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The Flames are playing eight rookies tonight

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Calgary is letting the kids play on Friday night against the Islanders.

And we’re being quite literal with the “kids” part.

The Flames will have eight rookies in the lineup tonight -- Sean Monahan, Joni Ortio, Joe Colborne, Markus Granlund, Max Reinhart, Corban Knight, Ben Hankowski and Tyler Wotherspoon -- with the latter, Wotherspoon, making his NHL debut in the process.

Some interesting factoids on the lineup, per Flames PR man Sean Kelso:

@nhlflames icing 8 rookies tonight for the 1st time since 12/10/96: Allison, Bouchard, Hoglund, Hulse, Murray, Simpson, Iginla & O’Sullivan

— Sean Kelso (@kelsohockey) March 7, 2014


@NHLFlames icing 8 drafted players for 1st time since 03/03/09: Boyd, Lombardi, McElhinney, Moss, Nystrom, Pardy, Phaneuf and Van der Gulik

— Sean Kelso (@kelsohockey) March 7, 2014


Injuries and trades have forced Calgary into this scenario. Reto Berra and Lee Stempniak were sent packing at the deadline, while the likes of Karri Ramo, Curtis Glencross, Dennis Wideman and Jiri Hudler are all out with various ailments.

In addition to the rookies, Calgary will also ice the likes of Lance Bouma (23 years old), T.J. Brodie (23), Mikael Backlund (24) and Paul Byron (24).