He far exceeded doctors' expectations; he was skating by the beginning of September and was back playing hockey less than four months following the accident. He played a five-game conditioning stint with the Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League in late October before being recalled by the Flames on October 28, 1999. That night, he made his NHL debut against the Ottawa Senators and was praised by his coach, Brian Sutter, for playing a mistake free game. He scored his first NHL goal on November 10 against the San Jose Sharks. Regehr played 57 games for the Flames in 1999–2000, scoring five goals and 12 points. He was the Flames nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, which recognizes perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. At the age of 19, he was the youngest nominee in NHL history. The Flames also presented him with the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award in honor of his perseverance.