Flames defenceman Kylington making a comeback beginning in the AHL
The Calgary Flames have assigned defenceman Oliver Kylington to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL for the purpose of a conditioning stint.
This is excellent news for Kylington, who missed the entire 2022-23 season and has yet to play in 2023-24 due to personal reasons, which he later admitted were due to mental health issues. In a statement released today, he said that he is now in a much better place mentally, to the point that he feels he is ready to get back to playing.
“I feel I’m in a good place with my mental health and ready to take another step forward,” Kylington said. “Returning to Calgary has been the right decision. I’ve felt tremendous commitment from Flames ownership, management, and my teammates, and I am appreciative of the support and resources made available to me. I also thank my family, friends, and the fans for their encouragement. I’m looking forward to getting on the ice in a team environment and back to my everyday life. I have missed it very much.”
Kylington showed in the 2021-22 season what he is capable of, as he posted career-highs across the board with nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. If he can get back to that level, the smooth-skating blue liner could be of huge help to the Flames. Even better, as pointed out by general manager Craig Conroy, is that the organization is getting back a tremendous person.
“First and foremost, as an organization, we care about Oliver as a person. We are so happy that he has made positive progression with his mental well-being, and we will continue to support Oliver through this process,” Conroy said. “Based on his feedback, and that of health professionals, we have developed a return to play plan for Oliver. This conditioning assignment to the Wranglers for full practice integration is the next step in that process. Oliver will continue with his treatment, and we will monitor as he moves forward.”
It appeared that after missing the 2022-23 campaign, Kylington was set to return to the Flames blue line this season. However, on the opening day of training camp, it was announced that he was unable to participate. At that point, many fans questioned if he would once again miss the entire season.
The difference between this year and last was that, instead of returning to Sweden, Kylington remained in Calgary despite being absent from training camp. He was then able to return to the ice with his Flames teammates in early December, and with today’s news appears to be making another big stride in his effort to return to NHL game action.
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