TORONTO — Behind the mask, there is a big personality.
Now, thanks to his late invite to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis, the rest of the hockey world will likely learn a little more about David Rittich, the sometimes-wacky and often-wisecracking puck-stopper for the Calgary Flames.
“I think people will realize why we love him here, why his teammates love him,” predicted Flames goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet. “And I’m sure you will see some interesting stuff from him in the three-on-three and the skills competition. As you know, he’s a little bit of a wild cannon, so you never know what’s going to come out of him.
“For a game that I probably wasn’t going to watch, I’m definitely tuning in now.”
Indeed, Rittich is a one of a kind.
He’s both quirky and fiercely competitive, always joking with his pals in the locker-room but also known to occasionally fire pucks at their ankles when they score in practice.
The 27-year-old was added to the Pacific Division all-star roster as an injury replacement for Darcy Kuemper of the Arizona Coyotes.
He’ll be one of a hat-trick of Flames at the showcase shindig , joining captain Mark Giordano and St. Louis-raised rabble-rouser Matthew Tkachuk.
“He was shaking with excitement when we told him,” Sigalet said. “Not a lot of guys get to go to these. It could be his first of many for him, but you never know. So enjoy it. Part of us, we worried about, ‘Does he need the rest instead of going to the game?’ But I think for his confidence, it’s going to be a good thing for him.
“It should be a big confidence-booster, just to know people around the league are noticing his play — not just us here in Calgary. That’s why we’re excited for him to get recognized.”
‘Big Save Dave’ didn’t require any arm-twisting when NHL officials extended an invitation to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in the sport.
In this rare case, the guiding principle of ‘Happy wife, happy life,’ didn’t apply.
He and his better-half, Nikola, had booked an escape to Mexico for the Flames’ bye/all-star break.
Certainly, St. Louis will put on a good show, but there are no palm trees under the Gateway Arch or white-sand beaches along the banks of the Mississippi River.
“Five years ago, I was in the Czech League. I was never thinking about NHL,” Rittich reminded prior to Thursday’s matchup against the Maple Leafs in Toronto. “And here we go, five years later and I have an opportunity to be in the All-Star Game with the best players in the world? It’s great news for me.
“When I was younger, I was watching those games and I was kind of like, ‘Yeah, that’s super nice.’ You could see the players who were walking on the red carpet and having a lot of fun. And now I can be part of it. It’s awesome.”
Even if it can be a bit of a nightmare for the netminders.
“Yeah, I kind of know what the score could look like,” Rittich said. “But it is what it is. It’s for the fans, for the kids. I’m just going there to enjoy it and to have fun.”
An all-star nod is a nice reward for Rittich, undoubtedly the Flames’ first-half MVP.
Heading into Thursday’s tilt in Toronto, he had posted an 18-11-5 record, a 2.73 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage so far in his first campaign as Calgary’s clear-cut starter. Those numbers were even better around the holidays, before his first rough spell of 2019-20.
“The work he’s done this season, with the workload he’s been having to deal with, the big wins, all the saves, all of the miraculous saves … He deserves it and I’m happy to see him get the honour,” Tkachuk said. “And I know he’s very excited, as well. It will be nice to have him and his personality there.”
Indeed, this guy has gobs of personality.
If you hang around the Saddledome, you already know that.
In the all-star spotlight, the rest of the hockey world is going to find out.
“He’s going to grace them with his presence, for sure,” Tkachuk grinned. “They are going to love him there.”
Twitter: @WesGilbertson
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