Q&A: Flames goalie Dustin Wolf on contract talks, Olympic aspirations and the Rogers Legends of Hockey
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The Flames' goaltender is part of a star-studded lineup for the Rogers Legends of Hockey, a fundraising shootout that follows the second round of action at the Rogers Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows.
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Also participating in this closest-to-the-pin competition are Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Sarah Fillier, Adin Hill, Meaghan Mikkelson, Mark Scheifele, Stuart Skinner and Matt Stajan, plus a pair of elite junior golfers. They will be swinging for up to $200,000 in prize money, all of it to be directed to charity.
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Wolf, 24, will undoubtedly have the support of the local crowd, especially if he is up against Skinner, who tends twine for the arch-rival Edmonton Oilers. You may even hear a few howls from the gallery.
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In advance of his tee-time in the Rogers Legends of Hockey, Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson connected with Wolf to chat about his golf game, his Olympic aspirations, negotiations on his next contract and summer in the Stampede City …
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Q: We'll talk hockey in a few minutes, but we should start with your second appearance in the Rogers Legends of Hockey event at the Rogers Charity Classic … How is your golf game these days?
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Wolf: 'Golf might be the worst sport on this planet, just due to the fact that you can shoot 80 one day and you can feel great, and then you can shoot a 95 the next day. It's a sport where it's the tale of two tapes. My game is in decent order. I wouldn't say it's the best. But like I said, I could play my best round two days from now and then my worst in a week. So it certainly keeps you humble, that's for sure.'
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Q: Are there any similarities between protecting a 6×4 net and trying to hit a golf shot to six feet — or even better, four feet — from the pin?
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Wolf: 'I don't know. I've become accustomed to standing in a 24-square-foot net. That's kind of second nature to me now. Trying to stick a very small ball tight to a very small cup isn't necessarily in my sweet spot as of yet. Maybe I can say differently if I hole one out Saturday, but it certainly makes you uncomfortable. And then you add people into the gallery and the nerves pick up and it adds a different level of stress. You just don't want to hit anybody and next thing you know, you chunk one. So hopefully I can eliminate those and stick a couple tight.'
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Wolf: 'Sure, but you can't be perfect at either of them. Every shot is different. Every time you're on the tee-box, it's different. You can never hit the same two shots or make the same two saves. Both sports will keep you humble. Granted, one is out of your control and one is very much in your control. Yeah, you're always striving for perfection in golf, but you watch the tour and those guys aren't holing out shots almost ever. It just goes to show how difficult that sport can be.'
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Q: You've been hanging around Calgary for most of this off-season. What have you learned about the city over these past few months?
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Wolf: 'Well, I've learned that the weather doesn't know what it wants to do. It will be 80 degrees (Fahrenheit) and sunny and no clouds in the sky. And next thing you know, there are black clouds everywhere and the rain is coming down and there's lightning striking. But the city, as a whole … I had a great time during Stampede. I was able to get an up-close look at everything that goes on with the rodeo and the chuckwagons, and I made it out to a couple different concerts throughout the week. There's so much this city has to offer. You're trying to find new restaurants you enjoy, and you always seem to end up at the same crew of them over the summer. So I've really enjoyed it. I would prefer a few more days of sun so we could hit the course a little more. But other than that, it's been great.'
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Q: We know that Flames fans would like to see you sticking around this city for a long, long time. Can you give us an update on whether there's been any talk of a contract extension? (Editor's note: Wolf's current deal expires at the end of this upcoming campaign.)
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Wolf: 'They're working, that's about all I can really tell you. There's talks, but nothing really confirmed yet. I'd love to stay here and I think they want me to stay here, as well. So as soon as something comes to fruition where both of us like where we're at, I'm sure it won't be long after that point where pen will be to paper.'
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Q: Have you received any word from USA Hockey about whether you might be on the radar for the 2026 Winter Olympics?
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Wolf: 'I haven't heard anything or been told anything. I'm going to have to be one of those guys who shows out early in the season to earn my way on that squad. It's the Olympics, the best of the best, so nothing is ever given. Obviously, there are a lot of fantastic American goaltenders in the league right now. If I get an opportunity to go, I'll be sure to take full advantage of it, whether that's getting to play, getting to back up. Even if I'm doing neither of those (as the third-stringer), I'll certainly be looking forward to taking in the experience of the Olympics. You don't get many opportunities in your lifetime to be around that sort of stuff, so I'll certainly do everything I can to put myself in a position to get a chance.'
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Q: Although the Flames will be your primary focus, can that sort of individual pursuit be a positive driver, to have something like an Olympic invite in the back of your mind?
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Wolf: 'Certainly. There's always going to be something that's out there that is going to drive you to be better, whether that's earning the starting job, making the playoffs, winning the Cup, earning a spot in the Olympics, striving for an award if that's what you're looking for. There's all kinds of different aspects within the game of hockey that can drive you and that is certainly going to be one of them. There's definitely a hill to climb in order to get there. But, at the same time, you only have three or four opportunities, max, over your career — and that's if you're playing for a long time — to get to go to the Olympics. I'm glad that the NHL has given approval that guys can go and if you get a chance to go, you want to be able to make the most of it.'
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Q: OK, one more before we let you get back to the driving range … Just over a month from the start of training camp, how are you feeling about this upcoming season, both from a team and individual standpoint?
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Wolf: 'Team-wise, we had high expectations for ourselves last year. Obviously, everyone else had low expectations of us, but I think we proved that we deserved to be in the conversation of playoffs. And we're really running it back as the same team. Other than Vladdy (Dan Vladar) leaving, we didn't really change much. A couple of depth guys. I think that goes to show they're confident in us as a group. I know they want young guys to come in and play well and earn spots and push to make roles on our squad. So I know there's a lot of young guys looking to do exactly that. And for myself, I'm starting to really push on the ice right now. This is the time where I get my legs moving. You're really in the hunt now — time is ticking and as soon as September rolls around, you want to be in full gear. So things are looking up. There's always going to be bumps along the way when you're starting to get back into the swing of things, but I'm certainly excited for the next month leading up to camp.'
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