They say misery loves company.
Maybe that’s what the Montreal Canadiens were going for when they cut Craig Conroy from his first NHL training camp in 1994.
“Craig was telling the story … He said they lined up 15 of them, brought them all in the room and told them all at once that they were getting sent down,” relayed Ray Edwards, director of player development for the Calgary Flames. “So it was a little different back then.”
Conroy confirms that is exactly how it unfolded.
“They had already cut a few players, and we were all kind of sitting on a wall outside the office,” he reminisced. “So yeah, they brought us in all in a group.
“They probably thought, ‘Jeez, this is going to take a long time so let’s just … ’ ” he continued with a chuckle. “I mean, I was fine with it. It didn’t bother me. But now, I do like to talk to each person as an individual so you can tell ’em what you’re thinking.”
After that first cut, Conroy was left looking for a map so he could figure out how the heck to get to Fredericton, N.B., then home to the Canadiens’ farm team. The rookie centre, freshly graduated from Clarkson University, would spend the next few months in the minors before earning his first career call-up.
These days, Conroy is mapping out the future of the Flames, trying to chart the fastest route to playoff berths and, ultimately, championship contention.
There’s more detail than ever before that goes into the development process, and part of that includes the personalized delivery of this piece of bad news. It’s not about sugarcoating but rather a chance to reinforce both the good and the gotta-be-better.
Over the past week, the Flames returned 10 teenaged prospects to the junior ranks. Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin were the most notable cuts as Calgary’s pair of first-round picks in the 2024 NHL Draft. Also trimmed from the training camp roster were future fan favourite Andrew Basha, fellow forwards Jacob Battaglia, Hunter Laing and Luke Misa and on-the-rise rearguards Axel Hurtig, Eric Jamieson, Henry Mews and Etienne Morin.
Each of those youngsters was called in — separately, that is — for a meeting with several of the heavy-hitters in the organization. Conroy, assistant general manager Dave Nonis, head coach Ryan Huska and Edwards were all in on those conversations.
“The reason you do that is to make sure the player knows the message that is coming is coming from everybody and we’re all on the same page, so there’s no mixed messaging,” Edwards explained. “Ryan was really good, giving two or three things to each player. Same with Craig and Dave, obviously. And then for me, it’s more of, ‘OK, here’s what happens next … We’ll be working on development plans. We’ll be reaching out. We’ll be in to see you very soon.’ ”
“And we try to get feedback out of them, too — ‘How do you think your camp was? What did you learn? What do you need to work on?’ ” Conroy added. “Because it’s great for us to have in our minds, but I also want to see what they think.”
Players have positives to take from training camp experience
Even if most of these kids were anticipating they’d be spending this winter in the OHL, QMJHL or WHL, there’s only so much you can do to soften the disappointment that comes with learning your big-league dreams will have to wait.
“The negative part is they’re going back,” Conroy said. “Everything else is pretty positive.”
In some cases, surprisingly positive.
As a reward for a strong showings at the Young Stars Classic tournament and into main camp, both Mews and Misa were tapped to suit up for the road half of Monday’s split-squad exhibitions against the Oilers. Edmonton’s superstar forwards, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, were among those in the home lineup.
According to Conroy, when Mews and Misa were being reassigned to the OHL the next day, each of them mentioned “how much fun that was and the stories they’ll have going back.” Senior director of hockey administration Mike Burke popped his head into one of those meetings and was surprised to hear laughter filling the room.
“It’s about trying to get them to understand that, as has been said here many times before, it’s an everyday league,” Huska stressed. “They have to recognize the strength that the players have and the pace that they play at all the time, especially the good ones, the best players. They never want to be told they’re going back to their junior team, but Mews and Misa, the smiles on their faces for having a chance to watch McDavid play up north, it’s something that they were like, ‘OK, I kinda get it.’
“We want them to take the experience and really recognize how hard they have to work to eventually put themselves in the situation where they can be playing against someone like that full-time.”
Flames looking to help prospects get better
In the meantime, the Flames want them to be difference-makers against their own age group.
It’s certainly a promising sign that Battaglia racked up five points — two goals and three assists — on opening weekend with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs and that Jamieson was just announced as a co-captain for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips.
Parekh, who arrived in Calgary to sky-high expectations as the ninth-overall selection and described his first NHL training camp as a “humbling” experience, will now chase the goal of being selected to represent Canada at the world juniors. Morin, who must be discouraged that he wasn’t dressed for any pre-season games in his second go-round, is also on the radar for that roster.
A lot has changed since Conroy was being cut with a crowd, but the Flames wanted to ensure in each of these individualized meetings this past week that their prospects don’t feel as if they’re flying solo.
“These kids have been drafted us, so they’re part of our family now,” Edwards said. “We make sure they know that they’re cared about and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they have every resource available to us that they can use to get better.”