For the past couple of seasons, people around the Saddledome would quietly believed Clark Bishop was never far from a call-up to the Calgary Flames.
On Tuesday, though, the 28-year-old saw his importance to the Calgary Wranglers become formalized when the team announced that he’d be their new captain.
That’s a big responsibility, especially because Bishop will be tasked with leading a group filled with high-end, high-ceiling prospects like Hunter Brzustewicz, Jakob Pelletier and Rory Kerins. Those are guys who could carry the Flames forward over the next couple of years.
But getting the ‘C’ doesn’t mean Bishop has given up on adding more games to his NHL resume, which already includes 47 skates with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators.
“You see a lot of guys that are older nowadays, you look at (Justin Kirkland) for example, he’s an older guy and he’s putting on a show for himself up there,” Bishop said. “I don’t think it’s ever really over until it’s over. I played with a couple guys in the past who were kind of the same age as me, 28 or 30-years-old, and they get the call-up and stick around for the rest of their career.
“It’s always in the back of your mind that you can get called-up, and if it happens then it happens. I’ll be ready to go.”
For now, Bishop will be focused on leading the red-hot Wranglers, who have burst out to a remarkable 9-1-0 record to start the season.
He’s a natural fit for the captaincy and is a guy who was already one of the Wranglers’ most important leaders, especially after Brett Sutter retired this summer and moved into a coaching role.
“He’s a great teammate, he treats everyone the same, doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the league, he’s a great teammate and a great friend,” Sutter said. “He comes to the rink every day ready to work and ready to go. He’s extremely competitive and leads by example. I don’t think there’s a better guy to be captain of this group.”
Speaking with Wranglers coaches and players, that same sentiment was repeated again and again. They might have waited a couple weeks into the season to name Bishop as captain, but it was a role he’d all-but-assumed anyways.
He was the only choice, really, and that’s not a knock on any of the other guys in the Wranglers leadership group. After he scored his fourth-straight game-winning-goal – yes, you read that right – against the San Diego Gulls on Thursday night, it was time to make Bishop’s captaincy official.
“The other day, halfway through the third period and I whispered to one of the trainers ‘Do we have a ‘C’ in the back somewhere’ so I made sure I talked to (Wranglers GM and Flames assistant GM) Brad Pascall after the game and said ‘Hey, it’s time’, “ said Wranglers head coach Trent Cull. “I thought Clark played well last year, but this year I felt he had a better training camp in the NHL, it carried on through his pre-season games and he’s brought that same mojo he has this year, and it’s good, sometimes you step into that role a little bit and I think he’s certainly done that.”
His younger teammates have noticed, too. Bishop’s the type of consummate professional that up-and-coming players can try to emulate.
“Everything he does on the ice, he’s just a pro,” said Wranglers winger Jakob Pelletier. “From days off to how he takes care of his body to how it translates on the ice he always plays the right way and at practice he’s always one of the most hardworking guys, as well.
“I think it was a simple choice. From Day 1 when Sutts retired, I think we all knew it was going to be him.”
The Flames have shown that they’re more-than-willing to lean-on guys who are performing at a high level in the AHL over the past couple of years, and last year both Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil credited then-Wranglers-captain Sutter for his leadership in helping them prepare for the jump to the NHL.
Now, it’s Bishop picking up the mantle and taking up the captaincy, all while still fighting for another shot with the Flames himself.
“We know he’ll be a key person to lead our young group and teach them on-and-off the ice what it is to be a pro, we feel there’s no better candidate with our group,” Pascall said. “He’s played NHL games, and I know our coaching staff in the NHL recognizes what he’s doing and what he can bring in a certain role. He continues to be on the radar.”
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