"It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

**devo22** · 11-22-2011, 05:46 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

SUTTER AND FEASTER STEP DOWN
HARTSBURG INTERIM COACH *** MILLER NEW GM *** TRADES COMING?

February 22, 2012. Calgary, AB. Flames Head Coach Brent Sutter and General Manager Jay Feaster both announced they would leave the hockey club effective immediately.

Brent Sutter was appointed two and a half years ago, but failed to reach the playoffs in his first two seasons with the Flames. And if the current standings are any indication, the Flames will miss the postseason once again. Insiders believe that frustration with the team, who didn't seem to buy in completely in Sutter's system, has led to his decision to step down.

Jay Feaster has worked for the Flames since summer 2010 when he joined the team as an assistent GM to Darryl Sutter. Feaster took over when Sutter resigned in December 2010. He tried hard making the Flames a successful club again, trading veterans like Robyn Regehr and Daymond Langkow to make the team younger.

Neither Sutter nor Feaster were available for comments.

While the club announced that assistent coach Craig Hartsburg will take over as interim coach, Flames president Ken King also announced a new GM in Robert Miller, a highly successful manager from Europe.

"It was necessary to appoint a new GM immediately", King said. "The trade deadline is coming up, and it could very well be that we will be busy. As for the coaching decision, we think it's best to really explore our options and see who's best for the job. There are not many candidates available during the season. It's possible we'll wait until the off-season."

The new GM Miller was quick to outline his aims. "We'll evaluate the situation and have a good talk with the players", Miller said. "I think a major overhaul is in the books. A lot of work has to be done now, we will be busy ahead of the deadline."

When Miller left the press conference, he was overheard talking to assistent GM Craig Conroy, saying: "It's time to blow it up."

**bthomp05** · 11-23-2011, 02:20 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

Look forward to this, good luck.

**devo22** · 11-24-2011, 06:46 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

TRADE DEADLINE 2012

Duthie
Hi, my name is James Duthie and I want to welcome you to today's NHL trade deadline here on TSN. It's one of the most exciting days in hockey every year, it's a day where cup contenders have the ability to acquire players that could possibly help them make a deep run in the postseason, while the deadline is also a chance for bottom dwellers to cash in on their assets and acquire draft picks and prospects for future success. Along with me, breaking trades and analyzing them, are the hockey insiders behind the trade breaker desk, Bob McKenzie, Gord Miller and Darren Dreger. Welcome to the panel guys. What can we expect today? Any guesses, any names who could possibly be on the move?

Miller
Thanks, James - I think you just have to take a look at the standings to figure out who will be sellers and buyers today. The Bruins could take another run at a Stanley Cup and could therefore look for additional depth up front. Washinton is another Eastern-based team to watch today, and when you look at the Western Conference, I think the Kings, the Sharks and the Canucks could make a deal in search of additional firepower.

McKenzie
I agree, Gord. I would actually add the Panthers and the Predators to that list, they are doing fine in the standings and could become a real threat if they find a good deal or two. I would also look at teams that are on the brink of being playoff-material - those teams will have to make a decision: do you believe in your team and go for "win now" or do you prefer building for the future? In either way, it's going to be very interesting tonight.

Dreger
Can't agree more, Bob. I think the Jets fit that bill, they could still squeak in and they somehow have to keep up the fan support. At the other end of the spectrum, you find teams that will definitely consider dealing a few players today - I know teams don't like the word with "R", but I think rebuilding might be the only choice for a few franchises. The Flames could look into that, the Senators and the Avalanche are not doing well at the moment and the Islanders and the Blue Jackets are also in big trouble. We're certainly in for a spectacular evening.

[...]

McKenzie
I'm receiving word that the Flames have started the night with two trades, let's see how they break down:

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Pittsburgh Penguins acquire

3rd round pick 2013	February 27	D Cory Sarich

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Washington Capitals acquire

3rd round pick 2013	February 27	RW David Moss

Miller
No big surprise here. Sarich and Moss are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, and it's certainly not surprising that the Flames try to unload a few of their upcoming UFAs to contenders for draft picks.

