By: Riley Pollock – 10.10.24
It was a reunion nobody saw coming but now, Curtis Dickson and Dane Dobbie are Roughnecks once again.
Dickson and Dobbie followed nearly identical paths over their NLL careers, both drafted by the Roughnecks, playing long stints in Calgary, and then moving on to the San Diego Seals via free agency.
Dickson spent his first 11 seasons with Calgary and has the franchise lead for goals (458), and sits second in franchise points (845).
Dobbie, meanwhile, is the all–time leader in points (889) and assists (454). The free agent signed a new deal with the club Monday.
“I’m excited to be back,” said Dobbie. “There’s been some changes but I know most of the guys in the room and I’m comfortable with the city. Hopefully we can put up some wins.
“There was some back and forth with a couple of teams but, ultimately, it came down to the direction that this group is going and getting back to the place I started with and am comfortable with. I like to compete, I like the fans, and I’m excited to come back home.”
Buffalo Bandits vs Calgary Roughnecks at KeyBank Center, May 18, 2019.
Photo by Bill Wippert
Dickson’s route back to Calgary came via a trade this past off-season.
“It was a little confusing at first but obviously it’s the side of the business that happens sometimes,” explained Dickson. “If there was anywhere I would want to go, Calgary would be at the top of my list; it’s a place near and dear to my heart.
“Like I said when I left, it was time for a bit of a change, and I got to experience some time down in San Diego. At the same time, after having some time to reflect on it, It’s great to be back in Calgary and I’m excited to be back in front of the fans and get back in the swing of things.”
The dynamic duo rejoin an offensive group that features captain Jesse King and Tyler Pace from the 2019 championship run, but also features a lot of new faces.
Dickson says he hopes he and Dobbie can rekindle their magic quickly and mesh within the team’s attack.
“It’s a little different but there are a lot of good young players here,” he explained. “With Cookie (Tanner Cook) he just finished playing with Team Canada and is a premiere guy in this league now. I think we’re all excited to get the gang back together and play. It’s going to be a lot of fun, obviously there is a lot of talent up there.
“They’ve been successful the last couple of years so we don’t want to radically change anything, just plug ourselves in there and let them do their thing and hope to bring a little bit more to the table.”
Both Dickson and Dobbie are former captains of the Roughnecks and will look to bring a mentorship role to forwards such as 2024 fifth–overall pick Brayden Mayea, Mathieu Gautier and Riley Isaacs as well as other young players on the team.
“I know how important that is,” explained Dickson. “When I came into the league I had guys like Kaleb Toth and Scott Ranger take me under their wing and help me out.
“It’s a big jump, whether it’s college or junior to go to the pros. It’s almost a different game so it’s important for those guys to have someone to lean on and I value being in that role.
“They’re obviously promising young players and it will be interesting to see how the lineup shakes out.”
Dobbie echoed that statement.
“That’s how us old guys do it these days,” he said with a laugh. “I have to go out and prove myself and make sure I’m at the top of my game but I know most of the young kids from coaching them or seeing them around the rink so I’m excited to have the young guys in there, it’s a young man’s league and they’re the future.
“It’s going to be really exciting to get back with this group come November and try to win a championship.”
And there’s no better place to do it than in front of the rowdy Rough House crowd in the Scotiabank Saddledome.
“That was a major factor,” explained Dobbie. “It’s unbelievable, the best in the league.
“It was always exciting playing in Calgary when I was here and really exciting to play there when I wasn’t on the team so I’m excited to be back and have them behind us.
“It’s definitely a factor in this league with home crowds so I can’t wait to be back in the ’Dome”
