'It's My Whole World Right Now'

'It's My Whole World Right Now'

Flames trade up, grab towering goalie Tobias Trejbal with 42nd pick

It’s cliché – even passé – to recycle that infamous annual draft jargon.

But in this case, the Flames truly did ‘get their guy.’

In fact, they traded up – sending Picks 51 and 68 to the Carolina Hurricanes – to ensure they wouldn’t miss out the puck-stopper they surely considered using an earlier selection on.

And one man in the team’s war room – Flames Senior Goaltending Coach, Jordan Sigalet – fought hard to make the case in selecting the 6-foot-4, 196-lb., right-catching USHL Goalie of the Year, Tobias Trejbal.

“Very excited,” Sigalet said over text moments after the pick at 42nd overall. “Big, athletic, and uses his frame well. “He’s built like a pro already and we like his path of going to UMass in the NCAA next year. He’s a high-character kid with a strong mental game.”

The Czech-born Trejbal, who is teammates with Flames first-rounder Jack Hextall, posted retina-scorching numbers last year – his first in North America. In 42 regular-season appearances, the towering netminder posted a 30-9-3 record, along with a .916 save percentage and a sparkling, 2.12 goals-against average.

But if you ask him, he’s just scratching the surface.

“I'm still getting better each season, every practice, every moment I'm getting more mature and am 'feeling' the game better and better,” he said over the phone from his home in Czechia. “This year, I made the biggest change my moving to the U.S. and I think that helped me a lot, but I think I can still get better.”

It helped, too, that he became good friends with Hextall, who will be charting a similar path in Calgary alongside him now.

“We made a bet of who would be drafted earlier,” Trejbal laughed. “It's funny we got drafted by the same team. I just talked to him and we were laughing about it.

“He won. He was earlier. But it doesn't matter – it's just a number.”

There is, however, one aspect of the cultural shift he’s had trouble adjusting to.

“The only thing I don't like in the U.S. is the food,” Trejbal laughed. “I’m trying to eat healthier, but everything there is fried.

“It’s not a huge deal. I can eat Chipotle or cook for myself, but it was something that I had to get used to.

“Otherwise, coming to the U.S. and playing in North America was a dream of mine because it meant I was getting closer [to playing in the NHL].”

Trejbal wasn’t personally on hand at the draft in Buffalo, instead choosing a more intimate setting by celebrating at home with his parents and grandparents. He was following along closely, painstakingly riding the highs and lows as the picks ticks by, until fate – seemingly – intervened.

His screen froze right when the Flames were up on the clock; an already fickle and fleeting heartrate, likely, skyrocketing at this point.

Moments later, his phone rang and his agent let him in on the news.

Before long, the calls came fast and furious – including one from Sigalet, who was one of his biggest backers in the entire organization.

“He asked how I was doing and reminded to bring my passport,” Trejbal said. “I can’t wait to get to Calgary. I’m ready to pack my things and get there as soon as possible.”

Following Flames Prospect Development Camp, which kicks off this week with three days of skill sessions and off-ice, team-building activities, Trejbal will immediately depart for the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He’ll spend the summer there honing his craft before the 2026-27 season begins in earnest.

And after a breakout campaign in northeastern Ohio, he has ‘big’ plans to help launch his professional career.

“My size is obviously a huge advantage, but I can’t just (rely) on that,” he said. “I'm trying to be even quicker on my skates. Every pass, I want to be on my feet. I don't just want to be a big, blocking goalie. I want to be known as an athletic goalie, so I always have a chance on the puck, no matter what the situation.

“When I was younger, I spent a lot of time watching Pavel Francouz, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Henrik Lundqvist. Those were my go-to goalies. Right now, I watch a lot of (Sergei) Bobrovsky and (Mackenzie) Blackwood. They play a different style and are different sizes, too, so I think it's important to learn from all (types) of different goalies.”

Even on draft night, the competitive types always keep one eye on the future.

But even Trejbal admits he’ll take a moment to soak this all in and leave the ‘what’s next’ for later.

“I'm so excited,” he said. “It's always been my dream to get drafted and it's my whole world right now.

“I’m so excited. I’m so pumped.

“But the draft is just the beginning and you’ve got to work your ass off now.”