Dreger
I like the deal for Washington, they were looking for a bottom six forward for quite some time now and they get a hard-working guy in Moss that can chip in offensively.

McKenzie
Definitely. However, I'm surprised they Penguins go out and trade for Sarich - yes, they needed a defenseman after Lovejoy and Engelland both went down with injuries, but Sarich wasn't the big prize today and I thought they'd be looking for top-line-material. However, Sarich will add leadership and will surely contribute on their second or third defensive line.

Dreger
I think it's noteworthy that both picks for Calgary are for next year, not this year. Both this year's and next year's draft classes are expected to be very good and deep, but it's interesting the Flames didn't start with picks for this year.

[...]

Dreger
We got another one out of Calgary, and this one is a big one for sure:

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Winnipeg Jets acquire

LW Andrew Ladd 2nd round pick 2012 2nd round pick 2013	February 27	LW Alex Tanguay RW Rene Bourque 4th round pick 2012 4th round pick 2013

McKenzie
Wow. I'm a bit speechless right now ... you look at Tanguay and Bourque, both are signed for a long time. Ladd as well, actually. I did not see that one coming.

Miller
You can certainly see the desperation of the Jets here. They want to reach the playoffs in their first season so badly, and they probably thought that a veteran like Tanguay and a valuable sniper like Bourque could get them there. I think it's an overpayment though - giving up Ladd and two good picks, that's very steep in my opinion.

McKenzie
Agreed. The Flames seem to win this one. Ladd is still a young guy, and swapping two fourth-round choices for two seconds is fantastic as well. Robert Miller has really gone out and made a splash early in today's deadline.

[...]

McKenzie
Robert Miller makes his fourth deal today, and he acquires another draft pick:

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Philadelphia Flyers acquire

2nd round pick 2013	February 27	D Anton Babchuk D Brett Carson

McKenzie
It's another 2013 pick, while also shipping out two more defensemen after already unloading Sarich. What do think about this one, guys?

Dreger
Well, the Flyers were looking for an offensive defenseman, and they could do worse than Babchuk and his hard shot. His teammates name him "boom-boom" for a reason. Not sure why they'd include Carson, though.

Miller
Well, my sources tell me that Robert Miller was looking for a second-round pick for Babchuk, but the Flyers wanted another defenseman before agreeing to give up that pick. You could see their thinking - Pronger and Timonen don't get younger and Coburn could actually test free agency this summer. I think this one is quite balanced - Babchuk could easily be a "15 goals/40 points"-type of player, and Carson adds depth. The Flames get another good pick for their obvious rebuild ...

McKenzie
That's four new 2013 picks for the Flames now, two seconds and two thirds. Not a bad way refilling the prospect stocks, isn't it?

Dreger
I agree. I still expect Miller to trade for more 2012 picks though and maybe a prospect or two. The question now is: do they keep Iginla and Kiprusoff, their backbone players for many years, to help their young players get used to the NHL game, or do the Flames completely clean house and trade those two as well?

Miller
Difficult choice. Iginla is the face of the franchise and Kiprusoff continues to steal them games on a regular basis. But this has already been radical - I wouldn't be surprised if they actually risked that.

McKenzie
Hard to sell it to the fans, though. Calgary without Iginla is something that is hard to imagine.

Duthie
We'll find out soon enough. Guys, sorry to interrupt, but we have to make a short commercial break. Stay tuned for full coverage of the 2012 Trade Deadline, only here on TSN. We'll be right back.

**devo22** · 11-24-2011, 10:03 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

TRADE DEADLINE 2012

Duthie
We are back here on TSN and it seems we already have an answer to our question about the situation of Iginla and Kiprusoff in Calgary. Gord, what do you have for us?

