Despite Blasty success, Dillon Dube still a retro man

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Given the way Dillon Dube has produced when he’s worn a Blasty jersey, you would think they were his favourite of the Flames’ threads.

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Turns out, that’s not the case.

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For one reason or another, Dube does tend to put up a lot of points in the Flames’ alternate jerseys.

But his preference lies elsewhere.

“I think they’re great, but deep down, being a Flames fan, my favourite is the retro,” Dube said Friday, the morning after he potted his latest goal in a Blasty. “I think that’s pretty hard to beat. I’m biased, but I think they’re the nicest jerseys in the league.

“Our road ones are awesome. I just love the retro look. When you’re wearing red, I went to Notre Dame in school and I was used to wearing all red, so I love it, too. The Blastys are awesome, it’s nice to get some black gear, but definitely the retro gear (is my favourite).”

That might surprise some people, given the way Dube tends to play when he’s wearing a Blasty jersey.

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Originally introduced as an alternate jersey in the late-1990s, the Flames removed Blasty from their rotation in the mid-2000s before bringing them back as their “reverse retro” option before the COVID-shortened 2021 season.

Since then, it’s seemed like every time Dube’s had the fire-breathing horse head on his chest, he’s picked up points.

The Flames wore the Blastys six times during the 2021 season. Dube led the team with four goals in those games, scoring his first hat-trick in a 7-4 win over the Ottawa Senators, too.

Last year, the Flames were decked-out in the Blastys for 12 games and Dube scored four goals while adding five assists, which was well-ahead of his rate of production in other jerseys.

Then, on Thursday night when the Flames rocked the Blastys for the first time in 2023-24, Dube scored again.

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So there’s something to this whole thing, right?

“Truthfully, it’s just a jersey,” Dube said. “It’s funny, though. All the guys before the game get it going a little bit but, regardless, when you step on that ice it doesn’t really matter. It’s something you can laugh about, for sure.”

The retros, though, are Dube’s favourite.

It’s not just that they’re crisp and clean and tend to pop when they’re on TV, either. For Dube, the connection to the club’s past means something.

“When everyone brought them back for the year, the true originals, I think they’re pretty special jerseys,” Dube said. “Just a lot of history in them. You kind of have that respect for the organization when you throw on jerseys like that.”

NEW FITS FOR WRANGLERS
The Calgary Wranglers, the Flames’ AHL affiliate, released their new “Outlaw” jerseys on Friday.

The jerseys are reminiscent of the Blastys, with a black base and a fire-breathing horse as the logo, too.

The Wranglers will wear the jerseys for the first time in a home game against the Abbotsford Canucks on November 25 and 12 times throughout their season.

daustin@postmedia.com

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Wes Gilbertson and Danny Austin have been covering the Flames for years and know what makes the team tick. Have questions? They have the answers – or the contacts to track them down. Send your questions to calgaryflames@postmedia.com

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