Calgary will get a boost at forward on Friday night, as veteran winger Troy Brouwer returns from an eight-game absence after breaking his finger on Dec. 23.
Brouwer announced this morning he’s good to go, and expects to be skating on a line with Sean Monahan and Kris Versteeg when the Flames host the Devils at the Saddledome.
The 31-year-old suffered the injury when a Versteeg slapper caught him in the hand three weeks ago. The timing was lousy for both the team and Brouwer -- he’d just been placed on a line with Versteeg and Monahan, and had been producing well.
All told, Brouwer had eight goals and 17 points through 36 games prior to getting hurt. But his influence went beyond the stat sheet -- despite only joining Calgary this offseason, Brouwer was immediately named one of the club’s alternate captains and, as GM Brad Treliving explained, is an important voice in the dressing room.
“Troy has a strong voice and a presence,” Treliving said. “He holds people accountable.”