Flames GM Craig Conroy sent a message during his media session at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“Come take a spot,” he said Tuesday. “Come take a job. Earn it. Take it.”
His newest defenceman received that message loud and clear.
Nick Cicek put pen to paper on a new deal with the Flames Tuesday, securing a return to North America after playing for Adler Mannheim in Germany this past season.
And it’s safe to say his new GM’s words have him fired up, and ready to make an impression come training camp.
“I listened to Craig Conroy’s press conference after the first day of free agency, and he was saying, like, ‘We want young guys to come in here and take a job,’” Cicek said over the phone Wednesday morning. “He was definitely alluding to the 22 to 25-year-olds, obviously I’m right at the top of that, being a 25-year-old.
“I’m coming in with a chip on my shoulder, I have something to prove. I didn’t think that I needed to go to Europe, I thought I deserved an NHL contract two years ago, but things happen for a reason, and I’m here now.
“I’m going to come into camp, proving to everyone that I’m here to stay and I’m here to take a job. I’m not going to back down from the older guys or guys that are more seasoned in North America. I’m here to prove that I’m what Calgary wants, and I’m going to do my best to take a job on that top roster.”
The Winnipeg product is used to earning his way forward. Selected in the seventh round of the WHL bantam draft, he had a four-year junior career in Portland, serving as captain in his final campaign.
From there, an AHL contract with San Jose in 2021-22, and the year following, a chance to live out his childhood dream.
An NHL debut, in Sin City.
“I’ll always be thankful for the San Jose Sharks, they made my dream come true, they let me play in the NHL,” he recalled. “I’ll never forget that phone call. I remember just hanging out at home, getting the call from the GM telling me to ‘pack my bags, you’re coming up to Vegas.’
“When I got to Vegas, I got there late so I didn’t really see anyone, spent the night, had some dinner, then at breakfast, (Sharks head coach) David Quinn came up to me right away and told me, ‘You’re going to be in tonight.’”
It all happened so fast, Cicek’s parents were sadly unable to make the trip to watch their son in action.
But he did have a family member in the stands that night at T-Mobile Arena in younger brother Michael, who at the time was playing in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs.
“He was injured, and he asked his coach - because he couldn’t practice or play - if he could just leave for the day to come see my debut,” Cicek said. “His coach let him go, which I respect.
“He understood it was a very special moment for our family, it made it even better for me, just experiencing that with my brother.”
In all, Cicek made 16 appearances in a Sharks uniform that season, recording four points from the blue line.
And after 50 games in the DEL last winter, he’s eager to make more NHL memories in the Flaming C, joining an organization he says has had its eye on him for some time.
“My goal was to get back on an NHL deal and pursue my dream,” he explained. “My agents were working with me, and my team in Germany was working all year to get me back to North America.
“Calgary had been watching me throughout the season, they came and saw me a couple times, and they had been in contact with my agents pretty much all year round. We knew they were definitely interested, and then, I would say that week before July 1, my agents were talking about how they were more interested and there could be a deal coming, then (Assistant GM) Brad Pascall reached out and said, ‘We would like to sign you.’
“Just like that, July 1 came, and the contract came in and it was a done deal, and I couldn’t be more excited.”
But Cicek knows he’s going to have to work, just as he has his entire career.
And that’s exactly what he plans on doing, in order to make the best first impression he can come the fall.
“It seems like there’s some opportunity in Calgary, and that’s just what I’m looking for,” he said. “I want to play NHL games, I believe I’m an NHL-calibre defenceman, and I think this is a really good fit for me and - I think - the organization.
“I’m going to get stronger in the gym, I’m going to work on my stuff on the ice for the next two months, then I’m going to show up to Calgary, ready to go, and hopefully prove that I can earn a spot, and go take a spot on that big club.”
