Dougie Hamilton excited, happy to join Flames: 'It's a team I've been following'
Tap here to view theScore's NHL Draft tracker, which includes the 2015 draft order, latest transactions, and rumors.
Go west, young man.
That's the trek Dougie Hamilton is facing this summer, having been traded from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames in a pre-draft deal Friday.
Shorty after the deal was announced, Hamilton expressed his pleasure about the move.
From the Flames' official Twitter account:
It's a team I've been following, especially this year with their rise & all the great players they have ... I'm really happy. I'm excited to have a new journey in my life and a new opportunity. I think I will be a good fit in Calgary with the players they have and coaching style they use.
Hamilton added he's already been in touch with captain and stalwart defenseman Mark Giordano.
Immediately after the trade, Giordano called Hamilton to welcome him to the team: "That shows you how good of a captain he is."
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 26, 2015
Barring further movement on Calgary's part, Hamilton, 22, joins a Flames defensive corps that includes Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Dennis Wideman, and Ladislav Smid.
In 178 games since being drafted ninth overall by the Bruins in 2011, Hamilton has scored 22 goals and added 61 assists, with his best clearly yet to come.