On the last day of the 2014-15 season, Brett Kulak became an interesting part of history. The product of the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants became the first player from the Calgary Flames' 2012 NHL Draft class to play a big league game. His game 82 opportunity was followed by a longer apprenticeship with a predictable end date; he was an injury replacement for the puck-moving defender T.J. Brodie to begin the 2015-16 season and was returned to the American Hockey League's Stockton Heat when Brodie was ready to return.
This season, the season-long injury to Ladislav Smid has created an opportunity for a fresh face to make a case for full-time employment on the Flames blueline.