According to multiple reports, the Calgary Flames are set to name Craig Conroy as the franchise’s eighth general manager on Tuesday. But is that the only thing they’ll be announcing? On Sunday’s playoff broadcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pondered the potential for other moves potentially involving veteran executive Dave Nonis and Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla.
Here’s Friedman:
There’s some news that’s developing, and we’ll keep our eye on Tuesday after the long weekend where it’s expected that Craig Conroy will be named as general manager of the Calgary Flames. And I don’t necessarily think he’s going to be the only appointment here.
I think it’s possible there’s another experienced individual like Dave Nonis interviewed for the GM job in Calgary. I’m curious to see if he could be joining the front office as well. And a lot of the attention will also be on whether or not Jarome Iginla will eventually join too. Iginla has said he wants to coach his son for another year, drafted in the Western Hockey League. But it’s believed that Iginla will be at some point a part of this, too.
Then the search will go towards the coach. I think some names you’re going to hear: Mitch Love, Ryan Huska, Kirk Muller, Travis Green. I’m going to throw another one out there, a former linemate of Jarome Iginla’s: Alex Tanguay. But they’re going to do a search.
Nonis, 56, has been in hockey operations roles with the Vancouver Canucks (director of hockey operations, then GM), Toronto Maple Leafs (senior vice-president of hockey operations, then GM) and Anaheim Ducks (team consultant, then assistant GM).
Iginla, 45, has been a coach at the RINK Hockey Academy for two seasons and previously coached minor hockey in the Boston area. Before he got into coaching, he played professional hockey for 21 seasons in the National Hockey League – including 16 seasons with the Flames – and he was an international star with Canada, capturing two Olympic gold medals. (He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.)
Regarding the cited coaching candidates:
  • Love is head coach (and two-time AHL coach of the year) of the Calgary Wranglers
  • Huska is assistant coach and Muller associate coach with the Flames
  • Green was head coach in Vancouver for five seasons (2017-22) and previously coached four seasons with the AHL’s Utica Comets (2013-17)
  • Tanguay has been an assistant coach for two seasons with Detroit (2021-23) and previously held the same role with the AHL’s Iowa Wild (2019-21)