Flames alum Rasmus Andersson preaches patience amid rebuild

LAS VEGAS — Rasmus Andersson knows what Calgary Flames fans are going through right now.

He spent nine years with the organization, arriving as a 21-year-old and leaving as a 29-year-old. He built a family in Calgary and experienced the highs and lows of playing in a market where hockey means an awful lot to people.

So when he sees his former team struggling through the earliest stages of a rebuild, he understands the frustration. He also knows there's a bigger picture at play.

“You never want to see your old team struggle, right?” said the Vegas defender.

“But at the same time, they went out and said it's a rebuild, and this is what the fans asked for.”

It's a difficult balance for everyone involved. Fans want to see progress, young players need time to develop, and management is trying to build a team capable of competing for years to come. This will take time. Lots of it.

Andersson's point isn't that Calgary supporters shouldn't be frustrated. It's that rebuilding is rarely a straight line, and patience becomes particularly important when there are growing pains, like the team’s 1-6 start, arrive.

“They can't get impatient,” said Andersson, who has long monitored the pulse of the fans closer than most.

“I don't read about it the same way as I did, but it still pops up here and there — I still see some comments like, ‘fire the coach, do this, do this.’

“Did guys think you could win seven in a row to start the season when you guys go out and say you want to rebuild? Like, you just can't have it both ways.”

It’s a salient point, not a scolding.

The organization’s commitment to rebuilding wasn't going to happen without painful decisions, difficult seasons and the departure of players who had become fixtures in the community, like Andersson.

He remains close to several former teammates and still cares deeply about the people who helped shape his career.

It's easy to understand why the results sting. Andersson was part of a veteran core that spent years trying to make things work, alongside players such as MacKenzie Weegar and Mikael Backlund. Now, with several familiar faces gone, the roster looks considerably different. Andersson noticed it when he checked the Flames lineup before Thursday’s loss to his new team, the Golden Knights.

The connection, however, remains.

“I want all of them to have success,” said Andersson, who recently caught up with Backlund and general manager Craig Conroy.

“They’re all gonna be friends for the rest of my life.”

He wants Backlund to thrive as captain, wants young Matthew Coronato to keep developing and wants the staff to be rewarded for its work.

He’s also full of praise for Flames coach Ryan Huska, who is taking some early heat for the team’s goal differential, which fell to minus-21 after Thursday’s 6-2 loss to the Knights.

“The one thing I really respect about Husk and the coaching staff is they always work — they battle, they show up,” said Andersson, whose club got three third-period goals by Mark Stone to beat Dustin Wolf and the Flames.

 “They’ve got the work boots on.”

It might be the most important ingredient the young team brings to the rink every night.

Since being traded last year, Andersson and his family bought a home in the Summerlin community beyond the Strip, and have embraced the weather and lifestyle.

“We're super happy,” said Andersson, who signed a seven-year, $59.5 million deal this summer.

But Calgary will always have a special place in his heart.

That became particularly clear when he discussed the Saddledome, where he spent most of his NHL career. He understands the building's limitations, particularly when it comes to modern training facilities, rehabilitation space and technology.

Still, he has nothing but affection for the old barn.

“I personally liked it,” said Andersson, who punctuated his first goal of the season with the fan staredown he made famous at the Dome.

“A lot of memories for me, and I’m looking forward to getting back there in February.”

The final season in the building will be emotional for him. He remembers the playoff crowds, the noise and the feeling of playing in a place that belonged to the team and its fans.

“You think about the playoff runs and that kind of stuff we had,” said the colourful Swede, whose son, Benji, even took his first skating strides in the building.

“When the crowd was pumping it was loud in there, and it was fun.”

Andersson is excited for Calgary to have a new arena, knowing how much it will mean to the city, the fans and the people who work for the organization.

For Andersson, the hope is simple: that the hard work being done now eventually gives Flames fans the winning team they've been waiting for.

He knows how much that would mean to a city he still considers a big part of his life.