Calgary Flames Dillon Dube To Attend To His Mental Health
Summary:
- Dillon Dube takes an indefinite break to address his mental health
- Kylington rejoins the Flames after missing the entire 2022-23 season due to mental health issues
- Flames assigns Wolf back to the AHL’s Wranglers as Markstrom recovers from injuries
Dillon Dube who plays as a forward for NHL‘s Calgary Flames could miss the rest of the season after taking an indefinite leave of absence to attend to his mental health. The Flames have confirmed that Dube is currently under the care of medical health professionals and requested everyone to respect his privacy.
The 25-year-old, who is now in his sixth season with the Flames, has seen a sharp decline in his offensive performance, resulting in him being benched during multiple games.
Flames Forward Dube Goes on Indefinite Break
The Flames made the announcement via a short statement on X on January 21, following Dube’s absence in their Saturday match at the Saddledome against the Edmonton Oilers.
Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters before the start of the game that Dube was not feeling well and would not be playing. The Edmonton Oilers ended up getting the better of the Calgary Flames and won 3-1.
Dillon Dube, who has played a total of 325 games with the Flames throughout his tenure with the club, pulled off an NHL career-high 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 2022-23. But so far this season, he’s been struggling to come close to that output, only scoring three goals and four assists in 43 games. Dube has been receiving criticism for his lackluster performance, but many of his critics have apologized after learning that he is struggling with mental health issues.
Meanwhile, as Dube takes a leave of absence from the Flames, Swedish defenceman Oliver Kylington rejoins the club after completing his conditioning stint with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. He is expected to join the Flames’ training camp starting this week.
Kylington, who posted career-highs in points with the Flames in 2021-22, didn’t play with the team during the entire 2022-23 season as he stayed in Sweden to attend to his mental health.
Dustin Wolf Returns to AHL’s Wranglers
The Flames’ active roster has further dropped to 22 players after recently assigning goaltender Dustin Wolf back to the Wranglers. Wolf has been recalled by the Flames on multiple occasions during the current season as Jacob Markstrom suffered injuries, missing 13 games. Wolf was last recalled by the Flames on January 16.
So far in 2023-24, Wolf has appeared in five NHL games, with a 1-2-1 record, a 3.46 goals against average and .893 save percentage. His return to the Wranglers could be an indication that Markstrom has completely recovered from his injuries and is ready to get back in action for the Flames.