On Wednesday, Calgary Flames forward Ryan Strome joined Daily Faceoff’s Morning Cuppa Hockey. Chatting with co-hosts Jonny Lazarus and Colby Cohen, he reflected back on the season, including his trade to Calgary at this year’s deadline.

“It was kinda tough,” Strome shared. “You’re leaving a place you put a lot of time and effort into, you got your family here and all these things. But at the end of the day, we’re hockey players, and we’re not gonna play forever. For me, I just wanted an opportunity to play and the Flames were able to provide me with that. And I was super pumped to be there. I felt 10 years younger walking into the dressing room there, rejuvenated and excited.”

Strome’s first year with the Flames was marked by a period of transition, a veteran piece helping guide the young team as the organization committed to a rebuild. While Calgary didn’t finish with a great record, Strome said he sees reason to believe improved results are on the way.

“I think the young guys took a big step at the end of the year there, and there’s a lot of good veterans in that room,” he said. “When you’re going through these rebuilds, it’s tough. I’ve been through it before. I think a lot of things you need are intangibles, to take that next step once you acquire those young players. Like a good culture, good older guys surrounding and helping these young players. A good dressing room, good vibe, good staff around you. All those things are in place in Calgary, which is a huge head start on a rebuild.”

Next season, the NHL is expanding to an 84-game schedule. That’s a big deal for Strome, who is currently just 84 games away from 1000 career matches. It’s something that was on his radar this year, and he made sure he teed it up at the end of this season.

“The coach and GM in Calgary were like, okay, you’re done for the year. Last couple of games, just kind of rest,” he said. “I was like, I need to play one more to give myself a chance (at 1000) next year. They were like, oh yeah, one hundred per cent. They had no idea.”

It won’t be an easy feat, but if Strome can avoid missing a night next year, he’ll hit the mark in his final game of the season.

“As a player you’re always aware of these milestones,” he said. “I thought it would have been pretty guaranteed for next year, but this year had a couple of hiccups. So gotta do whatever I can to stay healthy next year and earn 84 games. It’s gonna be a good grind.”

Be sure to check out the full interview with Ryan Strome here and tune into Morning Cuppa Hockey weekdays at 7 a.m. on the Daily Faceoff Youtube Channel!