Grading Ryan Lomberg’s tenure as a Calgary Flame

An undrafted player, the start of Lomberg’s pro career already wasn’t linear.

His work ethic and hustle, however, got him noticed by Calgary Flames scouts.

Lomberg impressed enough that he was signed to a minor league contract with the Flames affiliate, the Stockton Heat.

On January 25, 2018, Lomberg made his NHL debut with the Flames, dropping the gloves with Edmonton Oilers’ Zack Kassian and bringing a level of grit to the Flames’ bottom six.

After five seasons with Calgary, mostly in the AHL, Lomberg set his sights on Sunrise, Florida.

In 2024, Lomberg raised the Stanley Cup with the Panthers, taking down the Oilers in Game 7.

With a new ring to boot, Lomberg returned to Calgary on a two-year, $4M deal.

In the 2024–25 season, Lomberg posted three goals and 10 assists in 80 games played.

In 2025–26, he posted four goals and five assists in 57 games played.

Flames management didn’t sign Lomberg with the expectation that he was gonna score goals or feed guys pucks.

With respect, Lomberg’s game is all about grit, toughness and passion.

This is evident if you watch one of his many, many electric fights with the likes of Mathieu Olivier or Nathan Bastian.

His presence both on the ice and in the locker room speaks for itself.

Lomberg made the Flames dressing room fun again, which, after the previous two years’ worth of drama, was much needed.

Lomberg had a positive influence on younger players like Zayne Parekh and established vets like Jonathan Huberdeau.

He really was the glue that held a constantly transitioning room together.

His Impact On The Community

Many Flames fans have a story or cool interaction with Ryan Lomberg to share. Myself included.

During a team autograph signing this past year, I waited in line to meet Lomberg, but didn’t have anything for him to sign.

A few friends thought it would be funny if I had him sign my driver’s license, playing into the “Lomberghini” nickname.

After pondering this goofy idea, I decided to go ahead with it.

By the look on his face, I could assume this was the first time Lomberg had been asked to autograph a piece of ID. We both got a kick out of it.

And that’s just my story.

Lomberg has been extremely involved in the community since returning to Calgary.

Whether it’s spearheading his own youth initiative like “Camp Lombo”, or simply stopping to chat with fans, take pictures and sign autographs.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone with something bad to say about Ryan Lomberg.

The fans love him, his teammates love him, and he will be greatly missed in Calgary.

Sometimes, it’s about more than the play on the ice; it’s the man off the ice that matters.

Lomberg knew his role on the team, and played it well.

The Columbus Blue Jackets organization just got brighter, and we wish Lomberg all the best.

Overall Grade: 8/10