Craig Conroy appears to be odds-on favorite as Calgary Flames GM search nears conclusion
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, the Calgary Flames are in the final stages of determining their next general manager – with the belief that former Flame Craig Conroy is the odds-on favorite.
Hearing #Flames are in final stages of their GM search. Announcement next week? Believe 4 external candidates visited YYC in last week for in-person interviews, including Dave Nonis, Stan Bowman and Marc Bergevin.
If we were handicapping, odds-on favorite would be Craig Conroy.
Seravalli said he believes four external candidates visited Calgary in the past week for in-person interviews, including former NHL GMs Dave Nonis, Stan Bowman and Marc Bergevin.
But Conroy is the one with by far the deepest ties to the franchise. Conroy had two stints with the Flames and was a big part of the team’s Stanley Cup final run in 2004. He had a career-high 75 points in 2001-02 before serving as captain in 2002-03. He left after the 2004 playoffs for a two-year stint with Los Angeles, only to play the final four and a half years back with the Flames.
Conroy retired during the 2010-11 season, and re-joined the team that same season as a special assistant to the GM. He held that role until 2014-15, where he was promoted to assistant GM under Brad Treliving. Calgary is the only franchise Conroy has ever worked for, with many immediately expecting him to be Treliving’s replacement after he left the club earlier this spring.
Nonis most recently served as an assistant GM with the Anaheim Ducks after years of scouting and acting as a team consultant. His last general manager gig was with Toronto, a post he held from 2012-15. He also served as GM of the Vancouver Canucks from the lockout 2004-05 season until 2008.
Bowman has spent his entire pro hockey career with the Chicago Blackhawks, helping build the team that won three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015. He resigned as GM and president of hockey operations in October of 2021 after the investigation into the team’s handling of sexual assault allegations against Brad Aldrich during the team’s 2010 Stanley Cup run came to light.
Bergevin was the Los Angeles Kings’ senior advisor this year, a role he held after getting fired by the Montreal Canadiens in 2021. The previous year, he was a finalist for GM of the Year after helping the Canadiens made a surprise trip to the Stanley Cup final. Bergevin was also part of the management staff of the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks, serving as the director of player personnel at the time.