Kirkland ‘riding the wave’ with red-hot Flames

Justin Kirkland is one of the feel-good stories early this NHL season.

The 28-year-old Winnipeg native was originally drafted by the Nashville Predators in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He spent several seasons in the minors before scoring his first NHL goal earlier this season for the 5-0-1 Flames.

Kirkland signed a one-year deal with the Flames and was placed on waivers before the season began. On Thursday, he’ll centre Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Mantha when the Flames play the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kirkland was in a serious car accident in January of 2023 while with the Anaheim Ducks that could have put his hockey career in jeopardy. He was in hospital for two days and experienced head trauma and facial injuries.

A year-and-a-half later, he’s become a key contributor for a Calgary team that continues to defy expectations.

He spoke with TSN on Thursday. 

TSN: You're playing with Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Mantha tonight. That's the news of the day. How does it feel knowing that you're going to be with a couple of pretty offensively minded players?

Kirkland: Yeah, it's exciting. It's a big opportunity for myself. Obviously, Huberdeau’s one of the most elite offensive players in the league, so it's exciting. And obviously, Mantha’s got one hell of a shot. So, I'll try to do my best to compliment those guys. 

TSN: You were on waivers a few weeks ago. You're in this role now. Can you describe what you've experienced the past few weeks?

Kirkland: I don't know if there really is any words for it. It's all happened so fast, but I've just been enjoying every moment of it, riding the wave. There's a lot of excitement and buzz around it. I wasn't really expecting it to blow up as much as it has, but it's just been great. Obviously, the team's winning, and that's what matters. So, trying to help any way that I can. The guys have been fantastic too, welcoming me in. We're just having fun with it.

TSN: How has it been with your family? Are they experiencing this as much as you are?

Kirkland: Yeah, we're all going through this together right now, which is awesome. My parents are just up the road about three hours, so they're coming in for the game tonight. It's just been awesome that we've gone through this journey together. I've had a lot of support from them over the years and with everything that's going on, to have everybody involved, I couldn't ask for much more.

TSN: You mentioned of the hype. Are you getting more recognized in the streets here in Calgary, or on social media? Are you getting noticed by fans more, maybe away from the rink?

Kirkland: I wouldn't say on the streets, but I've definitely seen the love and support on online and on social media and stuff, which has been really cool to see. I haven't really experienced that before. I definitely, definitely feel it and see it out there. So, thanks to all the Flames fans. We're hoping to keep the train rolling.

TSN: You've been through a lot. You were in the minors; you had that car accident. What perspective do you have now as you've gone through this and as you've worked your way into this lineup and a big role?

Kirkland: Obviously, it's been a long road to get here. And then when I had my first taste of the NHL with Anaheim, I kind of had that ripped away, unfortunately. So, it made me a little bit more hungry to get back to this level and try to prove that I belong here. It's obviously not something you want to go through, but I think I'm better off for it.

TSN: How have you approached this? How have you stayed in the moment and approached this unexpected spot you're in right now? 

Kirkland: It's just one day at a time. You never know what's around the corner. You don't know what tomorrow brings. So, wake up in the morning with a good attitude and show up and try to work, work as hard as I can and be a good teammate. The rest of that's out of my control. So, [I] try to bring what I can to the team. Bring some energy and we'll see how things go from here.

TSN: Lastly, I have to ask about Costco, and the nickname’s origins. How did that come to be?

Kirkland: Your guess is as good as mine. That's kind of blown up this year. I've heard it a few times over the years, but it’s really, really taken off this year, which is cool. All good fun and games. So, we're enjoying this. And yeah, it's been funny to see all that stuff online. It's just all good stuff.

TSN: Do you know who said to you for the first time, years ago?

Kirkland: I don't know. I've heard it from the stands a couple times over the years, in the minors and stuff. Now it's kind of blown up. It's just another thing that I'm just rolling with and excited about. So, we'll carry that energy.

TSN: Have they reached out or anything sponsorships, anything like that?