Miller
Well James, it seems the Flames have decided to go "all in" today. The following trade has been confirmed by Robert Miller himself:

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Tampa Bay Lightning acquire

G Dwayne Roloson 1st round pick 2012	February 27	G Miikka Kiprusoff

Dreger
I simply love the idea behind this trade. Tampa Bay receives one of the best goaltenders in the game and Kiprusoff gets a legitimate chance to win a Stanley Cup, while the Flames get a veteran goaltender to mentor Henrik Karlsson and/or Leland Irving before he chooses to retire. And that first round pick? Golden. The Flames just needed that. So here we have trade that makes sense for both teams, I love that.

McKenzie
I agreed. Robert Miller has done a fine job here. He waiteduntil the end of the deadline to cash in on the most valuable assets of the Flames, and this one is just fantastic if you think about the future. Effectively, it's Kipper for a first round pick, and that's just fair as far as I'm concerned.

[...]

McKenzie
Robert Miller has done it, he completely blew up the whole team that was the Calgary Flames. But see for yourself:

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Boston Bruins acquire

LW Jared Knight RW Ryan Spooner 1st round pick 2012	February 27	RW Jarome Iginla LW Logan MacMillan

Miller
Wow, the Flames made the Bruins bleed here. This is what you get for waiting until the very end - teams tend to overpay then for their targets, and this is what happens here. The Flames manage to net themselves two highly ranked forward prospects and a first round pick for Iginla ... they couldn't have done any better.

Dreger
I agree. Jarome Iginla has been the face of the Flames for over a decade, but in retrospect of the recent months it is no surprise to see him on the move. He has lacked the leadership and the hustle that have made him a superstar during this season, and a change of scenery should just be right for him. Consider this: he doesn't have to be THE guy in Boston. He was the lone leader in Calgary, but he could just be a simple scoring winger in Boston, without having the pressure to be a lone saviour. This should fit Iggy.

McKenzie
Calgary benefits just as much as Boston, maybe even more in my books. Spooner and Knight are more than promising prospects - they will be very good in the NHL. Just give them a year in the AHL and they will be worth giving up Iggy. And that first rounder? Come on. Calgary is the winner of this one in my opinion, but it surely is close.

[...]

Duthie
So that's a wrap. We have seen numerous trades, also big names were on the move. The following months should certainly be spectacular. Thank you very much for joining us. I am James Duthie, TSN.

**Dynasty** · 11-25-2011, 06:52 AM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

BOOM! some nice deals in there.

**bthomp05** · 11-25-2011, 01:23 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

way to stock the draft shelf.

**Weezer21** · 12-04-2011, 12:03 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

Not sure if I like the Kipper trade but the Iginla trade is absolutely golden bud. Nice work

**devo22** · 12-06-2011, 12:29 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

thanks guys. I know this is radical, but I really wanted a fresh start with the team.

--------------------------------------------------

ROBERT MILLER PRESS CONFERENCE

I want to thank you all for coming out. Today is an exciting day in the history of the Calgary Flames, but at the same time, it is also a sad day. Seeing players leave after having them on the team for years is not easy, especially when you look at some of the names that will now leave the club. We want to thank each and every one of them for their work and their dedication to the Calgary Flames.

The last few days were very difficult for us. I came in just a week ago and decisions had to be made. It has been tremendously difficult, but sometimes you have to make the hard choices to improve. For me, it was the choice of whether I want to be "the guy who shipped Iggy and Kipper" or not. But when you sit down and think about it, it was necessary to make a change and go for a new direction. Everybody involved knew that it had to be done - the players knew it, the coaches knew it, the management knew it. You just need a "bad guy" that goes out and does it ... so here I am. As hard as it may be now, but I think the franchise will benefit from it in the future.

The word "rebuild" is not very popular in Calgary, but I strongly believe that the process is necessary. In fact, I believe the process should have started a year ago or two. For too many years, the Flames have neglected the future for a "winning now" mentality. And that's fine, you have to do that with players like Jarome and Miikka on the team. But the thing is: they didn't win. They didn't win a Stanley Cup, they didn't even reach the second round of the playoffs since the lockout. Those are the tough facts - the team has been a bubble playoff team for years. And it didn't help that the team got older every year.

