Bollig on Flames' season: 'We turned a lot of heads and changed a lot of minds'

Brandon Bollig wasn't excited to be traded from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Calgary Flames for a third-round pick at the 2014 draft, but he is now.

Chicago was one season removed from winning the Stanley Cup twice in four years, while the Flames hadn't seen the postseason since 2009 and weren't expected to end that drought this season after finishing 27th overall in 2013-14.

But Calgary surprised everyone - including Bollig - by overcoming inexperience, injuries, and overwhelming statistical indicators to qualify for the playoffs and advance to the second round. The run has made Bollig a believer in his new franchise following his taste of success with Chicago.

"I was very surprised, very pleasantly surprised coming here from where I was," Bollig told Aaron Vickers of CalgaryFlames.com. "I couldn't have expected too much by way of the postseason given where they ended up last year but it was exciting. ... We turned a lot of heads and changed a lot of minds and that was the most exciting part."

Bollig, who had two goals during Calgary's 11 playoff contests, didn't know what to expect from the Flames at first, but the team's confidence during training camp gave him the feeling they were capable of anything. That swagger translated into a 20-point improvement for the club over the previous season and Bollig feels that's just the beginning.

"People were coining us as rebuilding but I think we took that a step further and we were successful beyond what people expected and I think we can be even more successful," Bollig said. "It's exciting to be a part of a team that's trying to get to the level that my previous team was at. I couldn't be more happy to be a part of getting there."