Good news: QR Calgary has managed to keep the band together.

For the past three seasons, the radio team for Calgary Flames broadcasts has been host Pat Steinberg, play-by-play commentator Derek Wills, and colour commentator Meaghan Mikkelson. When QR Calgary announced their broadcast plans recently, they announced the returns of Steinberg and Wills, but nobody was announced as colour commentator.

Well, fret not, folks: Mikkelson is back on the radio calls, and the radio broadcast crew will be the same on QR Calgary as it was on the dearly departed Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

If you’re unfamiliar with Mikkelson, let us go through her resume briefly to talk about her extensive hockey credentials.

A product of St. Albert, Alberta, Mikkelson played as a defender and is from a hockey family – her father, Bill, played in the NHL and AHL, as did her younger brother, Brendan, who briefly played for the Flames. She spent four seasons at the University of Wisconsin, winning two national championships and being named a finalist for the Patty Kazmeier Award (the equivalent of the Hobey Baker) in her senior year.

After graduation, she was a fixture in women’s pro and international hockey. She played in the Western Women’s Hockey League, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, the Swedish Women’s Hockey League (Svenska damhockeyligan), and with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association. She captured the Clarkson Cup in 2015-16 and the Swedish Championship in 2017-18. Internationally, she appeared in three Winter Olympics and eight World Championships, capturing two Olympic gold medals and two World Championship gold medals.

Mikkelson has moved into broadcasting in recent years. In addition to appearing on Flames radio broadcasts, she’s made appearances as a rinkside reporter for TNT and on Sportsnet regional TV broadcasts as an intermission analyst.

QR Calgary’s game coverage begins on Sept. 20 when the Flames begin their pre-season at home against the Seattle Kraken.