CALGARY - A couple of pointed messages came within the news, but there weren’t any real surprises when the axe fell at the Saddledome Wednesday.
The Calgary Flames reduced their training camp roster by 17 players, of which 13 were dispatched to the AHL Abbotsford Heat.
The cuts leave 46 in camp: four goalies, 15 defencemen and 27 forwards.
It was a shorter-than-expected stint in Calgary for a few players who the organization had big hopes for in recent times.
First-year pro Ryan Howse, the 2009 third-round draft choice coming off a 51-goal season for the WHL Chilliwack Bruins, was among the crew dispatched to the Heat.
The organization had high hopes for the 20-year-old in his first professional season, but his fitness level wasn’t up to expectations, even though he made some improvements from a year ago.
Another couple of players who must take a step forward sooner than later are second-year pro Mitch Wahl — a second-round draft choice in 2008 — and defenceman John Negrin, the 2007 third-round pick who had two injury-plagued seasons and didn’t have the performance expected during the prospects tournament.
The Heat open their training camp Friday and have a pre-season game Sunday against the University of British Columbia.
Also assigned to the Heat were: C John Armstrong, G Adam Avramenko, RW Bryan Cameron, C Justin Dowling, LW Ryley Grantham, C Quintin Laing, LW Logan MacMillan, RW Jon Rheault, LW C.J. Severyn and C Dustin Sylvester.
The Flames also sent a trio of players from the 2010 draft to their respective junior teams in D Joey Leach (Kootenay), RW Michael Ferland (Brandon) and RW Patrick Holland (Tri City).
Right winger Blake Gal of the Spokane Chiefs, who attended camp on an amateur tryout, was released.
REMAINING IN FLAMES CAMP
GOAL (4)
31 Joni Ortio
34 Miikka Kiprusoff
35 Henrik Karlsson
37 Leland Irving
DEFENCE (15)
3 Brett Carson
4 Jay Bouwmeester
5 Mark Giordano
6 Cory Sarich
7 T.J. Brodie
21 Clay Wilson
23 Scott Hannan
27 Derek Smith
29 Brendan Mikkelson
33 Anton Babchuk
42 Jordan Henry
43 Joe Piskula
44 Chris Butler
54 Chris Breen
68 James Martin
LEFT WING (11)
10 Niklas Hagman
17 Rene Bourque
20 Curtis Glencross
24 Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond
40 Alex Tanguay
41 Raitis Ivanans
46 Carter Bancks
47 Sven Baertschi
48 Greg Nemisz
57 Lance Bouma
65 Turner Elson
RIGHT WING (6)
12 Jarome Iginla
15 Tim Jackman
16 Tom Kostopoulos
22 Lee Stempniak
25 David Moss
26 Guilluame Desbiens
CENTRE (10)
8 Brendan Morrison
11 Mikael Backlund
13 Olli Jokinen
18 Matt Stajan
19 Stefan Meyer
32 Paul Byron
36 Ben Walter
51 Roman Horak
59 Max Reinhart
71 Gaelan Patterson
