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Andrew Basha, like numerous Calgary children, grew up dreaming of nights like Monday.

When he’d be enjoying within the yard, Basha would himself be donning a Calgary Flames jersey and skating out onto the ice on the Saddledome.

For most children, it stays only a dream.

However Basha is among the fortunate few, and on Monday the Calgary child was set to be in full Flames gear for the primary skilled hockey recreation of his profession.

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“It’s unbelievable,” the 18-year-old stated Monday morning. “For it to be the primary time enjoying within the Dome with the Flames, it is going to be very surreal for me. I’m very lucky to have numerous household and associates within the constructing. Simply excited to get going.”

Basha resides his dream, plain and easy. Picked within the second spherical, forty first general on this 12 months’s NHL Draft, he’ll be spending this season with the powerhouse Drugs Hat Tigers within the WHL. They’re Memorial Cup contenders, and it ought to be an thrilling season.

In a 12 months or two, although, he’ll in all probability be preventing for a spot within the Flames’ lineup and perhaps he’ll develop used to the sensation of carrying the jersey of the workforce he’s grown up loving.

You get the sensation that Monday night time might be one he gained’t overlook, although. Even when it’s only a pre-season split-squad recreation whereas half his Flames teammates might be skating in Edmonton on the similar time, it’s nonetheless a primary recreation carrying an NHL jersey on the rink the place he dreamed of enjoying as a child.

“100 per cent, for a Calgary child this might be extremely cool to have the ability to play in right here with a number of the guys he grew up watching play,” stated Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “We have now him on the power-play with some fairly good gamers tonight and you may see this morning he had a bent to need to go it on a regular basis as an alternative of shoot, which I get, however it’s fairly thrilling for him.

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“The factor we like about Bash is he’s accomplished a extremely good job proper from Day 1 of our prospect camp and he’s persevering with to get higher day-after-day.”

It has, by Basha’s personal admission, been a whirlwind couple of weeks. He scored within the second recreation of the Younger Stars Basic event towards the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects in Penticton, B.C., and is now working alongside the Flames’ veterans.

He’s adjusted to that actuality as finest he can, however it was positively an adjustment.

“If you type of transfer into the massive boy room, it’s positively completely different,” Basha stated. “I feel it’s nearly being assured in myself and understanding I’m being put in these positions for causes and I should be a part of that group. That’s the one manner you’ll be able to have a look at it, I feel.

“You don’t need to miss any alternatives you’re given or waste them primarily based on being star-struck. Clearly, it’s cool, however I’m extra targeted on that.”

Basha can have an enormous cheering part readily available for Monday’s recreation and the loudest individuals within the Dome may be his dad and mom, Richard and Ronda.

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As Huska famous, Basha was pencilled in for power-play time, too, so there could also be alternatives to make this dream even higher if he might bury his first purpose in a Flames jersey on the identical night time he was carrying it for the very first time on the Saddledome.

“I’m not a man that will get too nervous,” Basha stated. “I don’t need to look again on this and say I overthought all the pieces and went into it pondering I’ve all this stress — I’m nonetheless 18 years previous and I don’t actually suppose there’s a lot stress for me. It’s going out and having enjoyable and treating it like I used to be with some other workforce.

“Possibly there’s a little bit of additional highlight simply because I’m from right here, however on the finish of the day it’s a privilege to have that and I simply need to exit and have enjoyable.”

daustin@postmedia.com

X: @DannyAustin_9

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