Jonas Hiller had some great seasons with the Anaheim Ducks, but his tenure didn’t end under the best of circumstances. Hiller saw his role with the team marginalized by the rise of Frederik Andersen and, in the playoffs, John Gibson.
“For me, after the Olympic break, it seemed like I wouldn’t start against the good teams,” Hiller told the Calgary Herald. “First he was saying, ‘It’s just to rest you.’ I felt he was leaning more toward (Frederik) Andersen.
“If you don’t feel that trust, you’re second-guessing everything. You go out there not to play bad instead of to play well.”
So after spending the first 326 games of his career with a single team, Hiller signed a two-year, $9 million contract with the Calgary Flames over the summer. Given how things ended with Anaheim, it would be understandable if he’s particularly eager to show the Ducks what he’s still capable of.
“It definitely makes it a little more special than a regular game,” Hiller said of playing against his old team, per NHL.com. “I’m definitely excited about it, especially when I found out I would start. I’m still excited about that. Hopefully I can carry that over and play well.
“Thinking about it, it definitely makes it a little more special, but in the end it’s two points we want to win [Tuesday]. That’s got to be the goal.”
He’s gotten off to a strong start with Calgary, posting a 2.30 GAA and .922 save percentage in 13 games this season.