Calgary Flames Daily: Unsuspecting winners at super skills

It’s another day off for the Calgary Flames before they play the Minnesota Wild tomorrow evening. Let’s also check out some of the winners at Super Skills yesterday.

After two wins vs. Pacific Division teams to start off 2018 and being on a three-game win streak, the Calgary Flames get two days off before playing the Minnesota Wild tomorrow evening. Well, one wasn’t quite a day off since they had their fun Super Skills competition yesterday.

Super Skills is an annual competition for the Flames, kine of like obstacle course type of thing, similar to at the NHL All-Star games competition, to get winners in each category. Here were the winners in each category, along with some that came as a surprise:

• King of the shootout: Dougie Hamilton
• Control relay: Team Red
• Accuracy shooting: Mikael Backlund
• Fastest skater: Matt Bartkowski (what????????)
• Hardest shot: Michael Stone (105.1 mph).

Calgary Flames

Mark Giordano came close to Stone’s 105.1 mph shot coming in around 104 mph. The hardest shot that’s been recorded in the NHL is 108.8 mph, which is held by Zdeno Chara at the 2012 NHL All-Star Super Skills competition. Stone also said that he’s never had his shot recorded for speed before. Maybe a new eligible All-Star?

Via Calgary Sun:

"“(Giordano) was chirping me all morning, trying to get in my kitchen,” Stone said. “Didn’t work, though.”"

The most surprising thing is Bartkowski winning fastest skater. How is that possible? Watch Glen Gulutzan put him in the lineup every night now just for that. But of course, leave it to Kris Versteeg to make jokes about it, saying things like “He’s fast until he gets the puck.” True, Versteeg.

"“Did you hear me say that I was the fastest man alive?” Bartkowski said through a big grin after the fan-friendly event. “I’m still waiting for a reply from Usain Bolt. The ball is in his court now.”"

To hear all of Versteeg’s comments mic’d up, the Flames made a whole video on it!

For full videos of the winners at the Super Skills, visit here.

Some links surrounding the Flames

Defencemen dominate at Flames SuperSkills event (Calgary Sun).

Flames Thoughts: Calgary holds on for biggest win of 2017-18 (Sportsnet).

Flames’ Hamonic can relate to silver-medal disappointment (Calgary Sun).

Some links surrounding hockey around FanSided

Dave Stevenson of Puck Prose looks at some final roster predictions of the 2018 NHL All-Star Game.

Andrew Tessler of Eyes on Isles looks at why Anders Lee is an elite power forward.

Dan Girardi took a puck to the head the other day, Tasha St. Pierre tells that Girardi’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury from that, but he’s ok from it and all tests came back negative, which is great news.

Some other links surrounding hockey and the NHL around the internet

For players, winter vacation plans run gamut (NHL.com).

Big three have Lightning atop NHL standings, thinking Stanley Cup (NHL.com).

Predators prospect Tolvanen motivated after slipping in Draft (NHL.com).

Next: Flames prospects at World Juniors 2018 - Gold medal game

That’s all in today’s Calgary Flames Daily!