Mackenzie Weegar Praises Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy Following Trade to Utah

This past season, the Calgary Flames made a firm stance on their future, agreeing to finally begin a rebuild as they dealt the trio of Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar to Vegas, Colorado and Utah respectively.

While all of them hurt Flames fans, the reaction to the Weegar deal was the strongest, as No. 52 completely ingrained himself within the Flames organization and the city of Calgary during his three seasons with the team. However, it was the right move for Craig Conroy to make, as they managed to acquire Olli Maatta, prospect Jonathan Castagna and not one, not two, but three second-round draft picks, one of those which is No. 35 overall.

With some trades, there can be hard feelings, but given the way that the Flames future was panning out, this deal was clearly best for both the organization and Weegar moving forward, who just competed in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in his first season with the Mammoth. That clearly isn't the case for Weegar, who recently went on the Missin Curfew podcast to address all things 2025/26, including the deal that sent him to Utah.

Unsurprisingly, he was very positive when talking about Conroy, who has already become known as a great General Manager in the NHL, with players simply respecting the way he goes about business.

"He’s a great guy and he’s super honest and he communicates the right way.

Obviously the team didn't start very well at the beginning of the year, and my game kinda didn't start well. So it was tough, I wanted to play better for the team, and seeing the direction the team started going, I could see the writing on the wall. Some of the rumours out there, not just for me but also for Kads, Colesy, a couple other guys as well.

There was a couple conversations Conny and I had throughout the year but there's one in Nashville where I said, 'if there's something out there, just keep me posted, it's not to say that I want a trade, I'm not asking for a trade, but if something works out for both sides and it gives me an opportunity, just let me know'."

Mackenzie Weegar

Clearly, it wasn't a great year for Weegar on the ice in Calgary, but despite all of that, he maintained great communication with Conroy and the Flames front office, and in the end, the team did the best by him as they dealt him to a genuine post-season contender. As Weegar's comments show, Conroy handled this in a very professional manner, but he also showed that he's not afraid to make the tough calls needed to get this team through a rebuild, something the Flames need moving forward.

Ultimately, Weegar will be remembered as a fantastic Calgary Flame, and while he wasn't able to get the team over the hump into the post-season, he leaves behind a great legacy, with these latest comments showing that the Flames are in the right hands with Conroy.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow