What's behind the Flames' hot start? Catching up with Craig Conroy

Not all 3-0 starts are created equally.

And for the Calgary Flames , a perfect start to the season so far feels momentous, given how most of the outside world viewed them.

Our season preview crew at The Athletic , for example, picked the Flames to finish 28th this season.

And to be fair, that could obviously still happen.

Advertisement But comeback wins on the road in Vancouver and Edmonton, which sandwiched a home win over Philadelphia , were an early-season message.

Yes, theyre a team in transition, a team with obvious deficiencies, but the Flames also appear to be a tight-knit group with a gigantic chip on their shoulder.

Oh, absolutely, Flames general manager Craig Conroy told The Athletic on Monday.

You know, I talked to the guys before the season.

Hey, were in this together, I see where everyone is picking us and what theyre saying.

You know what its like when people say you cant do something.

OK.

Well show you.' Again, its three games.

Small sample size.

But the Flames were eager to have a chance to prove something this season.

Nazem Kadri helped set the tone early in training camp when he asked the local Calgary media to pump the brakes on questions regarding his future with the team.

Let us go play, said Kadri, whos signed through 2029.

Were going to try to rally around each other and surprise some people.

Veteran defenseman Mackenzie Weegar, whos under contract through 2031, also has said he wants to be part of the solution.

(Mikael) Backlunds the same way.

(Blake) Colemans the same way, Conroy said.

Theyre the leaders and theyre bringing along the young guys.

Point being: This isnt last season.

A year ago, it was natural to speculate where things were headed roster-wise for the Flames with pending unrestricted free agents like Chris Tanev , Elias Lindhom, Nikita Zadorov and Noah Hanifin all likely to be dealt.

And they all were.

That was outside noise that was uncontrollable because of their contract statuses on a non-playoff team.

The uncertainty early last year ...

we talk about the outside noise, thats one thing as a general manager, how do you quiet that? I couldnt really quiet it last year.

And I know what its like when theres that uncertainty and that tension down in the room.

Guys are looking, Are you going to sign? Nobody knows everybody elses situation down there.

Advertisement It didnt lend to a good locker-room atmosphere.

Theyre good people.

Its not that.

Its the uncertainty of not knowing where were going.

Thats what is great about this year.

Beyond Kadri and Weegar, veterans Coleman (signed through 2027), Backlund (2026) and Rasmus Andersson (2026) are also signed past this season.

Conroy isnt looking to move them as long as they want to be part of things.

And so all things being equal, there is no big fire sale coming.

No doubt there will be a move or two, but theyre not tearing it down to the studs.

They want key veterans to be part of the process.

You see these younger (rebuilding) teams like Chicago or San Jose, theyre bringing in veterans to help support, Conroy said.

We have great veterans and theyre here and theyre supporting our guys.

Youre trying to build a culture.

Thats one thing were always talking about, building the right culture.

And those guys are a huge part of it.

You have guys who want to be here and want to be part of the solution.

Thats why I think we had a great training camp and good preseason.

Its carried over.

Theyre in this together.

Down 4-1 after the first period on opening night in Vancouver, the Flames rallied back to stun the Canucks 6-5 in overtime.

Then Sunday night in Edmonton, against an Oilers team desperate to avoid an 0-3 season start, Calgary was full value for its 4-1 win.

So far, career backup Dan Vladar and youngster Dustin Wolf have done the job in net.

The two goalies are competing for something that they havent had the opportunity for before, Conroy said.

Theyve been dialed in right from training camp.

Realistically, this is the most obvious area that could sink the Flames eventually.

Vladar has never been an NHL starter, and Wolf is a seventh-round pick who has had to prove himself at every level because of his 6-foot frame.

This is his first real full-time crack at the NHL.

Advertisement I was asked going into the season, what is kind of the biggest thing you want to see? Obviously its going to be the goaltending, said Conroy.

No one has been a real starter (in the NHL).

But the one thing I told everybody, when you talked to these guys in the summer, they were just so excited about the opportunity.

They know theres an opportunity.

And they both were saying, I cant wait.

This is going to be great.

Its just healthy competition between the two of them.

But perhaps the best sight of all so far for Calgary? Jonathan Huberdeau has three goals and two assists in the opening three games and looks like a new man.

Huberdeau was better late last season, but the burden of that contract paying him $10.5 million per season often seemed too much to handle.

It would be a wonderful story for the old Huberdeau to re-emerge this season.

At the end of last year, he said, Hey, Im going to change up some things Im going to do,' Conroy said.

Hes talked to our strength coach (and) changed up how he trained in the summer.

Flames head coach Ryan Huska went to meet with Huberdeau in Montreal this summer.

They had a real good conversation, said Conroy.

They talked about doing more, killing penalties, things like that.

And hes been on our penalty kill doing a great job.

One key area Huska and Huberdreau talked about, Conroy added, was the work away from the puck.

Hes working.

Hes making plays.

Hes going hard to the net, Conroy said.

Hes going to the hard areas.

And I think that was something him and the coaches had talked about.

He wants to do well here.

He puts a lot of pressure on himself.

So its just good to see him go out there and play his game and have some success.

Because he cares.

Huberdeaus play has been one of many positives early on for these re-tooling Flames.

Advertisement Its three games, but theyve played well, theyve stuck up for each other, theyve competed hard, Conroy said.

And generally its a good feeling around the locker room.

I know theres going to be ups and downs.

But as long as they play hard and compete and stick up for each other, thats what you want to see on a nightly basis.

(Top photo of MacKenzie Weegar , Connor Zary and Jonathan Huberdeau: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images).

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