Flames issue troubling statement on Oliver Kylington

The Calgary Flames have announced that defenseman Oliver Kylington will not attend the team's training camp this season.

From the Flames:

Following yesterday’s medical and fitness testing, it was determined that Oliver is unable to participate in the opening of training camp. As this is a private personal matter, no further information will be provided.

- Calgary Flames

Kylington, of course, missed the entire 2022-23 season with personal issues that former Flames GM Brad Treliving characterized as a "family matter". Little was reported about Kylington's status last year and the team made it clear that they supported his leave of absence and would respect his privacy until he was ready to return. 

Just last month Kylington opened up to Swedish publication HockeyNews.se stating that he was struggling with mental health problems and that he needed time to deal with his personal issues.

“It was a very challenging year for me personally,” Kylington told HockeyNews, according to a translation. “These are things that have been going on in the family for many years but which escalated to get worse and there were mental and psychological problems I suffered from."

“I think I dealt with the problem like maybe everyone else does, by just sweeping it under the rug and putting the lid on. But for me, it led to mental illness and I felt very bad about how I dealt with my problems and almost went into the wall and felt that now it’s enough … I needed to face these problems we had as a family and today I am incredibly grateful for this journey I started and then had to finish.”

In the same interview, Kylington went on to say how appreciative he is of the time he was granted by the Flames and that he was/is excited to join the team for 2023-24.

“I am incredibly grateful for how many people supported me and helped me get the right help. I really feel like I did myself a big favour,” Kylington told HockeyNews. “I just want to play hockey, but when something else in life eats you up from the inside, I just felt that I couldn’t focus on the right things and I needed to go back and prioritize what needed to be fixed. I feel great and it’s fun to get started and I’m really looking forward to a new season. I’ve only felt commitment from the management in Calgary and my teammates, and that helps for sure. It will be fun to get back to my everyday life. I have missed it very much.”