News and Notes – September 4 2015

There’s been a flurry of minor news over the past day or two, so here’s a quick primer for you to digest as we head into the fun of the Labour Day long weekend!

In media comments this week, Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving stated that if restricted free agent Micheal Ferland doesn’t have a contract signed with the team, he won’t be invited to camp. It’s likely both a negotiating tactic and an insurance thing, but it’s hardly surprising on either front.

Ferland is the lone piece of unfinished business from the off-season.

Is Ladlislav Smid medically cleared yet? Nope. But after a tumultuous 2014-15 campaign that saw the Czech rearguard reduced to dressing for just 31 games and notch just a single asset, it’s good to hear that he’s progressing. Per Treliving’s media comments this week, Smid is progressing and his latest doctor’s visit was positive. He’s not fully cleared yet, and Treliving noted that he might not be cleared for contact by training camp.

But it’s a lot better news than most of us were expecting to hear about Smid this fall.

Finally, the American Hockey League announced earlier this week that the Stockton Heat and the Bakersfield Condors will be playing a game outdoors. The top affiliates of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, respectively, the Heat and Condors will meet on December 18 at Raley Field in Sacramento, California. For the curious, the game counts as a Stockton home game, despite not being in Stockton.

The event is part of the six-week “Biggest Show on Snow” that takes place at Raley Field from late November until early January.