Those who kept close tabs on the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate while it was stationed in Stockton, California knew plenty about Justin Kirkland long before he scored his first NHL goal in Edmonton on Sunday night.
To those particularly attentive fans, the 28-year-old forward had long been the poster boy for generic NHL call-up fodder overshadowed by more exciting blue-chip (or brand-name?) prospects.
Much like the Costco product line that shares his name, Kirkland may not be as well-known as some of his counterparts, but he’s arguably just as good. And with Kevin Rooney sidelined in the interim, Kirkland is getting his chance to give Flames fans a free sample of what he can do.
Even before he found the back of the net at Rogers Place on Sunday, Kirkland endeared himself to fans in Calgary by laying an enormous hit on Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl as he attempted to enter the Flames’ zone. (Kirkland previously threw a game-high six hits in the Flames’ home opener against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday).
It was only appropriate that Kirkland would be rewarded for his hard work in a game where the Flames outshot the Oilers 5-1 and recorded a 66.03 expected goals percentage with him on the ice at 5-on-5.
Ultimately, that’s exactly what happened. As the two teams approached the midway mark of the third period, Kirkland found his way to the foot of Stuart Skinner’s crease unimpeded and managed to deposit the rebound of a Kevin Bahl shot to give the Flames a comfortable 3-1 lead.
Kirkland gradually developed into an impactful top-six AHL forward over the course of his first tenure in the Flames organization, blossoming with 32 goals over 79 games split between the regular season and playoffs on a stacked Stockton Heat team in 2021-22.
The Camrose, AB product parlayed that strong campaign into brief NHL stints with the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes over the following two seasons, although his journey wasn’t without its challenges.
After finally earning his first NHL assignment with the Ducks in 2022-23, Kirkland skated in seven games before being hospitalized as a result of a serious car accident while driving to the Honda Center in Anaheim for a game against the Boston Bruins. After spending a month on IR, Kirkland never played another game for the Ducks.
Kirkland spent the majority of the 2023-24 season with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, appearing in just two games with the Coyotes as an injury replacement, before returning to Calgary on a one-year deal this past summer. In doing so, he reunited with Flames coaches Ryan Huska and Dan Lambert, both of whom knew him from their time with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets.
When the Flames first signed Kirkland back in 2019, he was about to turn 23 and had scored just 25 goals in 198 games over the previous three seasons with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. A third-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2014, Kirkland didn’t look like much more than a career minor-leaguer.
Well, five years later, Kirkland has skated in only 11 NHL games. But he’s become a much better pro, one who can comfortably play centre at both the NHL and AHL levels, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see him steal Rooney’s No. 4 centre spot by the time he’s ready to return.
But even if he ends up back in the AHL within the next few weeks, Kirkland will always have the memory of Sunday night to look back upon when all is said and done. It could go down as, ahem, Kirkland’s signature moment.