Craig Conroy tops list of Flames' GM candidates: 'People love him'

Brian Burke still remembers the first time he truly understood the local popularity of Craig Conroy. 

“The first season-ticket holder meeting I went to in Calgary, (former team president) Ken King got a nice applause and I got a nice applause, but when they introduced Connie they blew the roof off,” said Burke, who was the Flames’ president of hockey operations from 2013 to 2018.

“People love him. Good-looking and popular, he has a wonderful way about him, which carries a lot of weight.”

No, Burke isn’t openly campaigning for Conroy to land the Flames' vacant GM job, as he also has high praise for another Flames assistant GM, Brad Pascall.

But what Burke can speak to is how highly Conroy has long been regarded inside the organization that is now searching for Brad Treliving’s replacement.

“No question, the plan was for Connie to be the GM one day,” said Burke, who was relieved as president of hockey operations by the Penguins last week.

“Ken (King) told me that.” 

It was King who talked Conroy into making the move into management at the conclusion of his lengthy playing career in 2011, ensuring the popular American tried his hand in various roles from scout, adviser and GM of the farm club, to the man they tasked with getting Johnny Gaudreau on a jet to join the Flames in 2014.

King passed away in 2020, and plenty has changed since then.

But there’s no denying Conroy would be the popular choice around town, based on his resume, history in the city and his radiant personality that could inject some much-needed positivity.

Interim GM and newly-minted president of hockey operations Don Maloney would not give a timeline or a description of what kind of front man he’s looking for.

However, while reaching for his phone, he laughed about hearing already from people he hadn’t heard from in over 15 years.

A smattering of those who may have already touched base with Maloney as prime candidates:

Conroy: A finalist for the GM job in Buffalo a handful of years ago, Conroy has done everything at the managerial level except wear the GM cap. He played under Darryl Sutter and has worked with him.   

Pascall: After a lengthy career with Hockey Canada, Pascall has been a Flames assistant GM for nine years, currently overseeing the club’s top-ranked AHL affiliate. Highly-regarded for his work on the administrative side of the business, amongst other things.

Mike Futa: Former VP of hockey operations and director of player personnel for the Los Angeles Kings, Futa worked with Sutter while the team won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. Treliving tried to hire Futa in 2022 but he had already committed to joining Carolina as a consultant. The current Sportsnet analyst has an extensive resume that dates back to his time in the OHL where he recruited young Mark Giordano to play for the Owen Sound Attack.

Stan Bowman: Three Stanley Cups in Chicago make him an obvious target for any team, but he’s on the market because of his resignation from the club in 2021 following an investigation that found he failed to report allegations of sexual assault by a team video coach.

Scotty Nichol – A diminutive, hard-working fan favourite when he played for the Flames from 2001-03, Nichol has since carved out a stellar reputation in Nashville where he is assistant GM, overseer of the club’s player development, and GM of the Predator's AHL affiliate in Milwaukee.

Shane Doan – It’s well-known the Arizona icon wants to go into hockey ops and no one knows him better than Maloney from their time together in the desert. A native of Halkirk, Alta., Doan has a stellar reputation, but does his dream to be a GM include doing so outside Arizona?

Ray Whitney – No, not the Spittin’ Chiclets guy. Another Alberta native with GM dreams, the man they called The Wizard as a player is part of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. He played under Maloney in Phoenix and was a finalist for the job in San Jose.   

Sean Burke - Currently director of goaltending for the Vegas Golden Knights, Burke's is a name that has been floating around for many high profile hirings the last few years. He was Maloney's assistant GM, amongst other roles, in Phoenix, where they spent a decade together. He's done extensive work with Hockey Canada for various international tourneys.

Chris O’Hearn – A Maloney hire in Arizona where he spent three of his 11 years as assistant GM, O’Hearn actually spent a year as a Flames scout before joining the Minnesota Wild, where he is assistant GM.  

Eric Tulsky - The analytics wiz fits the Flames bill in terms someone who is "younger, progressive, inventive." He is currently assistant GM in Carolina.

Jason Botterill - Well thought-of assistant GM in Seattle who has experience in the big chair, as Buffalo's GM.

Patrick Burke – A lawyer and, yes, son of Brian, who is highly regarded for his work as vice president of player safety with the NHL.   

Bill Scott – The son of longtime CFL agent Gil Scott, Bill has been assistant GM in Edmonton since 2014.