Swap to Flames a happy surprise

Like thousands of others with a more than passing interest in the sport of hockey, Michael Cammalleri sat on his couch Friday night, snapped on the tube and waited to see what would unfold.

Little did he know the events would hit so close to home.

"I'm sitting here watching the draft coverage on TV and they said, 'We have a trade to announce,' " chuckled the newest member of the Calgary Flames.

"Then when they did, it was like, 'Hey, I know that guy.' "

Yes, instead of being a mere spectator to the proceedings, the 26-year-old dynamo from Richmond Hill, Ont., suddenly found himself a participant as he was sent northward by the Los Angeles Kings. Calgary also gets a second-round pick -- 48th overall -- in this year's draft while the Kings get the Flames' second-rounder in 2009.

After the shock dissipated, Cammalleri broke into a grin.

"I'm excited," he said. "I've always wanted to play in Canada and I really like the way we -- I guess I can say 'we' now when I'm talking about the Flames -- play the game. I'm really anxious to play in Calgary."

The feeling is mutual.

"He's a young player," said Flames general manager Darryl Sutter. "He's a goal scorer -- he's scored a lot of goals (79) the past three years and he can play a couple of position for us and he can play on one of our top two lines. We're probably lucky to get him there."

Cammalleri -- who posted career high totals of 34 goals, 46 assists and 80 points in 2006-07 before suffering through an injury hampered 2007-08 campaign -- has played all three forward positions and doesn't much care what the Flames have in mind for him.

"I've played both (centre and the wing)," he said. "I played centre most of my career, but I've played a lot on the wing in the NHL. On both sides.''

"I really like playing either one and it doesn't matter to me which one (I play on the Flames)."

The little guy -- he's listed at five-foot-nine -- got off to a big start this past winter, potting 10 goals in the season's first 10 dates. Then a slump and a rib injury that knocked him out of commission for all of January derailed him and he managed just nine more markers in 53 contests the remainder of the way.

"It was a tough year for me," he conceded. "It was a difficult year, but at the same time I'm excited for a fresh start with Calgary."

Though he's been with the Kings his entire pro career, Cammalleri won't exactly be a stranger in the Flames dressing room.

"There's so many guys," he said. "I played on a line with (Eric) Nystrom at the University Michigan. I played with Mosser (right-winger David Moss) at Michigan. Craig Conroy is one of my best buddies in hockey and I played with Dion (Phaneuf) and Lombo (Matthew) Lombardi at the (2007) world championships."

Of course, it's not surprising Cammalleri is tight with ex-Kings colleague Conroy, a chatty sort who is quick to make friends.

"Oh, yeah, he likes to hear himself talk," laughed Cammalleri. "No, I'm just kidding. He's a great guy and it'd be great if he was back in Calgary."

Thing is, if the Flames wind up using Cammalleri at centre, it seems unlikely a pending unrestricted free agent will be brought back.

That said, with Alex Tanguay in Montreal and fellow port-sider Kristian Huselius headed to parts unknown when he becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1, Cammalleri seems ticketed for the left side.

jlefebvre@theherald.canwest.com