The story behind Nolan Flamand’s hockey smile

Flamand lost his front tooth during the abbreviated bubble season (2020-21) while playing a game in Kamloops.

“It was during warmup”, Flamand recalled to RocketFAN. “I went to get a puck on the left side of the net, took one quick glance towards the net, next thing I knew a shot from the other side hit the crossbar and the puck nailed me right in the face”.

Flamand thought he was badly cut, but it was worse than that.

“I skated over to Scott (Rockets athletic therapist Scott Hoyer) and asked him how my face was looking. He looked and said, ‘Oh my god, you need to come back into the room with me for repairs’. I stepped off the ice and I started feeling around with my tongue and I didn’t feel my tooth there.”

One look in the mirror was a clear indicator that the tooth wasn’t just chipped, but it was totally gone.

“It is unfortunate the way it happened. You want it to be one of those heroic stories of there being 10 seconds left in the game and you go down to block a shot, it hits you in the face, yet we win the cup”, Flamand said with a chuckle.

Coming home without a front tooth seemed like a badge of honor for the 17 year-old at the time, but his mom had other ideas.

“She misses my baby smile, or the smile I had as a kid when all my teeth were there.”

If you see Flamand at a public appearance, you won’t notice the missing piece. He has an artificial tooth that he wears , but it’s cast aside when playing a game.

“You only get one artificial tooth and it costs a lot. You don’t want to break it. Plus, supposedly I am scarier without a tooth on the ice, so I have to take full advantage of it”, Flamand smirked.

The Saskatoon resident made the most of his opportunities last season, collecting 40 points in 60 games. Named the Kelowna Rockets’ top defensive forward, Flamand liked all aspects of his game.

“I do like the faceoff success I had last year. That is something I worked at in midget with my coach. My hockey IQ and the way I see the ice is one of my greatest assets. I may not have that Connor McDavid speed that creates space, but I have the mind and the vision that creates space by putting myself in the right positions”, Flamand said astutely.

Rated 187th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting for last summer’s draft, scouts shied away from choosing Flamand. Some questioned his footspeed, where improved skating results in a quicker three strides from a dead stop.

“I just need to put my head down and really focus on the strength aspect of getting a powerful stride. I need to continue to work on my technique, which I have been all summer. It is coming and hopefully I can get that breakaway speed that everybody wants me to get and I can become a better player.”

Like Sydney Crosby, Flamand isn’t tall (5’10) but he has thighs like tree trunks. It is the physique of a prototypical NHL player, where the size of the athlete’s legs don’t match the upper body.

“Not seeing my name called at the draft was upsetting. It was a good eye-opener to really push myself this year and show them (scouts) that I will get better, and I will prove that I can be at that level and a good option on there team.”

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by Regan Bartel

The story behind Nolan Flamand’s hockey smile

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