Huge update on Oliver Kylington who previous left Flames due to mental health issues

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Calgary Flames had announced that defenseman Oliver Kylington would not participate in the start of training camp, calling the situation a private and personal matter.

Earlier in the summer, Kylington had commented on the state of his mental health after missing the entire 2022-23 season for personal reasons. He had mentioned in a Swedish interview in his hometown of Stockholm how “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.”

He was expected to play a significant role in 2022 and then again this season, but the focus remains on his personal health.

On Friday however, Kylington was back on the ice as TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that: “He’s been skating with a trainer, on his own, for weeks. No timeline for his return. That will depend on how Oliver feels moving forward.”

Kylington was one of the league’s best breakout stories in 2021-22, establishing himself as a fixture on the Flames’ second pairing. He played in a career-high 73 games in 2021-22, scoring 31 points and posting a plus-34.

The Flames signed Kylington to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.5 million back in August 2022.

Though there isn’t a timeline for his return, nor should he rush to return to action, just the fact that Kylington is skating and looking good on the ice is a great sign for the Flames and hockey fans..

I'm guessing the Flames will eventually provide an update on the situation, though the focus for now remains on Kylington, on how he feels and when he is ready to make a return to the NHL.

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