he’d added to his game as his offensive skill set that they wanted. Now, it’s earned him an NHL job on opening night for the first time.<\/p>\n

“It’s been an up and down road, up and down going through mountains and stuff like that to get here,” Othmann said. “First time for me, so it’s a fun moment for my family and me. I worked hard in camp, worked hard in summer, so lucky and very thankful I’m able to start the year. For me, the work’s not done.”<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

Othmann spent the summer working on his fitness with Gary Roberts in Toronto and came into camp confident. Even if there weren’t a tonne of obvious opportunities available on the Flames’ roster, he was intent on making his mark.<\/p>\n

It worked, and Othmann’s gritty skill set should make Flames fans fall in love with him quickly. He appeared in only two NHL games after the team acquired him at the trade deadline, but his place on the opening night roster suggests there’s a lot more playing time ahead.<\/p>\n

“Don’t forget, he’s a younger guy still,” Huska said. “Things didn’t go the way he wanted them to in New York, but he’s got a new lease on life. Sometimes with players, they may not work out in their first stop, but the next one it does, because they figure out a few things along the way as well.<\/p>\n

“The one thing he’s figured out I think, yes, he’s a skill player that can make plays but there’s a part of his game that allows him to be really effective and that’s the gritty rat style that he brought to the table in these couple games and the way he practised. You figure things out, and I think he’s at that point now.”<\/p>\n

daustin@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n

X: @DannyAustin_9<\/a><\/p>\n

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