Stu Cowan: New Flames GM Craig Conroy had a tricky time with Canadiens

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The primary NHL coaching camp for brand new Calgary Flames common supervisor Craig Conroy didn’t go properly.

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The Canadiens chosen Conroy within the sixth spherical (123rd total) of the 1990 NHL Draft after he had posted 33-43-76 totals in 31 video games at Northwood College in Lake Placid, N.Y. The native of Potsdam, N.Y., then performed 4 seasons at Clarkson College. Throughout his senior season, Conroy had 26-39-65 totals in 34 video games and was a runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award as the highest U.S. faculty participant.

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Conroy attended his first Canadiens coaching camp in 1994 and issues had been going properly till he by chance hit star goalie Patrick Roy within the masks throughout a taking pictures drill.

“I didn’t do it on goal and I felt terrible,” Conroy informed my Montreal Gazette colleague Herb Zurkowsky after the incident. “That’s the final particular person I’d shoot excessive on; he’s the man.”

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Roy wasn’t impressed and charged out of his crease after the rookie.

“I couldn’t inform if he was mad, however I didn’t know what to do,” Conroy informed Zurkowsky. “He informed me to not shoot at his head. I don’t blame him. I want I may take it again.”

Conroy was among the many first cuts at coaching camp a few days later, however he impressed Paulin Bordeleau, who was teaching the AHL’s Fredericton Canadiens on the time.

“He’s participant with good abilities,” Bordeleau informed Zurkowsky. “He loves the sport. He’s pleased, at all times speaking and smiling.”

Conroy was pleased, speaking and smiling throughout Tuesday’s information convention in Calgary asserting him as the brand new GM of the Flames. It has been fairly a journey for the 51-year-old since his first NHL coaching camp.

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Conroy began the 1994-95 season with Fredericton earlier than getting known as up by the Canadiens in February. He scored his first NHL purpose in his second sport — a 2-2 tie with the Rangers in New York. That was the one purpose he would rating in six video games with the Canadiens earlier than being despatched again to Fredericton. Per week later, Conroy suffered a knee damage because of a late hit throughout a sport towards the Syracuse Crunch. Conroy was Fredericton’s main goal-scorer on the time with 26-18-44 totals in 55 video games.

Conroy returned to play within the playoffs and had 5-7-12 totals in 10 video games as Fredericton superior to the Calder Cup remaining earlier than dropping to the Albany River Rats.

The subsequent season, Conroy acquired lower once more by the Canadiens at coaching camp. He was upset on the time, saying: “If Montreal doesn’t like me, if Montreal doesn’t want me, I simply need to get an opportunity with another person. I’ve to point out what I can do. I’m getting older (24).”

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Conroy would solely play seven video games with the Canadiens through the 1995-96 season and had no factors. He had 31-38-69 totals in 67 regular-season video games with Fredericton and added 5-7-12 totals in 10 AHL playoff video games.

Lower than a month into the following season — after Conroy failed once more to make the Canadiens at coaching camp — he was packaged in a commerce with captain Pierre Turgeon and Rory Fitzpatrick going to the St. Louis Blues in change for Shayne Corson, Murray Barron and a fifth-round choose on the 1997 draft (Gennady Razin).

After the commerce, Conroy would play 14 seasons within the NHL with the Blues, Flames and Los Angeles Kings. He’s one among solely 15 gamers chosen on the 1990 draft to play greater than 1,000 regular-season video games within the NHL, posting 182-360-542 totals in 1,009 video games.

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Now, the previous Flames captain is the staff’s common supervisor after spending the final 9 years as an assistant GM in Calgary. After lacking the playoffs this season, GM Brad Treliving determined to depart Calgary regardless of being supplied a contract extension and head coach Darryl Sutter was fired. Conroy has a giant job forward of him discovering a brand new coach and he additionally has seven gamers who can turn into unrestricted free brokers after subsequent season. Conroy desires to make Calgary a spot the place gamers need to play and keep after the departures of key gamers Johnny Gaudreau for Columbus and Matthew Tkachuk for Florida.

Conroy mentioned the brand new head coach has to carry ardour and a imaginative and prescient to the staff, including it doesn’t essentially should be somebody with teaching expertise within the NHL. It seems like Conroy is focused on following what the Canadiens did in hiring Martin St. Louis.

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“You desire a man that may talk to the gamers,” Conroy mentioned. “It was once the coach would inform us what to do and we did it. Now they need to know why. So he’s acquired to have the ability to talk, he’s acquired to have the ability to make this atmosphere a enjoyable place to be. For 17 years, I at all times had enjoyable coming to the rink. … I would like them to be pleased coming to the rink.”

Conroy additionally desires to present younger gamers a possibility to make the staff out of coaching camp, one thing that was tough below Calgary’s earlier administration.

That’s one thing Conroy can relate to after his expertise with the Canadiens.

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