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Calgary Flames' winger Jonathan Huberdeau's career has not kicked off very well. He came with high expectations when the franchise signed him to an eight-year, $84 million contract (the biggest in Flames history) last year.
On Tuesday, the Flames were up against the Nashville Predators and trailing 2-0 before heading into the second period. With massive home support behind them, the Flames displayed resilience and produced an incredible comeback in the remaining two periods.
Flames HC Ryan Huska planned a tactical move in the third period that saw Jonathan Huberdeau move from the lineup to the bench. Initially, it was anticipated that Huberdeau would return to the ice, but instead, he ended up watching his team rally a comeback from the bench.
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The Flames scored three goals in the third period and notched up a thrilling comeback win over the Predators (4-2). The frustration on Huberdeau's face while being on the bench became the biggest talking point of the Flames' win. Many fans took to X and had mixed reactions to the decision.
One tweeted:
"Brutal. Trade him. Free Huby"
Here's what fans said about Jonathan Huberdeau ending the game sitting on the bench:
Notably, according to Sportsnet, this was the first time in Huberdeau's career that he was benched in a game. The last time the Flames forward sat on the bench during a game was in 2019, when he was with the Florida Panthers, who fell 5-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
HC Ryan Huska opens up about his decision to bench Jonathan Huberdeau
Following the game, coach Ryan Huska was expected to face an abundance of questions about his decision to bench Huberdeau. Huska provided a straightforward answer to the question and said:
"We wanted to try to get a little bit more flow and we went with the guys we felt were going," Huberdeau said.
After posting a career-high 115 points with the Florida Panthers in the 2021-22 season, Jonathan Huberdeau's performance has seen a huge decline.
This season, the 30-year-old forward has notched up six points (two goals, four assists) in 12 games so far. In his debut season with the Flames last season, Huberdeau finished the campaign by notching up 55 points through 15 goals and 40 assists in 79 games.
