After taking a personal leave back in February, Calgary Flames Prospect Emile Poirier has just come out and said he’s been dealing with problems with alcohol abuse. Poirier, a left-winger, was selected at 22nd overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. He’s currently playing with the Stockton Heat, the Flames farm team.
“Abbotsford (the Flames’ former American Hockey League affiliate) was playing Grand Rapids the day after I got hired, and he had just come from Gatineau,” Treliving recalled, referring to Poirier’s professional debut in the spring of 2014. “This guy was the best player on the ice.