So we felt it was time for some drastic moves. We feel that the 2012 draft will be very deep, and the 2013 draft should also be a good class. So we feel that these two drafts will be an opportunity to re-fill the prospects stock and actually build through these two drafts. Acquiring as many picks as possible was the biggest point on our agenda. That certainly doesn't mean that we want to tank now, certainly not. We have faith that our young guys can step in and make something happen. You look at players like Mikael Backlund, Roman Horak, TJ Brodie, Paul Byron ... this is the direction we want to go, we like what they bring to the table.

At the same time, I want to welcome the new players Andrew Ladd, Dwayne Roloson, Jared Knight and Ryan Spooner. We are excited to add them to our fold. I haven't spoken to Dwayne so far about his plans, but whether he'll retire in the summer or not, we are sure that he could be a mentor now to Hank [Henrik Karlsson] and Leland [Irving]. We were actually quite shocked to see that Andrew was made available. He is a great player with a great mentality, so we worked hard to get a deal with Winnipeg. I am thrilled that we made it work. And finally Jared and Ryan, two guys that have an amazing future ahead of them. They have been doing great in juniors, and I am sure they will help us in the near future. We had them on our radar for a long time and it is a pleasure to have them join our young core.

We know that this is might come as a big shock to our fans, but we hope they understand why we have made those moves. The Calgary Flames have an exciting future ahead of them, and we hope the fans are just as excited for the next years as we are.

So that's it, thank you for coming out.

**devo22** · 12-06-2011, 01:04 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

QUICK FIVE
FIVE SHORT NEWS ABOUT THE FLAMES YOU SHOULD KNOW

June 14, 2012. Calgary, AB. Get the inside scoop about everything new about the Calgary Flames with the following news bits:

*** NEW HEAD COACH TO BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK ***
The Flames plan to reveal their new man behind the bench next week, just in time for the 2012 Entry Draft in Pittsburgh. Robert Miller is believed to have held interviews with several candidates for a few weeks now. Rumours have been circulating around as well, but Miller has done a fine job preventing any information from leaking.

*** NEW CONTRACT FOR OLLI JOKINEN? ***
Olli Jokinen was one of few upcoming UFAs that weren't traded at the trading deadline despite some serious interest from other teams. It is no secret that Robert Miller is a big fan of how Jokinen has played during his second stint with Calgary after signing in summer two years ago. Miller is eager to get a deal done before July 1, and it is believed that Miller and Jokinen are currently working on a new contract that would keep Jokinen in Calgary for two more years.

*** FLAMES FIRST-ROUND PICKS: #5, #16 and #27 ***
The Calgary Flames have three first-round selections in the upcoming Entry Draft. The Flames' own pick will be #5, while they will also pick at #16 (from Tampa Bay in the Kiprusoff trade) and at #27 (from Boston in the Iginla trade). The Flames will also have two high picks in the second round: they will pick at #33 (from Winnipeg in the Tanguay trade) and at #35 (Flames' own pick).

*** BUYOUT NEXT FOR MATT STAJAN? ***
The days of Matt Stajan in a Flames uniform seem to be over. Sources close to the team report that Robert Miller is not willing to continue overpaying Stajan for bottom-six duties. Instead, Miller wants to open the roster spot for a prospect. It is believed that Miller is considering a buyout, since he couldn't find any taker in the league. Stajan, the last remaining player on the Flames roster from the infamous Phaneuf trade, has two years with an annual cap hit of $3.5 million left on his contract.

*** ROLOSON AND MORRISON SET TO RETIRE ***
Sources close to the team report that both goaltender Dwayne Roloson (42) and forward Brendan Morrison (36) are considering retirement. Roloson just joined the team at this year's trade deadline and went 4-5-1 in 10 games with the Flames. With Henrik Karlsson and Leland Irving appearing to be ready for full-time NHL duty, there doesn't seem to be much room for the aging goaltender. Morrison joined the Flames as a free agent two years ago. Initially a success in Calgary, Morrison has been hampered with injury this year and several young players have passed him in the depth chart.

