Flames Rookie Jonathan Costagna Rises to Challenge in NHL Debut

It was a night to remember for Jonathan Costagna, even if the Calgary Flames would rather forget the final result.

The Flames fell 7-3 to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, but the game marked a significant milestone for the 21-year-old forward, who made his NHL debut against a lineup featuring some of the league’s biggest stars, including Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Recently recalled from the Calgary Wranglers, Costagna took his rookie lap during warmups before getting his first taste of NHL action. It was a moment he had been encouraged to appreciate, knowing there would only be one first game.

“Before the game everyone was telling me to soak it in, you can only do it once, and I tried to do that as much as possible,” said Costagna. “When you get into the game it gets pretty intense out there and I can look back on it and say I’m really grateful for it and (I’m) just looking forward to what’s next.”

Seeing the opposition up close for the first time brought its own challenges, but Costagna felt he handled the moment well.

“Warmups is the first time where you look across from you and you see these guys and it could get a little intimidating, but I feel like I did a pretty good job handling that stress, because at the end of the day I want to win, and that’s what I tried to contribute (to) out there tonight.”

Costagna also found himself in the middle of some tough matchups. Playing down the middle, he faced experienced NHL centres, including MacKinnon and former Flame Nazem Kadri.

Rather than letting the names across from him become a distraction, the rookie focused on competing and trusting his game.

“I was taking it out there against some veterans today,” said Costagna. “You try to go into it with an ‘I’m going to beat you’ mindset and I feel like I did that pretty well all night, considering a lot of the guys I’m playing against were in the league for a long time now.”

The night also brought Costagna his first NHL point, coming on a play that showcased the speed and finishing ability of fellow forward Adam Klapka.

Costagna chipped the puck out of the defensive zone and onto Klapka’s stick. The 6-foot-8 forward took over from there, driving into the offensive zone, toe-dragging around a defenceman and firing a wrist shot past the goaltender.

Watching the play develop, Costagna could barely hide his excitement as Klapka finished the sequence.

“That was crazy,” he chuckled, reminiscing about watching Klapka. “Really happy that he did that, obviously, I didn’t have to do much for it, to get that off my back is really cool, but kudos to him that was unbelievable.”

While the result wasn’t what Calgary wanted, Costagna now has his first NHL game - and point - behind him. The experience should provide something to build on as he looks to establish himself at the highest level.

With his debut out of the way, the next question is what comes next for the young forward. The Flames are back in action Saturday, when we’ll see whether Costagna gets another opportunity to build on his NHL debut.