Flames bring back Iginla as special advisor to GM

Jarome Iginla is coming home.

The Calgary Flames legend and Hockey Hall of Famer was introduced on Thursday as a special advisor to general manager Craig Conroy.

Iginla and Conroy spent nine seasons together as Flames teammates, and have remained close since they ended their playing careers. While Conroy jumped straight into a management role with Calgary, Iginla elected to go the coaching route with hockey prep schools. Next season, the 45-year-old Edmonton native will coach at the RINK Hockey Academy in Kelowna, B.C.

“It’s very special and I’m very thankful to ownership for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it,” the former Flames captain said.

“It’s awesome to be a part of a team again and try and help them win…it’s a great, passionate fanbase. You see that all the time when you come through Calgary and I see it in B.C. I see people that move out here and they didn’t switch. They’re huge Flames fans. It’s great. It’s been fun to go back over the years and it always brings back great memories.”

Seeing Conroy and Iginla working together again was a long time coming.

“Our relationship goes back 20 years and includes being opponents and teammates combined with a long-standing friendship,” the 51-year-old Conroy said. 

"Dating as far back as our playing days with the Flames, Jarome and I have always talked about one day working together in the NHL…That day has finally come and I’m happy to welcome him back to Calgary. Jarome provides a creative approach and smart hockey mind to our team blended with a passion for the game, and a desire to win the Stanley Cup.”

Their relationship is complementary, with open discussion on strategy and team building. 

“While our views on the game are similar, we often challenged each other on systems and playing style, always pushing each other to be better,” said Conroy, who replaced Brad Treliving last month after the Flames and the former GM parted ways in April.

“I look forward to our team benefiting from his fierce competitiveness, career experiences and love of hockey.”

Iginla noted that one of Conroy’s priorities is to make the Saddledome a fun environment for players again. Iginla’s role is yet to be ironed out, but it could include different portfolios. Iginla consulted with fellow advisors Justin Williams and Scott Niedermyer, as well as Shane Doan, on how to approach the role.

“They all seem to enjoy the management side of it,” said Iginla, who spent 16 seasons with the Flames.

“Sometimes I think it’ll probably be a sounding board, sometimes it’ll be, ‘watch this player, give me another opinion on this player.’ Maybe I can watch some live also here in Kelowna…I imagine it’ll be a range of things.”

Conroy and Iginla have come a long way as teammates and fantasy baseball rivals. The fantasy league started when they were players and both were active in retirement before Conroy pulled out.

“He said, ‘The amount of time it takes for me to do that baseball pool and do this job, I just can’t do it,’” Iginla recalled, laughing.

“I’m like, ‘Are you serious?’ He’s so competitive and he doesn’t want to be as not good at the baseball pool. He’s like, ‘I’m not gonna do it.’ And I couldn’t talk him back into it. He loved it. He gets that focused and he’s that competitive. You’d think he’d keep playing and is just not as good, but he’s very competitive.”

Iginla is still in that baseball pool more than a decade later. His management role with the Flames will likely evolve over the years, but Iginla doesn’t have a set path or goal in mind. He just wants it to unfold in Calgary, alongside one of his best friends.

“I don’t know, to be honest,” when asked if he has eyes on a particular title in the future.

“I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done and I didn’t really plan that out, so I don’t really have a plan. I just look forward to being a part of it and learning and helping, hopefully, [the team] be successful and to be a part of the process.”