**devo22** · 01-05-2012, 04:34 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

NHL ENTRY DRAFT RECAP: DAY 1

NAIL YAKUPOV GOES FIRST OVERALL, FLAMES CHOOSE THREE DEFENSEMEN

June 22, 2012. Pittsburgh, PA. The first day of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft in Pittsburgh might have brought a few surprises, but Nail Yakupov (Sarnia Sting/OHL) being chosen with the first overall pick by the Phoenix Coyotes was not one of them. The Russian forward sensation is the first Russian to be picked with the first pick since Alex Ovechkin in 2004.

Another Russian forward was chosen right after Yakupov, as the Columbus Blue Jackets took Mikhail Grigorenko (Quebec Remparts/QMJHL) with the second overall pick. Defenseman Ryan Murray (Everett Silvertips/WHL) became the #3 pick, chosen by the Florida Panthers.

The Calgary Flames surprisingly used all of their three first round picks for defensemen: GM Robert Miller took Mathew Dumba (Red Deer Rebels/WHL) at number 5, Griffin Reinhart (Edmonton Oil Kings/WHL) at number 9 and Derrick Pouliot at number 9 (Portland Winterhawks/WHL).

The 2012 NHL Entry Draft will commence tomorrow with rounds two to seven.

**devo22** · 01-05-2012, 04:44 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

FLAMES ACQUIRE GIGUERE

..........

June 22, 2012. Pittsburgh, PA. The Calgary Flames have acquired veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere from the Colorado Avalanche right before the beginning of the first round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. In return, the Avalanche receive goaltender Henrik Karlsson. In addition, the teams have also swapped first round selections of the draft:

Calgary Flames acquire	Date	Colorado Avalanche acquire

G Jean-Sebastien Giguere 1st round pick 2012 (#9)	June 22	G Henrik Karlsson 1st round pick 2012 (#16)

**devo22** · 01-05-2012, 04:55 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

NHL ENTRY DRAFT RECAP: DAY 2
SIX NEW FORWARD PROSPECTS FOR THE FLAMES

June 23, 2012. Pittsburgh, PA. The Calgary Flames have added six new prospects on the second day of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. After selecting three defensemen in the first round, GM Robert Miller chose a different path on the second day:

**devo22** · 01-05-2012, 05:29 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

TROY WARD NAMED NEW FLAMES COACH

June 25, 2012. Calgary, AB. General manager Robert Miller announced today that Troy Ward has been named the new head coach of the Calgary Flames. Ward joined the AHL affiliate Abbotsford Heat as an assistant coach in 2010. He was named head coach of the team in 2011.

"It's a pleasure to announce that Troy will be the new head coach in Calgary", Miller said in a press conference. "We have spent several weeks interviewing promising candidates, but at the end of the day, we believe that Troy is the best one for the job. We feel that Troy has proven enough at the AHL level and that it is time for him to be an NHL coach. He has been working with our prospects for two years, so he already knows a lot of the players and he knows our system."

The Flames have also named Jordan Sigalet the new head coach for the Abbotsford Heat. Sigalet spent the last year as goaltending coach for the Heat.

**devo22** · 01-05-2012, 05:49 PM

Re: "It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

FLAMES RE-SIGN FIVE RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
MIKKELSON, HENRY AND NEGRIN RELEASED

June 28, 2012. Calgary, AB. The Calgary Flames have come to terms with five of their pending restricted free agents:

F MIKAEL BACKLUND (23 years old): 2 years at $2.5 million per year
F PAUL BYRON (23 years old): 2 years at $0.9 million per year
F BLAKE COMEAU (26 years old): 2 years at $3.0 million per year
F JON RHEAULT (25 years old): 1 year at $0.6 million per year
G LELAND IRVING (24 years old): 2 years at $1.5 million per year

The Flames have also decided to release three pending RFAs to free agency:

D Brendan Mikkelson
D Jordan Henry
D John Negrin

"It's time to blow it up" - Calgary Flames (Be a GM NHL12)

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