Calgary Flames: Johnny Gaudreau’s brother signs with AHL team

The Calgary Flames have signed Johnny Gaudreau’s brother Matthew Gaudreau to a contract with their AHL team. How does this affect the Flames?

We all know Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau is a highly-skilled player, especially considering his size. He is just 5’9″ and 165 pounds (I still think he’s smaller) and has himself 387 points in 394 NHL games with the Flames.

Gaudreau has impressed so many around the league in a short (no pun intended) amount of time. Just when you thought he was small though, his younger brother, Matthew Gaudreau, comes in even smaller. The 5′ 9″, 137-pound right-winger has just signed with the Flames’ AHL farm team, the Stockton Heat.

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Before we all get excited about the possibility of the Gaudreaus playing on a line together, let’s start with some information about Matthew’s contract with the Heat. He won’t be available for a call up to the Flames this season, as he is on a contract split between the AHL and the ECHL. What that means is that if things go south for him in Stockton, he would be sent down to the Kansas City Mavericks.

Matthew said in an interview with Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun on Wednesday, “My goal is to be in the AHL for an entire season.” Who can blame the 24-year-old for wanting to stay with the Heat?

If things come to fruition for Matthew in Stockton this season, he may very well see himself in Flames sweater with his brother. He has played in a total of just 17 games at the AHL level when he played for the Islanders farm team. In those 17 appearances, he put up 1 goal and 4 assists, while at the ECHL he’s registered 60 points in 88 games.

Gaudreau may not have made it to the NHL the way his older brother did, but he is finding his own way to the big leagues now. The Stockton organization could be a huge stepping stone for Matthew if he can find his game and chemistry with his linemates.

If he can produce decent numbers in the AHL, it may not be long till we see two Gaudreau’s in the Calgary lineup. The day Matthew does catch his big break will certainly be a memorable one for the Gaudreau family.