If Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf wasn’t playing hockey, he could have been swimming with dolphins off the West Coast.
The 23-year-old California native is currently backstopping the Flames to an unlikely push for the playoffs and is on pace to be among the finalists for this year’s Calder Trophy. Getting to the NHL has been a lifelong pursuit for Wolf, but it wasn’t always his dream.
It was revealed on Saturday night’s edition of After Hours with Sportsnet’s Ryan Leslie and Scott Oake that there was one point in Wolf’s childhood when he wanted to be a dolphin trainer.
“I blame my mother for that, that is kind of her to spread that news,” Wolf laughed. “I love animals and anything animal-related I’m a big fan of.”
Flames fans are certainly glad that Wolf decided to focus on carving out a hockey career. So far this season, Wolf is arguably the team’s MVP having posted a 19-9-2 record and a sparkling .917 save percentage.
According to MoneyPuck, he also ranks eighth in the league in goals saved above expected (GSAx) just narrowly behind New York Rangers superstar Igor Shesterkin. It’s an unlikely path for a seventh-round pick to make, but one that he is enjoying.
He has made a name for himself among the Calgary faithful for this heroic season, but also for his unusual pre-game tradition of performing a high-jump inside his crease before puck-drop.
It’s something that he mentioned he has been doing since his days with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips.
“I’m still trying to find a good story on why I started it, but I don’t have one,” Wolf said. “I started it in my last year of junior and it’s kind of just transitioned into a fan favourite and I like to call it the “Jump for Joy”… I haven’t fallen over yet so that’s good.”
Dustin Wolf starts the third period for the Flames. If you haven’t seen his warmup routine before… pic.twitter.com/ebRGBkwZAJ
— Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) March 13, 2024
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it should be the philosophy when it comes to Wolf’s warmup routine. The Flames currently hold onto the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference and are just a measly one point up on the Vancouver Canucks.
Holding onto that spot will require a lot of heavy lifting from the entire team, especially Wolf.