There was no threat of Ben Street being too overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment Saturday.

While some nerves were an issue for the Coquitlam hockey product, who made his NHL debut for the Calgary Flames on Hockey Night in Canada after being recalled from the Abbotsford Heat, the 25-year-old centre didn't have to look far for inspiration.

His father is an emergency room doctor and what he faces on any given night pales in comparison to what Street expected to face by replacing the injured Mikael Backlund against the Vancouver Canucks.

"He's Dr. Rob Street, but I never call him that, though," Street chuckled Saturday morning, before the Flames lost 5-1 to the Canucks.

"You've got to give him credit. He never brought work home with him and there is some pretty tragic stuff that could happen and we could never tell if he was having a good or bad day.

"I look up to him for his work ethic. He would have to work some crazy night shifts and then get up with us in the morning and take me to practice or take my sister wherever.

"I'm not as good at it as he is. You come to the rink and try to be all business. If you don't, you'll get completely consumed by it. I'd be lying if I said there weren't times when I felt I wasn't happy with my game and I could completely leave it at the rink."

As fate would have it, Saturday was also a scheduled day off for Dr. Street at Vancouver General Hospital and he planned to be at Rogers Arena.

So how does this all rank for the family on a scale of 1-to-10? After all, the former Salmon Arm Silverbacks and University of Wisconsin star went undrafted and was leading the Heat in scoring with 12 goals and 31 points in 44 games when he got the NHL call.

"It's about 12 or 13," said Street, who was -2 with two shots in 12: 24 of action on Saturday night.

"At home on Hockey Night in Canada where you grew up, I don't think there's anything I could add to it at this point. And this is a day off for him (dad). Another thing that has worked out perfect."

The only other thing might be the Hockey Hall of Fame asking for Street's stick after a Nov. 1 game against the Toronto Marlies. Steve McCarthy's first professional short-handed goal was followed by a long-distance shorthanded effort by Street on the following faceoff just three seconds later.

The record-setting goal during the 3-0 victory had the Hall requesting the centre's stick because the goals eclipsed the pro-hockey mark for the quickest two short-handed efforts. Jody Gage of the Rochester Americans scored twice in an eight-second span on March 25, 1989.

That accomplishment and the 268 minutes, 17 seconds that Heat goalie Barry Brust went without allowing a goal to break Johnny Bower's 55-yearold minor-league record made Street wonder if something was up this season.

"That was cool that they took my stick and with Barry setting the record, we were kind of laughing that this was kind of a different year a lot of things would go on - and a lot of special things," Street said.

"This is another one of them."