Oliver Kylington Assigned to AHL Wranglers On Conditioning Stint

The Calgary Flames announced today that Oliver Kylington has been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL for a conditioning stint.

The 26-year-old hasn’t played a game during this season or the 2022-2023 season. The team announced that Oliver could not participate in training camp on Thursday, Sept. 21. 

Kylington opened up about his struggles with mental health during the 2023 offseason in an interview with hockeynews.se. “It was a challenging year for me personally. Things that (had) been going on in my family for a long time, and it’s been escalating for the worse.”  

The 6-foot-0 Swede hasn’t seen game action since April 29, 2022, and carries a $2,500,000 cap hit until July 1, 2024. As an early holiday gift, Kylington began skating with the Calgary Flames again during off days.

Oliver released a statement today on his return:

“I feel I’m in a good place with my mental health and ready to take another step forward. Returning to Calgary has been the right decision. I’ve felt tremendous commitment from Flames ownership, management, and my teammates, and I am appreciative of the support and resources made available to me. I also thank my family, friends, and the fans for their encouragement. I’m looking forward to getting on the ice in a team environment and back to my everyday life. I have missed it very much.”

Kylington isn’t the first NHL player to publicly deal with mental health struggles, but the former Färjestad BK blue liner certainly deserves high praise for taking the time off that he needs and returning only when he’s ready. Struggling to stay in approximation to what is considered “good mental health” is a journey unique to each player.

General Manager Craig Conroy released a statement on Kylington’s return to the ice:

“First and foremost, as an organization, we care about Oliver as a person. We are so happy that he has made positive progression with his mental well-being, and we continue to support Oliver through the process. Based on his feedback, and that of health professionals, we have developed a Return to Play plan for Oliver. This conditioning assignment to the Wranglers for full practice integration is the next step in that process. Oliver will continue with his treatment, and we will monitor as he moves forward.”

Kylington will take to the ice to practice with the Wranglers today.