(Calgary) The Calgary Flames have offered the job of general manager to their ex-player and member of the organization Craig Conroy, who has no experience in the field.
The Flames announced the 51-year-old American as their next general manager in a statement released on Tuesday.
Conroy learned the ropes from Brad Treliving, who left the Flames in April after nine years with the team. Don Maloney, president of hockey operations, served as interim general manager pending Conroy’s promotion.
“Thank you to the owners of the Flames for the confidence they have shown in me by giving me this opportunity,” Conroy said. For the past 12 years, I have given a lot of time in all aspects of hockey operations to prepare for this day.
“I am ready for this challenge and promise our fans that our team will do the work necessary to make them proud and to give them a championship. »
The Alberta team also announced the arrival of former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Dave Nonis, who has been named vice-president of hockey operations and assistant to the team’s general manager.
Conroy served as assistant general manager for the Flames for nine seasons after playing just over 1,000 career NHL games, half of them with the southern Alberta club.
Shortly after announcing his retirement in 2011, Conroy joined the Flames’ management staff as a special assistant to Jay Feaster, who was the general manager at the time.
First, Conroy will have to hire a new head coach, in order to allow the organization to regain some stability after a tumultuous few weeks.
Darryl Sutter was fired on May 1, less than two weeks after the Flames announced the departure of Treliving, who declined a contract extension with the team last year.
Conroy’s future hire will mark the Flames’ fifth head coaching change in eight years.
Treliving recently made some big moves for the team, signing free agent Nazem Kadri and acquiring winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in a trade with the Florida Panthers.
Treliving made the additions because star winger Johnny Gaudreau decided to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets and because Matthew Tkachuk, who was a restricted free agent at the time, wanted to leave Calgary.
Kadri and Huberdeau, who have a combined 15-year, $133 million contract alone, didn’t have good chemistry with Sutter and their production was well below their personal highs.
The Flames missed the playoffs by two points, having reached the second round of the playoffs in 2022.
Conroy will soon turn his attention to the NHL Draft, which will be held June 28-29 in Nashville, Tenn. The Flames hold the 16th overall pick in Round 1.
Meanwhile, five Flames players will be unrestricted free agents this summer, including forwards Nick Ritchie, Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis as well as defensemen Michael Stone and Troy Stecher.
Forwards Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli and Dillon Dube still have one year left on their contracts, as do defenders Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov.
