If everything goes completely according to plan for Moose Jaw Warriors forward Atley Calvert, he’ll have played his final Western Hockey League regular season game.
Because if things work out ideally for the 20-year-old Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product, he’ll find himself playing professional hockey at some level in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
Calvert will be off to Penguins rookie camp later this month and as a free-agent overager, can be signed and sent to any of Pittsburgh’s minor professional affiliates in Wilkes-Barre (AHL) and Wheeling (ECHL).
“It’s definitely in the back of your mind,” Calvert said after the Warriors’ Black White Intrasquad game. “You’re obviously going there are are going to try and stay, that should be your goal as a 20-year-old player, and you just have to go about it the same way… If you know you’ve given everything you have, then you just have to let the chips fall where they may.”
Before he had to think about all that, though, there was Warriors training camp to get through. And Calvert looked the part of a 20-year-old coming off a 40-goal season as he had plenty of scoring opportunities in the scrimmages and picked up goal and assist in the intrasquad game.
“I think it was a good camp and a lot of kids came out and showed what they could do,” Calvert said, adding that the Black White game was a good test. “It’s good for everyone to play against all the older guys and for all the older guys to be in the line-up since the games (earlier in camp) weren’t full groups. But the pace was good, everyone is getting their legs back and getting their game-touch back, so it’s an exciting time and camp is just the first step.”
Calvert spent the off-season honing his game in and around Moose Jaw, but spent the better part of a week with the Penguins in development camp, taking the ice alongside Pittsburgh first-round draft pick Brayden Yager.
Calvert’s showing there led to him being asked to return for rookie camp beginning next week, where he’ll once again play in the Buffalo Sabres rookie tournament after suiting up for the Sabres last year.
“It’s a lot faster, but at the end of the day you’re there for a reason and it’s the exact same as it is here,” he said. “You have to play your game and play your style and be ready to play with new players every night. I was on the home team last year, so I’ll be a visitor there this time.”
Having the experience in Buffalo last year will only help this time around.
“I think it’s big, it was my first experience with an NHL camp, I did everything for the first time and even going into this summer I was prepared and knew what to expect a little bit,” Calvert said.”Being in Buffalo really helps and every camp you go to is an experience that you should take pride in.”
Should things go the Warriors’ way and Calvert returns, it’ll be a hard focus on winning, with the former Prairie Hockey Academy standout aiming to take the next jump in his production while contending for a title.
“I think at the end of the day we want to win,” Calvert said. “This is kind of the end of the phase here with a lot of guys who will be moving on, guys who have been here since the COVID bubble and some guys who have been here for a few years now.
“So we just have to take it day-by-day and we can’t take it for granted because all the other teams in the division and conference are going to be tough, too. So we’re going to have to be ready for Game 1 in the season.”
From there, it’ll be a hard push in the playoffs, and ideally taking that final step that has eluded the Warrior franchise.
“The last couple of years we’ve made it to the second round and ran into some good teams, so we want to push for a WHL championship and do something that hasn’t been done before,” Calvert said. “And being the 40th anniversary, it’s going to be a big year and exciting one.”
