Flames Rumours: Veteran D-Man Contemplating Retirement

The Calgary Flames lack of success in 2022-23 can be attributed to many factors, but perhaps the biggest was their over reliance on veteran players with size, and unfortunately, that left some out of their depth as the team looked to push for a playoff spot under Darryl Sutter. Unfortunately, that saw players like Michael Stone being forced to play a bigger role than they are capable of, but with his veteran instincts, Stone racked up 6 goals and 5 assists in 48 games played, mainly on the third blue-line pairing.

Now, it appears the Winnipeg native’s career could be coming to an end, as a recent report has detailed that Stone will be a part of the organization in 2023-24, but not as a player, leading to speculation that he could be hanging up the skates after 12 years and 552 games at the NHL level.

The big bodied defenceman first came to Calgary and spent four years as a member of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, and after starting his NHL career in Arizona, he has spent the better part of the past seven years with the Flames, Nothing has quite been confirmed yet, but this goes along with the sentiment of General Manager Craig Conroy, who seemed to indicate the same thing, and with a likeable personality, a love for Calgary and the Flames, we could be looking at a new coach or a name within player development for the Flames going forward.

So what do you think? Can Stone still contribute on the ice? Where would you like to see him be within the organization? What’s been your favourite memory of the big man in his time in Calgary? As always, let us know all your thoughts in the comments below.