It seems that the third time really is the charm for Flin Flon-born hockey player Ashton Sautner.
The 23-year-old defenseman made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks on March 25, suiting up for the team during a road game against the Dallas Stars.
Sautner, who was playing with the Utica Comets -– Vancouver’s American Hockey League affiliate – had been called up by the Canucks twice before, but never hit the ice.
Sautner received a text from Comets GM Ryan Johnson, saying he would likely be called up for the Canucks’ road trip.
“He said that he had a pretty good feeling that I was going to be playing. There were a couple guys who went down with injuries and stuff like that,” he said.
Sure enough, Sautner got the call and headed to Texas to join the team.
Meanwhile, Sautner’s family was called by the Canucks and told that Ashton would be playing. The team coordinated flights quickly for the family, getting them down to Texas in time for the pre-game skate. By game time, both Sautner’s parents, his wife, his sister and her fiancé had made it to Texas to watch.
Sautner received the customary rookie treatment, leading the team onto the ice for the pre-game skate and taking a lap or two around the rink before his teammates joined.
“It was pretty emotional. He comes out by himself and does a few laps on his own,” said Blaine Sautner, Ashton’s father.
“It was a pretty proud moment for all of us, just to see him step out on the ice for his first game.”
Sautner played 13 minutes during the game, which ended as a 4-1 Vancouver win. He said playing in the big league was different than the AHL, where he has played the last three seasons.
“When you come to the NHL, it’s obviously the best players in the world. It’s going to be another step. The speed is going to be a bit quicker. In the NHL, guys get in position better. You’re always going to have a second man helping and everything else. It’s a bit easier that way, in terms of having help when you need it and finding guys when they’re open.”
Sautner’s NHL debut marks the end of a dry spell for Flin Flon in top-tier hockey.
At one point, a headline like “Flin Flonner plays in NHL” was common. A total of 20 Flin Flon-born players have suited up for at least one NHL game. However, it’s been almost 15 years since a Flin Flonner has hit the ice in an NHL regular season game. Reid Simpson, the last Flin Flon-born NHL player before Sautner, played his final NHL game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in Oct. 2003.
Sautner and his family moved away from the community when he was seven years old, but has strong Flin Flon roots. Blaine is a former Flin Flon Bomber and served as an assistant coach with the team for five years, including the team’s Royal Bank Cup run in 2000-01.
“It is a big part of our family history,” said Blaine.
“I moved up there when I was 18 years old, I met Kim there, worked at the mine in the summers when I played hockey, then came back to teach and coach. Now, we own a business there. It’s a big part of our family and our family history. We’ll always have a connection to Flin Flon.”
Since moving away, Ashton won two Western Hockey League championships and a Memorial Cup with the Edmonton Oil Kings. He still has vivid memories of his time in Flin Flon.
“There’s a lot of great memories of the Whitney Forum, watching the Bombers and some of the runs they had. Hosting the Royal Bank Cup, just being a little kid and going to the dressing room after games and see the players. At the time, those guys were my heroes too. It was pretty cool to see that,” he said.
Ashton added that he still comes up to the area every offseason to fish and hunt with family.
“The fishing up there is unbelievable,” he said. “Fishing is definitely my hobby away from hockey.”
Sautner’s Flin Flon ties show up in other ways. In the offseason, he trains with former Bomber head coach Larry Wintoneak in Kindersley. Wintoneak and Blaine coached together in Flin Flon for four full seasons.
“It’s kind of a small world that way,” Ashton jokes.
After his first game in Dallas, Sautner played the next four games with the team, earning his first NHL point – an assist on a goal by forward Darren Archibald.
“I got the puck and got to keep that. It’s been a great experience and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” he said.
Sautner even scored his first NHL goal – sort of.
In a recent game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Sautner grabbed a rebound in the high slot and beat Vegas goalie Malcolm Subban. Longtime Canucks Daniel and Henrik Sedin – who are retiring at the end of this season -– had assists on the goal.
The celebration was short lived, as Vegas’ coaching staff challenged the play and discovered a Canuck player had gone offside, disallowing Sautner’s goal.
“It’s rough,” he said.
“You go from being really excited and having one of the best moments of your life to having it taken away from you pretty quick. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but it’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life, even if it wasn’t counted.”
Now that Vancouver’s season is over, Sautner will head back to Utica, hoping to lead the Comets to a long playoff run.
Come next season, however, Sautner hopes he can stick with the Canucks full-time and is thankful for the experience he’s gained in recent weeks.
“I’m going into my fourth year pro next year. My main goal next year is to make the team out of camp,” he said.
“It’s been a great experience for myself, getting a taste of it. I never thought I’d get to this point. It’s all been a blast being here. I’ve learned a lot and got to see what it’s like to be an NHL player.”
