The Calgary Flames and general manager Brad Treliving have agreed to mutually part ways.
Treliving’s contract was up at the end of the 2022-23 season, and despite an earlier offer from ownership to extend his stay, both sides decided it was better to go in a different direction.
Don Maloney has been promoted to President of Hockey Operations and will also hold the position of interim general manager while the team begins the search for Treliving’s replacement.
“It’s a difficult day when you must part ways with a quality colleague and friend,” said CSEC President and CEO John Bean. “We are grateful of Brad’s contributions over the past nine years and wish him every success in his future, both personally and professionally. But for our fans and our business, we need to move forward, and we are confident with Don’s experience that we will find the right General Manger to build on Brad’s work and lead our team to the Stanley Cup.”
The move comes on the heels of an extremely disappointing season for the Flames that saw them narrowly miss the post-season after finishing the season with a 37-27-17 record.
Many predicted the Flames to challenge for a second straight Pacific Division title, especially after a busy off-season that saw Treliving bring in players like Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar, while moving on from long-time stars Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.
Not only did Treliving bring in Huberdeau and Kadri, but he also signed the two veterans to long-term deals with the team. Huberdeau to a mammoth eight-year, $84 million deal, and Kadri to a seven-year, $49 million contract.
And after both players had disappointing seasons in their first season in Calgary, questions about the validity of those deals are now a plenty. Especially with Tkachuk finishing the season fifth in scoring with 108 points.
Trelving has been the GM in Calgary since taking over from Brian Burke back in April of 2014. Under his direction, the Flames made the playoffs five times, and won two Pacific Division titles in 2018-19 and 2021-22.
With Treliving now gone, all eyes now turn to head coach Darryl Sutter, who signed a two-year extension with the team after winning the Jack Adams Trophy team last season.