Flames recall Garnet Hathaway from the Stockton Heat

For the third time in a week, the Calgary Flames have dipped into their American Hockey League affiliate for some healthy bodies.

After bringing up Hunter Shinkaruk and Linden Vey earlier this week, the club has recalled right wing Garnet Hathaway from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. This transaction brings the Flames’ active roster to 23 players (two goalies, seven defensemen, 14 forwards).

Hathaway, 24, is currently in his third year of professional hockey following four years of college hockey with Brown University. He’s been lauded for being a high-tempo, physical energy guy. He might not be the highest skilled player in the organization, but he’ll bring a spark to the team. He has six points in eight games with the Heat this season (and was a healthy scratch last night while he was en route to Calgary). He had 3 points in 14 games with the Flames last season.

Let’s also be honest here: like Vey, he’s at the age and the point of his progression as a player that it’s not the end of the world if he sits in the press box. He provides the Flames with a bit of flexibility, but his presence isn’t at the expense of any of the team’s top prospects.

If nothing else, Hathaway’s recall is an indication that the team would like to see guys like Mark Jankowski, Andrew Mangiapane and Morgan Klimchuk continue to ripen in the AHL for the time being.

In other news, the Flames have put Nicklas Grossmann on unconditional waivers. He was assigned to the AHL earlier this week after Ladislav Smid was finally put on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR). With the suspicion that Grossmann was signed primarily to maximize the LTIR benefit for the Flames, Grossmann finding a job overseas and having his deal terminated is an example of the club contractually being able to have their cake and eat it, too.