Sometimes it takes awhile for a promising young player to reach their potential and find their way to the National Hockey League. For Calgary Flames forward Justin Kirkland, his first NHL stint was cut short by a scary car accident that derailed his playing career, but he managed to work his way back to the big leagues and prove that he could be an productive, everyday NHLer.
As selected by the Calgary chapter of the Professional Hockey Writers Association, Kirkland has been nominated for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Selected annually by the full membership of the PHWA (from a pool of nominees chosen by the 32 local chapters), the Masterton Trophy is given to the NHL player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award is named after the late Bill Masterton, who passed away in 1968 following injuries sustained in a game while playing for the Minnesota North Stars.
Born in Winnipeg but raised in the Camrose area, Kirkland played hockey in Alberta as a youngster before catching on with the Western Hockey League’s Kelowna Rockets through the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft. Kirkland’s first full WHL season was 2013-14, his draft year, and he impressed enough that the Nashville Predators selected him in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft.
Kirkland signed his entry-level contract and spent three seasons in Nashville’s system, primarily playing with the American Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals. He was considered a good AHLer, but he wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by the Predators at the end of his deal and he became an unrestricted free agent.
Kirkland ended up signing three consecutive one-year, two-way deals with the Calgary Flames – 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 – and spent all three seasons with their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. Once again, Kirkland played a pretty important role for the Heat, including posting 48 points over 66 games in 2021-22, but he didn’t get any NHL opportunities.
During the 2022 off-season, Kirkland elected to sign a one-year, two-way deal with the Anaheim Ducks. After a good start to the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls he was called up to the NHL for the first time and made his NHL debut on Dec. 20, 2022. However, Kirkland wasn’t able to enjoy his first NHL stint for too long. Seven games into his run, he was involved in a car accident on Jan. 9, 2023 that derailed his life and career.
Here’s how Sportsnet’s Eric Francis framed it earlier this season:
Kirkland was on his way to the Honda Center in Anaheim to play his eighth NHL game, a full eight years after being drafted by Nashville.
At long last he was living his dream, until his truck side-wiped an SUV, careened across several lanes of the northbound 5 freeway and crashed into the centre median.
He was lucky to be alive.
“Some pretty severe head trauma and some facial fractures, and stuff like that, that required surgery,” said Kirkland Tuesday, reflecting on the damage.
Kirkland was sent back to the AHL in March and spent the remainder of the season with the Gulls, trying to get his rhythm back. While Kirkland had 13 points in 19 AHL games prior to his NHL stint (and the accident), he had just five points in 13 games afterwards. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Arizona Coyotes organization, posting 30 points in 43 games with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners but only getting into a pair of NHL games.
During the 2024 off-season, Kirkland opted to return to Alberta, where he grew up and he and his wife make their off-season home. He signed a one year, two-way deal with the Flames – his fourth contract with the Flames to date. After Cole Schwindt was claimed off waivers by Vegas and Kevin Rooney was injured in the season-opener, Kirkland was called up by the Flames and ended up, at age 28, experiencing his NHL breakthrough.
Before he went down with a season-ending knee injury at the end of November, Kirkland had become a key part of the Flames’ fourth line, a secret weapon in the shootout, and a bit of a cult figure among the Flames fanbase. Nicknamed “Costco” – the warehouse chain’s internal brand is Kirkland Signature – Kirkland had seemingly finally found an NHL niche for himself before his injury.
Speaking with the local media after being informed of his nomination last weekend, Kirkland noted that four months after knee surgery his recovery is on track – a process he shared is being helped by having teammate Anthony Mantha working his way back from a similar injury.
“Technically, around four months, you’re allowed to start skating,” said Kirkland. “But the overall timeline is eight to nine months. So unfortunately, I’m not going to play this season. So with that being said, there’s no rush to getting back into skating because that opens up risk for possible re-injury, stuff like that. So I’m looking at kind of early June, just continue working off the ice and strengthening it. And then whenever the time comes where I feel like it’s really ready, then I’ll get back in and be able to have kind of a normal summer of training.”
Kirkland’s current one year contract with the Flames expires on July 1, and he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent. But considering the progress of his recovery from his knee injury, and the Flames’ lack of established depth at centre, perhaps Kirkland will have an opportunity to return to Calgary in the fall to reclaim the roster spot he vacated in November.
“I mean, this is where I want to be,” said Kirkland. “It’s close to home for me. It feels like home. My wife and I have made this our off-season home. So, you know, being with the organization in previous years and then coming back here, it just felt right. So, I don’t know, we’ll see what happens. Obviously, I can’t comment too much. But hopefully something works out and I’d love to continue to be a Flame.”
Two Flames players have been honoured with the Masterton Trophy in the club’s history: Lanny McDonald in 1982-83 and Gary Roberts in 1995-96. Oliver Kylington was the club’s nominee last season and was one of the award’s three finalists. Kirkland expressed his excitement in being nominated.
“Finding out I was pretty speechless, and then I had the time to sit down and reflect,” said Kirkland. “It’s amazing. You know, from two years ago where I was at to now… I always believed in myself, but I didn’t know that I’d ever get to this point. So to be nominated for an award like this is definitely special and hits close to home.”

This article is a presentation of HNA Calgary

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