Dillon Dubé is starting to find his stride in the NHL.
The 21-year-old Cochranite, who plays right wing for the Calgary Flames, celebrated another career milestone Jan. 5, scoring the winning goal in a shootout victory over the Minnesota Wild.
According to Dubé, the effort marked his first time in an NHL shootout. His game-ending tally came in the seventh round.
“It was great just to get the chance,” he said. “A huge credit to [Flames goaltender Dave Rittich] for keeping it going to that point and giving me the chance to be in the shootout. It was a great opportunity and it was nice for us to string along those points and get closer to first place.”
With the shootout deadlocked in the seventh round, Minnesota missed and offered Dubé the chance to put the game to bed. Skating toward Wild goaltender Alex Stalock, he stickhandled the puck to his backhand before roofing a shot into the top corner.
Though he admitted he had some jitters before his first NHL penalty shootout, Dubé said he knew the Flames would get another shot if he missed, which calmed him down – at least somewhat.
“The game wasn’t over if I didn’t score, so I just tried to relax myself as much as I could, because I was pretty nervous,” he said. “It’s nice to [score] my first one, though, and moving forward, I’ll be a little more confident heading into them.”
Playing the shootout hero was extra sweet, Dubé added, as his older brother Jake was in the stands, as part of the Flames’ fathers/mentors trip.
“There’s a video of him and [Flames legend Lanny McDonald] high-fiving each other, which was pretty cool to see,” he said. “I was happier about that, than anything.
“It was great to see the support with all the dads there, and it was nice to get a couple of wins with them.”
After playing the first part of the 2018-19 season with the Flames, Dubé was sent down to California to play for the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Stockton Heat, for the second half of the season.
Though his goal had been to spend the whole season with the Flames, suiting up in the AHL proved a valuable learning experience, according to Dubé, who averaged more than a point per game in his 50 outings for the minor-league professional team.
“I think it was just [learning] how to play every night, consistently, against grown men,” he said. “It’s so tough, especially with all the travel and how many games you play. I was used to that in the [Western Hockey League], but I feel when you’re playing against younger guys, it’s not as physically or as mentally grinding.”
Since being recalled by the Flames in November 2019, Dubé’s confidence playing in the NHL has grown, as has his involvement with the team. Playing mostly on the third line, Dubé has chalked up ice time in 24 fixtures, scored four goals and earned five assists.
“When you come in a year older, you’re more familiar with the league, settle down and feel more like you belong,” said Dubé, who collected just one goal and four assists in 25 games for the Flames in his rookie season.
Evidence of Dubé’s progress is seen in his playing time, which has increased in recent weeks – in the Flames’ last five fixtures, as of Jan. 14, he has amassed more than an hour on the ice.
His positive form continued Jan. 11, when he scored in the Flames’ 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
