What happened to Oliver Kylington? Flames defenseman opens up on personal battles as he aims return to ice

The 2022–23 NHL season saw the Calgary Flames facing a significant void on their blue line due to the absence of defenseman Oliver Kylington. The 26-year-old Swede had emerged as a crucial top-four defenseman for the Flames in the previous season, tallying 31 points in 73 games and showcasing dynamic skills from the blue line.

Oliver Kylington, who signed a two-year, $5,000,000 contract extension with the Flames on Aug. 2, 2022, surprised many when he did not report to the team's 2022 training camp.

In an interview in August with Swedish journalist Henrik Sjoberg for HockeyNews-SE, Kylington opened up about the challenges he faced during the 2022–23 season. He revealed that personal issues within his family, escalating over the years, had taken a toll on his mental and psychological well-being.

Kylington said:

“It was a very challenging year for me personally. These are 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."

Oliver Kylington acknowledged that he had been avoiding confronting these issues, opting to "sweep it under the rug." However, the toll on his mental health became too great, leading him to seek help and prioritize his well-being.

Kylington said:

“I needed to face these problems we had as a family, and today I am incredibly grateful for this journey I started and then had to finish,”

During his year-long hiatus from hockey, Kylington underwent various forms of treatment, including cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). He described the journey as a marathon, not a sprint, emphasizing the challenges he faced in learning to communicate his feelings and undergoing psychiatric treatment:

“I just want to play hockey, but when something else in life eats you up from the inside, I just felt that I couldn’t focus on the right things. ... I missed hockey and felt a big question mark on many levels what the hell really happened. ... It was CBT and that turned into psychiatry.”

Kylington was selected by the Flames in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft.

Flames' Oliver Kylington joining the AHL

Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington is set to join the AHL's Calgary Wranglers for a conditioning assignment after missing the entire 2022-23 season for personal reasons.

Expressing readiness to return and appreciation for the support received, Kylington looks forward to getting back on the ice and resuming everyday life. The 26-year-old had a standout 2021-22 season, setting career-highs in games played, goals (nine) and points (31).