Brad Treliving Good Fit For Flames

Dec 23, 2013; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames goalie

(29) get congratulated by teammates on the win over St. Louis Blues at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames added Brad Treliving as General Manager on April 28, 2014, it was the first off season move by Brian Burke who had declared previously that he would not be taking up the GM role.

Brad Treliving co-founded the Western Professional Hockey League, has been GM of American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage and as of 2003 had been the current assistant GM under Don Maloney at the Phoenix Coyotes.

It’s an interesting move and one I think will pay off for the Flames moving forward, Treliving has built a strong pedigree of front office experience.

One thing that stood out to me when Brad Treliving was hired is his ability to work within a tight budget and build successful teams on the ice, something he had done with the Phoenix Coyotes as an assistant GM.

While he won’t have tight budget problems with the Calgary Flames, reports suggest Treliving was very hands on in his time with the Coyotes, assisting and playing a big role at the draft table under Don Maloney’s guidance.

Rated very highly by his peers Brad Treliving would be the only person Brian Burke would interview for the role, whether or not that was a targeted plan or Treliving interviewed well, we don’t know.

All we know is that the Calgary flames got their man at the first attempt, and he will be given full autonomy to run the team as best he sees fit.

His reported work ethic is a big factor in my evaluation of the hiring of Brad Treliving.

“Crazy work ethic,” Dave Tippett said of the former Coyotes assistant GM in November 2013.

“His commitment to doing the job right is phenomenal.

“Sometimes you just scratch your head and say, ‘Brad, take a break here.’ He’s all-in all the time.”

What intrigues me about this is it’s starting to become a trend under Brian Burke, on the hockey rink and now extending into the front office.

Calgary built a reputation during the 2013/14 National Hockey League season as a hard working, blue collar hockey club out on the ice and it looks as though they now have a GM with the same work ethic.

I believe a strong culture in sporting clubs play a big role in the long term success, at Calgary they seem to be doing that from the top down. The addition of Brad Treliving adds to the good, hard working hockey people which Calgary seem to be building from within.

Time will be the ultimate test for Brad Treliving and how history will remember him in Calgary.

However, on the surface it looks as though the Flames have made the right choice.