The Calgary Flames lost Johnny Gaudreau to free agency last year, replacing Matthew Tkachuk after the latter said he would not sign a long-term contract extension with them.
Then earlier this year, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Mikael Backlund have all hinted at their intention to test the market in 2024. Tyler Toffoli, who was also set to be an unrestricted free agent next year, was traded.
But why do all the players want to leave Alberta? One answer came from Milan Lucic, who also embarked on a new path and returned to Boston with the Bruins.
“When the teams come here, it’s usually cold,” he initially said in an interview with Sportsnet. And while we all love the Dome, it’s old. That’s the deal.
“It’s also a small town and apart from the Flames, there’s not much there. You can’t watch an NBA or MLB game in your free time.
“Travel is tough…well, I’m just trying to give an honest answer to what players are thinking.”
However, Lucic enjoyed his time in Calgary.
“I really enjoyed my time here, as did my family,” he said. It made me love hockey again.
“The city, the fans, everything, it was wonderful. I liked that very much. I also had some of the best teammates of my career [pendant mes quatre ans avec les Flames].”