Calgary Flames’ crease hopeful Waltteri Ignatjew has some chill to him.
He proved that last season as a workhorse for Mora IK, earning the goaltender-of-the-year award in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan and raising eyebrows with this creative — and cold — approach to his recovery routine.
“We didn’t have an ice bath at our rink in Sweden so me and one other Finnish guy, we needed to take matters in our own hands,” said Ignatjew, who hails originally from Helsinki, with a wide grin. “There was, like, a small river beside the rink so we decided to cut a hole in the ice when it was frozen. We cut a hole and just dipped in and that was our ice bath the whole year.
“The Swedish guys were all laughing at us. They were like, ‘Who the heck are these two stupid Finnish guys, just sitting in the river?!?’ It’s minus-20 outside, and we’re just chilling in the river. But I loved it.”
Who the heck is Waltteri Ignatjew?
That is what Flames fans have been asking since mid-April, when the undrafted puck-stopper joined the organization on a one-year, two-way contract.
The 24-year-old made his unofficial debut — and first career start on an NHL-sized rink — in Saturday’s prospects-only edition of the Battle of Alberta, surrendering only one goal on 25 shots to backstop his squad to a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers’ up-and-comers at the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, B.C.
If Ignatjew had been successful on his attempt to score an empty-netter in the late stages, he would have immediately made a name for himself among hockey highlight-watchers. “It was a good rip,” as his coach put it, but one of the Oilers managed to knock it out of the air in the neutral zone.
“We went through a little bit, in pre-game skate this morning, what the plays are when I go behind the net,” a beaming Ignatjew told reporters in a post-game scrum in Penticton. “I was told to not pass the puck to the middle, but they didn’t say anything about shooting so … ”
A goalie goal would have been gravy, but Saturday’s stingy performance was still an encouraging first step as Ignatjew adjusts to the speed and angles on the smaller sheet.
“It’s a new world out there, so there’s a lot of things I need to get used to,” he told Postmedia. “As I like to say, I have to get more tools in my toolbox. It comes down to working with the coaches, working with the staff to get the best out of myself this year. But for me, I just like to have the opportunity to prove myself here. I know it’s a step higher. It’s a better league than I played in last year, so I need to be better than last year. I need to pull it up from last year, keep the confidence up, and I think good things will come.”
Indeed, it’s a sizeable jump from Allsvenskan to the AHL — Ignatjew is projected to open this season as Devin Cooley’s backup with the Calgary Wranglers — but the staff at the Saddledome see gobs of potential in this new addition.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 lb., he brings a blend of size and athleticism. “I think I read the game well,” he added. “Even though I’m a big guy, I feel like I’m able to move quickly and beat the pass.”
Ignatjew was, by far, the busiest backstop in Sweden’s second division in 2023-24 and responded with a 26-18 record, a 2.34 goals-against average and .918 save percentage. His GAA was even lower in a dozen playoff outings.
As Flames director of goaltending Jordan Sigalet described after the signing was announced in the spring: “He just has an aura to him when he plays. There’s this calm confidence to his game.”
A little bit of chill, you could say.
“I’m super grateful to get this chance to prove myself with the Flames,” said Ignatjew, who idolized Tuukka Rask and Pekka Rinne as a kid and has, of course, heard the stories of Miikka Kiprusoff’s heyday in Calgary. “The NHL is something I’ve been always dreaming about, since I start playing hockey. It’s an unreal feeling to be here now.
“Of course, the NHL is still far away, so I guess it’s still a dream. But I’m one step closer to make that dream come true.”
As a bonus, he won’t have to step outside for a soak after practices and games this season.
On his first tour of the Saddledome, he was thrilled to spot an ice bath in the home locker room.
“I don’t have to go find a river,” he quipped. “So that’s good.”
ICE CHIPS: The Flames will wrap the 2024 Young Stars Classic with Monday’s matchup against the host Vancouver Canucks. Puck-drop is set for 3:30 p.m. MT and the action will be live-streamed on the team website and broadcast on Sportsnet 960 The Fan … Sam Morton has been Calgary’s tournament standout so far, with two goals and an assist. Morton turned 25 over the summer, meaning he has a few years of experience on most of his foes, but it’s still a good sign that this college free-agent signing has been a force in Penticton … Luke Misa, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, put up two points against the Oilers. The 18-year-old Misa notched a hat-trick in July at the Flames’ development camp scrimmage, so the undersized forward is really showing a knack for putting his name on the score sheet. He’ll be a go-to guy this winter for the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads.