CRAIG CONROY on Adjusting To His New Role As General Manager of the Calgary Flames

Hello there, this is the BobbiKoan podcast and it's brought to you by Bed Rivers. Download the Bed Rivers online casino and sportsbook app today with John Shannon. We are going to talk to a guy who's a general manager in the NHL but he's the newest general manager I think. Seven days I think Bob? Yeah, he's the general manager of the Calgary Flames, Craig Conroy is a guy who has been around the NHL both as a player and as an AGM and in a front office for a long period of time but he's not commonly known. He's not a guy who has a big profile and I think was a bit of a surprise. Was he a bit of a surprise when he got the Calgary job? I think so. I think if you're a follower of the flames and of the NHL in Western Canada, I don't think it was. But in many ways, Craig getting the job is the same way he played more than a thousand games in the National Hockey League. He did his job and he didn't get much acclaim for it. Well, I think that's the thing. He worked his tail off as a player and he's been working his tail off in management from the time he retired in Calgary and stayed in Calgary which I think is a fascinating story too that this guy who grew up in is American grew up in upstate New York wanted to stay and live in Calgary all those years. Now people in Calgary and I put myself on that last people in Calgary that have lived there said, well, why not? It's a great place to live because it is a great place to live. But it doesn't get very much attention that way. It's very much a business wise, a transient city. But the passionate people that live there understand that there are good things to live with and and and Craig's understood that I guess more than most people that got transplanted there as a player or somebody in business. Well, you know, look at every year, there are a bunch of GMs that openings and you know, we talk about them, we're aware of them. And you know, his name has never come up in my mind as a candidate for any other job. You know, my guess is that he was probably going to be a if he wanted a GM job this year, the only place he could have got it was in Calgary because they knew they knew him and they knew of his relationship with the city itself. Do you not think? I think, you know, we always talk about institutional knowledge was it was very important for a team that I mean, I don't think they're going to make many changes, Bob. I don't think we're, you know, that they got rid of the manager or the manager decided to leave, rather, and then they got rid of the coach. But we're not going to see a huge turnover, I don't believe in the playing lineup. So to have someone who's familiar with that group of players and and familiar with the 50 contracts that NHL teams have was probably pretty important in the in in Dom Maloney's process of picking a new general manager for the flame. So I think you're right. I think that if if Conroy was to get the one job, it would have been the one in Calgary, it wouldn't have been anywhere else. Right. Well, let's talk to him. Craig Conroy, the new GM of the Calgary Flames, he will be next when we continue. Hi, this is Bob McCowan for betrivers.com. Hey, if you're looking for a sports book or casino app, you should check out the bet river sports and casino app today. Play all of your favorite casino games for real money, anywhere, and anytime. Plus get in the action with each sports game with hundreds of sports betting options and get ready to feel like a VIP because you'll earn both loyalty level points and bonus store points on every real money wager you make. You must be 19 plus available in Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 or speak to an advisor free of charge betrivers.com. And we are back at McCowan. It's Shannon with you and we are joined today by the new general manager of the Calgary Flames. Craig Conroy is with us. Well, first of all, congratulations on the gig. Well, thank you for your pleasure. Well, I guess. Yeah, it's been a little while. Have you settled in now? Do you feel comfortable in the job that you have ahead of you? You know what? I would be lying if I said I feel comfortable, but it's been so busy. It's it's been good. Our amateur meetings were here and then, you know, we have a lot of work, but next week will be a little bit easier. I'll be able to kind of make more phone calls, get back to people and really start digging in on stuff. How much of this as you look ahead is you and what you are and what you want to do and what kind of person you are and how much is how much have you been influenced by the many general managers you have worked with over the years? You know, I think I've been fortunate. I've been, you know, with J.P.s who is here, you let me do a lot. And then when Brian Burke got here, you know, you just you're taking things from each one and then Brad's for living for the last nine years. You know, you take, you know, and you know, the goods and bads that are happening behind the scenes and how decisions are made and you're like seeing where things worked and where things didn't work. And they all had a special skill set. I think they all had a different way of doing things. And, you know, you're kind of pulling from all those and trying to come up with how you want to run things. You know, it's going to be a little different, but each of them had things that they did really, really well. And I'm going to try to pull on their knowledge and their experiences. So there's one guy that you've tried to pattern yourself after. Was there one guy that you, you know, respected maybe more than others? Well, I think you respect, you respect them all. They all, they all were great to me. I mean, I think Burkey was interesting. You learn a lot, a lot from Burkey from behind the scenes where you really believe, okay, this is how it's done because Burkey has such conviction. This is the only way to do it, Connie. This is it. And I'm like, oh, okay. But you know, with tree, I just know how he had a pulse on everything. He had a, always on the phone, you know, he always in touch with the teams and he really had a good feel, not that we're going to be in on every deal or you could, but he wasn't, he never missed anything. He always knew what was happening in the league. And I think I definitely want to, you know, that was nice. That was a real strength of trees, I thought. Sure. What do you, what do you see then, Craig, as your strength in all of this? You know, I think probably, I mean, it's hard to brag. It's hard to push yourself, but you had to sell yourself to Don Maloney. What do you, what do you think your strengths are? You know, my, I think my, I feel like I'm a good leader, my communication skills, you know, I get along with people. I hopefully I can bring the team together. I always felt as, you know, when I was a captain here or on different teams that, you know, I can bring people together and we can all go in the right direction. It's not just about me. It's not me being the GM and the coach and the players. We're just one team and I want to make sure my team feels that everybody's in this together. We win together. We lose together. That's how it was as a player and that's kind of what I want to bring in your positive attitude. I want to have fun. This is a game, you know, I want to, I want to have fun. Where did that come from? Where did that attitude, when you look at the, how long you played the career growing up in up, upstate New York, playing at Clarkson, where did that positive attitude come from? Well, I think it's my family. I mean, you know what, it's, it's always very supportive. We've been, we're close knit, we're always together and, you know, we just like to have fun and enjoy being around people, you know, and that's the other thing. And then as far as the hockey part, I mean, Daryl uses sometimes to get on me like, why are you always smiling? I'm like, I'm playing in the NHL, Daryl. Like, that's why I'm smiling. I never thought I was going to play in the NHL. This is a great life. So I had fun coming to the rink every day and I really enjoyed my time, you know, and I'm going to, I'm going to bring that same enthusiasm up here and hopefully it's contagious. You've got a group of people that you will be responsible for, you know, who wear normal clothes when they come to work every day. But are you, do you think you'll be the kind of general manager who will communicate with the players on a regular basis? Do you think you'll have an intimate relationship with them? You know, I think communication, I think the players want that nowadays, you know, when I started in Montreal, search of art, I'd see search of art, but I actually wouldn't like talk to search of art. Exactly. But players, players want to do that now. They want to, they want to ask you questions. They want to be able to come to your office and ask questions if something's going wrong. And I want to know, you know, a lot of times, if I'm upstairs and they're down in the locker room and there's a problem, I'd rather have someone tell me so we can kind of put that to bed before it really festers into something that's going to be harmful to the team. So communication is definitely a part of it. You know, I don't want them, I don't think it's going to be where buddies were not going to dinner, stuff like that. But I want them to know if they have an issue, family, person, you know, whatever it is, they can come and we can talk about it. How would you how would you define the process you went through to from that moment, Don Maloney had the announcement that Brad wasn't coming back and they were looking for a new manager? Did you did you feel you had the inside track? Well, you know, it was surprising the morning that Don told us that the brand wasn't coming back because it, you know, I always thought Brad was coming back. I just thought it was going to happen. It was just a matter of time. So the morning that happened, I was shocked, really. So at that exact moment, I didn't think anything. And then as kind as you're sitting here, you're like, I hope I get an interview and a part of the process. And you know, and then you start thinking, and I would, I think I would love to love to get this job. Your first responsibility, I guess, is to figure out who your new coach is going to be. How far down the road are you on that? Would you say, you know, I'm out, you know, reaching out, getting permission from people to talk. And then I'm hoping to start next week. Next week would be the goal. It's been real busy with the amateur scouts being here and just to get the permission to make sure we're going through the right channels to be able to interview guys. So next week, it should start. And hopefully, you know, I'm not going to rush it though. I want to make sure, you know, we get the right person. So, but next week, it'll start. Do you need a coach button? Do you need a coach by the draft? I think I'd like a coach by the draft. I think our players that I've talked to, one of the questions is they'd like to know who the coach is going to be. But I said, you know, I have to take my time. If it's by the draft, that'd be great. I'd love to have them with me at the draft, for sure. That would be a goal. But with the combine, with everything coming up, it's going to be busy. And I just don't want to rush it just to do it to do it. But if I could, it'd be amazing. So I assume that I don't know what you do, but there's probably a piece of paper someplace with the things on it that you want in your head coach. I wonder if you'd be willing to share any of that with us. Like, what kind of guy do you think you should have behind the bench? You know, I want a guy that can communicate, inspire our team. You know, I think someone that can inspire a team is big when, you know, and not not out of fear, but out of they want to do it for them. I think I see some coaches around the leagues that I watch from a distance that I'm like, hey, I want to play for that guy. Like, that would be fun to play for. I want him to have an atmosphere where it's fun, but I still need him to hold players accountable. I always think accountability is the biggest thing for the players. And we want to be held accountable. We want to know what we've done right and wrong. And I also want to play with maybe a little more offensive flair. Let them be creative. There's such special players now in the way the game and the rules are. Offensively, I like to let them see that creativity come out, but kind of from the red line back, I still want structure. I think maybe being a defensive forward, you know, all my career, I want structure and I want to know where everybody should be in the ice so we can get our job done. There's no second guessing and then we can go back and offense and have fun. Does where does some experience at the NHL level for your coach fit? Is that important to you? Do you think it should be important? Well, I think it would be nice. You know, it would be nice to have a coach who's had some experience in the NHL, but it's not going to be everything. Because the one thing I did say in the press conference and I do believe is I want to grow with this coach. We're a team, you know, we need to communicate. We need to be not that we're always going to be on the same page, but we need to have a vision of how we're going to get this team to the next level together. And he might say, I need a certain type of winger. I want to. And then that's my job to go out and try to find it. And I want to be able to talk about that and have that relationship, you know, and let them know what's going on and kind of work together rather than just, you know, being a little separate or, you know, I'm doing one thing and we're not in the same page. I want to be on the same page moving forward. Do you want to talk to your coach every day? I'd like to talk to him probably every day, but it doesn't have to be. You know, I said, I'd like to go with the coach, especially when we have a, you know, build that relationship early, but I don't think I have to go on every road trip. I think sometimes you can have the boss around too much. And I think there's going to be a fine line. I think I'm going to be there. And then hopefully we can, we have that relationship. We want to talk every day. The institutional knowledge that you have in this organization is probably key to why you got the job. I mean, you know, everybody in the farm system, you know, everybody on the on the major league roster. Can you see that being an asset for your coach? Because you have a few guys in and around your organization that have that asset as well. Oh, for sure. I mean, it's, it makes it so much easier because I know every player, every drafted player, everybody, you know, if I walk down the hall, I know the people in marketing and tech and sales. And, you know, so it's that part is easy for me and the player part. And then, you know, especially with the scout, even the scouting meetings, I already know the process that we like, you know, we'll find tune a little things you're always trying to improve. That's the one thing we, you know, Todd Button and I was talking about how do we get better? How do we do it? Take it to the next level, but very comfortable going in the one thing I'm very comfortable is going to the draft this year. I mean, that's, that's kind of what I've been doing on my job most of the year. So that part I'm not worried about. Maybe the coach, you know, we have to find a coach and moving forward with the team. I guess it might. My question really, Craig was more about that coaching guy because you know, I look at Ryan Husker and I look at Kirk Muller and I look at Mitch Love. You got some pretty strong internal candidates. And then you have to, if you are, if you do decide to someone that doesn't have that same knowledge of the roster that those three guys do, you're going to have to manage those personalities as well if you decide not to give them the job, correct? Yeah, I mean, the internal guys are great candidates. I can't say enough about each and every one of them. And it is nice that they know the American League, and especially having the American League team here in Calgary now, you know, I don't know how many times when I was sitting at the game, those guys were at the games watching them too, you know, so it's not like they don't know the American League team. They know everybody. They might not know the draft picks, you know, in the junior players in college, but it is making it a little bit easier, you know, for sure. And those guys are worthy, worthy candidates for sure. How important do you think assistant coaches are? Because if you, the truth is, if you pick one of them to be your next head coach, what do the other guys think? You know, are they likely to stay? Do they get pissed? You know, you may lose one or two of them, right? That's a great point. You know what? That's a great point. I mean, you know, and I guess if it came to that point, that's when you find out and I can understand, hey, these guys, the one thing about that group of guys, very competitive, each and every one of them are competitive. And that could happen. You know, you're hoping if you do make a decision to pick one of them, you'd love to keep the other guys because I think they kind of, the way they read off each other and work together, I thought it really flowed downstairs. You know, Mitch Love was in the American League, so that's a little different. But with Kirk and Ryan Huska, they just, though they worked really well together. So that's a positive, but I can understand, they one of them could say, you know what? I'm not happy here. And then, you know, we'd have to feel sure. Yeah. So were you part of the, were you part of the exit meetings with the players this year? No, no, I wasn't. You know what? I wasn't in with, it was Brad and Don. But I kind of, you know, I do have a relationship with the players. So I had a semi, I had a good feeling what was coming. It wasn't a shock to me when I heard what was said in the meetings. And I thought, okay, you know, and that's, you know, I knew that was going to be a they weren't going to be easy meetings. I guess my question was a preface to this since you've got the job or by the time you were told you had the job, it's been about a week now. Have you how much conversation have you had with your players? I've reached, you know, a lot of them texts, but I've talked to some on the phone too. I'm with the amateur meetings. It was a little difficult, but I'm going to, you know, I'm going to call everybody, you know, and just make sure, but they've all reached out and we've text back and forth with, which is kind of nice. And say hi, how are you? But is there a conversation? Has there been conversation about the future about what do you care what these players want in terms of a culture in terms of changes to the roster or the direction that the team is going to go in those kinds of things? Do you want to know what these guys think? Well, I feel like I know what they think right now. I mean, that's the one thing when we talk about communication with the players, you know, they express these things all year long, what what they think we knew, what we need to be better. We do something better than the other teams. So I already feel like I know some of that. But for sure, I've been, you know, reaching out to the seven, you know, UFA's haven't got to all of them yet because of the meetings. But those are the kind of priorities for next year, the guys that are going to have contracts for next year coming up. You know, I want to see where they're at. I want to see where their mindset's at. Do they want to be a Calgary flame? You know, if they do, that's, you know, because we like all seven of those guys, there's not one guy we don't like. They're great players. And I think if they don't want to be here, there's going to be a huge man for them out in the market. So I guess what I was trying to lead to was that how did from your position last year in the office beside Brad's, how did you see the season? What did you did you see the issues that people were referring that were going on through the year? And the disconnect between Daryl and the team? Well, you know, the problem is I like Daryl was a good coach for me. Listen, we're all friends. Daryl's a great guy. But you know, it's a different, the players are different now. It used to be where you say, Daryl would say, go do this. I'd say, okay, I'm doing that. You know, now they want to know why they want more feedback. They, you know, and I think I knew it wasn't always perfect down there. Maybe I didn't know quite to the extent at the end of the year, exit meetings. And we had so many close games. And, you know, it's it's not one person in the organization. It was us. It was, you know, the coach, coaching staff and the players. We all have to take accountability for this. It was we underachieved. And that's the most disappointing part because when I looked at the team going into the season, I was so excited. I was a little nervous about how the chemistry you're always worried about that. Because when Bomi sir came here, when we played, I was over the moon. And for whatever reason, it took a while for that to gel. It did not, it didn't work the way I thought with having regere and funuff and Bomi sir. And I'm just thinking, why didn't it work? So you're worried about that. And it didn't quite work right from the start trying to figure out where Hubert Oh was going to play right wing left wing. You know, I'd like to see some continuity in the lineup right from the training camp. If we can get find out who who works together, because I think once you can play as a, you know, as a line and feel that chemistry becoming, it makes a huge difference. But it felt like all year we were trying to find that. Well, you sort of answered the question, but I mean, the question and the part of Calgary fans, I think is what happened last year. I mean, this was a team that I think you and most people thought would be better. Certainly would make the playoffs. How good you'd be beyond that was anybody's guess. But this was a in in just about every respect a disappointing year. Was it not? It was, you know, and like I told, I did talk that Hubert Oh, I said, that's done with us work this year's. There's nothing we can do about last year. Obviously, we know what happened. We need to move forward in the future. I want to get this team swagger back. I want to get the confidence back. And that's my whole focus right now is going forward. I want to I believe in this team. I think we have good players and we can, what we didn't do last year. I think we're going to bounce back. I mean, every guy that I talked to at the end before the exit meetings, you know what they talked about, they took accountability for their actions and they're saying, I have to be better next year. And I like hearing that as they're, you know, as they headed out for the summer. So let's say you've got, you know, a bunch of free agents. Let's say you can sign all of them. And you go back next year to start next year with a roster that is virtually the same as what you had this year. Would you have a level of confidence then? I do. I mean, I mean, I believed in the team this year. I believe that it was only a couple. If you look back, it's all these little things that go on. You know, is it four more goals? Is it five more saves? It wasn't like we missed by 40 points. Right. You know, look, we actually had more points than Florida and liquid Florida is doing. I, you know, we always say, if you get in, we underachieved, I really can't say, and you know what, to a man, they're they all agreed. We all underachieved. You know, there wasn't someone that said, Oh, I was the greatest year I've ever had. Everyone said, I got to be better. And I believe, you know, maybe with the new coach coming in, and you know, just to change things up, it might it might be enough. But with that said, we have seven UFAs the following year. There is a cap. It's going to be hard to bring them all back. Sure. Yeah. Any any since you got the job, and I'm sure you were talking, but since you got the job you heard from our buddy tree, has he given any words of advice to you? Yeah, no tree, tree's been great. You know, wish me all the best and good luck. It's going to be, it's going to be a whirlwind. You know, I think he says you'd be drinking out of a fire hose or whatever he's saying. I can't remember. I think that's a saying. So when he says it, you think, we'll see. You know, I had 435 messages the first day. So I was like, whoa, he was absolutely right on that. I couldn't believe it. I still got to get back to a few people. I feel bad. And the other aspect to your front office is that the longtime guys that you've been sitting beside, Cristiano and Brad Paskel got new jobs. Let's face it. Brad was a candidate for this job, too. How do you, how do you create communication with somebody you were competing with a job for? Well, the first thing I said, you know, obviously we both talked, we knew we were going for the same job. And I said, you know, Brad, if I got the job, do you feel comfortable? You know, are you, are you pissed? Kind of like Bob said before, are you pissed? Do you say, I want out of here? You know, I'm not happy. He said, no, absolutely not. I'd love to stay and work, Greg. We work well together. You know, your strengths aren't my strengths. My strengths aren't your strengths. So, you know, we fit well together. And you know, Chris Snow and I have been close since he's been here. And what he does on the other side, like with the analytics department, with contract stuff, he's excellent. You know, and I know Chris, he wants to expand that even, you know, because we have the tracking data now. He always wants more and more and more. So, it's, it's fun to work with these guys and I enjoy work with them. So, I'm just happy they were, they were able to get a promotion and move up. Well, can I, can I, I just want to talk about Chris for a little bit because I've seen video and I've heard stories of you and Chris used to come to the rig together, correct? Oh, I go pick them up, come down. So, so for people who don't know, Chris has ALS is a, it's a tremendously emotional story. And Chris is still a valuable member of the staff that, that must be, that must put a lot of stuff in perspective, if you're around him every day. To see him what he does and not to come, he never, I've never seen Chris complain once, never feel sorry for himself. You know, never, wants to be at the office all the time. Obviously, there's some unfortunate couple times in the year. It didn't work that way and he was sick and he had to go to the hospital and, you know, but even when he's doing that, you're getting the emails, you're getting the, you know, he's constantly working and he loves it. You know, and that's the one thing I think he's passionate, he loves his job and he wants nothing more than to do it. You know, the best of his abilities, which is his mind is sharp and you know what he communicates. We, you know, I can still, it's not as easy to hear him talk sometimes as the day goes on because he gets tired, but I still can understand and, you know, we're always texting and he's got a few new things coming with computers and some things that are really going to help him. So, you know, he's a, he's a great friend of mine, first of all, foremost, but he's excellent at his job too. It does put the wins and losses in perspective, doesn't it? It does. I mean, you know, sometimes you get so emotional about the game and you're fired up and I bring it home and my wife's like, what is wrong with you? You're crazy. But in the end, when I look over at Chris and what he's doing day in and day out, his family, I know how you know, Kelsey, we talk regularly and Cohen and Willa, I go over to the house to see what they do and it puts everything in perspective, really does. With Craig Conroy, the new general manager of the Calgary Flames, we'll take a break and come back with more right after this. We all know how to use the internet, but most of us don't know how the internet uses us. So instead of figuring out how I can protect myself from the unknown, that is the worldwide web, I just got NordVPN to do it for me. First and foremost, what's a VPN? It stands for virtual private network. Pretty much a VPN creates a secure connection from your device to your network and NordVPN does it the best. It took me literally the click of one button to connect to their security package and now all six of my devices are protected from malware, web tracking, intrusive ads and infected files. Also, it has access to over 6,000 servers across the world, which means if a TV show or movie doesn't stream in your country, you can just switch to a country server where it does. Get four extra months and a 30 day money bag guarantee when you buy NordVPN by heading to NordVPN.com slash Bobcast. Go to NordVPN.com slash Bobcast for four extra months on your security package. We are back. It's McCown. It's Shannon and Craig Conroy of the Calgary Flames is with us. You know, you've got so many things on your table that you have to do. You have to hire a new coach. You have a whole bunch of free agents that you have to figure out what you want to do with. Do you have an order of what you'd like to do first? You said you're going to start your interviewing with coaches next week. Is it important that you get a coach in place before you do you evaluate the players and decide which direction you're going to go? Do you expect that the coach to be influential in the decisions that you make regarding the players? Well, it's a little bit of both. I mean, I think the players, like I said, they ask questions. Now, they want to know who the coach is going to be. Where is the direction of the team going? What are his philosophies? How does he want to play? So those are the kind of questions that they ask. So I probably would get the coach in place and then get with the players. But I'm going to have an idea what the players want to do. I mean, if one player says, I just don't want to come back, Matthew said he wasn't going to sign here. So if somebody tells me that, then we're going to go in. Obviously, then I'm going to have to go in one direction. But the majority, no one said that to me yet. They just want to kind of know what's going on here. Do you expect a coach to be influential in the decisions that you make regarding personnel, playing personnel? Well, I think it's going to be a, like I said, we're going to collaborate. What type of team? What type of players do you want? How do you want to play? Exactly. Do you want to play an uptempo speed game? Then I know what I'm looking for in players. You know, I think as we come together and put that plan, what we're looking for in the team, then I'm going to go out and try to find those pieces. It's like putting together a puzzle. And once I know what the pieces we're looking for, then I can go do my job and my staff, that's going to be the real key, is working together. We need to be on the same page and how we want to build this team moving forward. Based on that, are you fast enough? On your own philosophy? I was like, look, we have Dylan Dubey. We do have, would I like to add more speed? Yeah, I think I would like to add more speed. I think you watch. We built when we were doing the US team for the world championships, you know, was a big thing. You know, David Quinn wanted to have some youth and speed and line up and, you know, kind of watching those games, you're like, Oh, you know what, it's gone well for us over there. So so far, knock on wood. But you're thinking about that. You're thinking about how we just built that team and you're like, okay, how can I bring some of that into this, you know, into our team in the Calgary Flames? Hey, why don't you study Keros? You mentioned that. Sorry, Bob. You know, the Americans have had a great world championships over in Riga and in Tampa. Oh, had the process of Brad not leaving been stable? Would you have gone over? I was good. I was talking about going over, but you know, with everything, you know, I felt like I did not want to leave Calgary, you know, Todd Button ended up going over for even for us for the flames. So, you know, we always have people over there. So I probably would have liked to gone over, but, you know, in the end, it was it was just easier to just stay here. Philosophically, I'm sure you have a notion of what kind of hockey you want the Calgary Flames to play. But at the same time, the guy who's really responsible for that ultimately is the head coach. Do you feel like you have to be on the same page with that guy in terms of the kind of style that you want the flames to play, the kind of people that you want to acquire, etc.? I totally. I think we have to be, you know, because if we're out of sync, if I get a player, bring a player in and he doesn't want that player, in the end, the coach is going to have the final say who plays. I mean, they all have that. I guess, theoretically, yeah. So, you know, that's what I've seen in our organization. You know, I get the players, but I want to know what type of player we want. And if we work together, then that shouldn't be a problem. But when we go through the hiring process, those are the type of questions I'm going to ask. How do you see the team playing, you know, usage too? I want to know how much they want to play. I'd like to see our top guys play more, you know, in key situations. Those are those are things that I thought, you know, we kind of rolled four lines this year a little bit and I'd like to see our top guys get more minutes. I mean, that's why they're our top guys. We want to put them in those pressure spots and they're the ones that have to come through with those goals. When we were down a goal, I think, you know, the cadre's, the Hubert O, Lindholm, those guys need to be on the ice. But a conflicts between the coach and the general manager, you've had lots of experience in an office. Do those kinds of situations happen regularly where the coach thinks one thing and the general manager thinks something entirely different because it's possible. Yeah, I mean, I think, I think, you know, there's always maybe on a player here and there. But for the majority of the time, I've seen it's, it's worked pretty well. I mean, it's they're there together. Nobody is going to agree on everything. We're not all. No, of course, of course, they're not. That's what I mean. Yeah. But yeah, you know, but that's where I said, Hey, whoever I do hire moving forward, I do think we're not always going to be eye to eye. But as long as we can come up with, okay, how do we get a solution out of this and end up working together? That's what I'm really looking for. It's that collaboration. And in the end, we just want what's best for the team and the players on the on the on the on the world of collaboration. We haven't mentioned the other addition to your front office. And that's Dave Nones. How did how did that come about? Was that your idea? Or was that part of the process of Dave interviewing for the GM's job? I think one of the things were one of the things that Brad loved to do when he was here. And he really loved it. He loved the negotiations. He loved doing the contracts. That was his passion in his. So, you know, in my in my interview, I they said, what are your weaknesses? Do you have a weakness? I said, I haven't done a lot of contract negotiation. So I think when we were moving forward, they said, we'd like to have you bring in someone that could help with that, that's experience that knows what knows the agents on the negotiations. I know the agents, you know, I get that's what I said. One of my things is I know the agents, we get along, but I have it. We get along so well because I have negotiated contracts with them. We just talk and talk about players and stuff like that, where we think no one has been able to come in. And even when we, you know, we sit down, have meetings here and just his philosophy, how he's thinking, how he wants to move forward. It's a it's a great fit for us. It really is. I mean, it's going to be and plus he's been a, you know, he was a first time GM in Vancouver and then he's been in Toronto. So he knows what it's like to be in a Canadian market and to bring some outside perspective, invaluable to the team. And he's just a good guy too. Curious where the name came from. I mean, there's there's lots of bodies out there where where do you and known us intersect that makes him somebody at the top of your mind? Well, you know, I think the one thing when I always met him with Brian Burke, when I, you know, you'd see Brian Burke and Dave together all the time. And just to know that, you know, when Burke was here, I mean, we would be, he loves telling stories and a lot of Dave known his stories, Dave this, Dave that. So you kind of feel like, and we weren't close. I mean, if I saw I Dave, how are you, you know, we would talk, but it wasn't like a close relationship. But I think having Burkey and, you know, just how comfortable Burkey felt with him and how good a job he thought he did. It means a lot like Burkey's, you know, Burkey's one of my favourite people. And I learned so much from Burkey, you know, it was he was a huge asset. So I thought if Burkey trust them, I can trust them too. So needless to say, Craig, that when you when you were talking about known as there was a call to Brian to say, Hey, Brian, what do you think of Dave coming in? Well, I didn't even have to because I feel like I know Dave just from Burkey, you know, I didn't want to put Burkey on the spot. But you know what? So yeah, it's been a great transition and it's been fun. Almost invariably whenever John and I talk to somebody who's in a position like yours or your position, we get to the conversation of the salary cap. And that is an issue for I don't know how most teams in the National Hockey League, you're either going to be at or very very near the cap. And money issues are going to be a factor over the course of the year at some point. Do you have a philosophy on this at all? Because I've often wondered why general managers don't leave five or $10 million on the cap. So that if if you're in a position where making a trade of the deadline is something you need to do, I don't mean want to do, I mean need to do that the cap situation doesn't inhibit that. But it seems nobody does. Everybody everybody spends to the cap. Are you you know, is that your plan? It's funny. Mike Burke, who does a lot of the cap stuff for us. We always talk about it. If you have some room down the stretch, there's deals that he had. So of course, we would love to, you know, that's what I said, would the cap only going up or staying flat? It's been tough. And I can see why all the teams, you know, are at the cap. But would I love to have four or five million? That would be because the deals that were out there that we've maybe not been able to do. It has. Cap related, right? Yeah. But you look and you kind of look at going down through, you have 23 teams within like $600,000 at times of the cap, not not right now, but you know, going through the season. So it's been hard for all of us. But I think as a general manager, you'd like to see the cap go up, you know, you're hoping it goes up as much as it can because you'd like to have that room and leeway. But you're right, that to leave space is invaluable. It's like another asset that you if you have it, you know, you see how you get draft picks, you see how you get some real good players, because teams just have to make moves to sure do what they think's best for their team. And you can really get some good players. So that's a great point, Bob. I would I would love to have four or five million in cap base starting here. Is that your plan? Greg, do not give Bob any ideas. Yeah, I get Bob any ideas. If you look at where we're at, we're one of those teams that are going to be just with the contracts we have. So what I like to get to know, is it going to be hard? Also, yes. You know, before we let you go, you've been good, you've been great with your time. I know you got to go, you got another meeting to go to. I'm just curious, when you retired, you're an American, you stayed in Calgary. What was it? What was it about Calgary and Craig Conroy that was a instant marriage and that you even in many ways become a Western Canadian? I think obviously the old four run had something to do with it by coming here. But just the people where it is. I mean, I'm from a small town in upstate New York. It feels it has a small town feel here. The mountains, the people. It's really such a great city. People don't know. It's a sleeper city. I mean, when Mila and Lucie came here, he said, Calgary's awesome. He goes, you know, once he got here, he's like, this is a great city. The restaurants, what you could do, how close you are to the mountains. And then my family loved it here, you know, and really, my girls all grew up here. And they think of Calgary's home. So that's really the reason. And I love it. I mean, I do. Is this home for us? Well, hopefully you'll be home for a long time. And you have a long career as a general manager in Calgary. We know you got to run. We thank you very much for taking time to talk to us today. And hopefully we'll have a chance to chat over the course of next season too. Okay, thanks for having me. Thanks, Craig. That's Craig Conroy, the general manager of the Calgary Flames. We'll be back in a moment. When was the last time everyone agreed on what's for dinner? You want Chinese food, they want pizza, and someone is always craving froyo. Well, there's something for everyone on DoorDash. Ordering is easy. Open up the DoorDash app, choose what you want from where you want, and your items will be left safely outside your door with our default contactless delivery setting. For a limited time, our listeners can get 25% off and zero delivery fees on their first order of $15 or more. When you download the DoorDash app and enter code Bobcast23. That's 25% off up to $10 in value and zero delivery fees on your first order. When you download the DoorDash app in the app store and enter code Bobcast23. Don't forget that's code Bobcast23 for 25% off of your first order with DoorDash subject to change terms apply. That's Craig Conroy, the GM of the Calgary Flames, and we thank him for taking time. It's obviously a busy time for him, John. He's got a coach to get. He has the draft coming up. He's got to make well, the guy has got to make an almost every decision a general manager has to make and he has to do it all simultaneously. He needs a coach. He has to decide what players he's going to get, what changes he will make. I'm sure every GM who comes in make changes inside the office in whatever way. I don't see much of that happening here, Bob. I think that's one of the reasons why Craig was at the top of Dom Molloney's list. There isn't much change to be made in the Flames front office. His two AGMs in Pascal and Snow got promotions. They brought Dave Nonas in as we talked about with Craig. Their capologist, Mike Burke, has been with the Flames. I remember Mike as a PR guy. He's been with the Flames for a long period of time. There isn't again, I think that that was one of the attractive parts of having Conroy as the number one candidate. Let's remember, and we didn't talk to Craig about it, Jerome McGinle is on his way back, eventually in some manner full time, whether it's probably a year or so. Don't we talk about the again, the thing, because again, it was a great player and a high profile. Don't you think that's really why he's getting the attention he's getting in the job that he is going to take with Calgary? I mean, let's be honest, is he going to be influential in almost anything that they do? I don't think so. I think eventually he will become a key cog in all of this. You know, Jerome has taken time after his playing career to, I don't want to make it too folksy, but give back to the game, to coach Minor Hockey, to coach his kids living in Kelowna. I respect that. I think everybody does. No, no, but I think as you know, Bob, when you play the game at the NHL level, you don't really think about all the other aspects of the business, whether it be the actual money side of the team, or what management goes through on a daily basis when it comes to contracts and prospects and shores. And I think Jerome is going to have on the job training. Sure he is. And he's going to, and I think eventually he will be influential for this franchise. But he's going to take a subservient job, you know, a job that really he will not be in a position to make any fundamental decisions. And he shouldn't be in a position to make fundamental decisions. You know, I'm sure he's a nice guy, but he's a former player who hasn't worked in the NHL for a number of years. And as you said, has been off coaching his kid. And that's fine. Everybody respects that. But that's not a prerequisite for a job in the NHL. But this becomes, so much of this is a game and a business of relationships. If, and the moment Jerome starts watching the flames play, he will have an opinion. And for Craig Conrad to have another voice to talk to and say, Hey, what do you think of so and so? How's backlands game doing? Well, you know, what are we doing with Lindholm? I mean, Jerome again, has a great eye for the game. And and he will be honest. How do we know that he was a player? You know, as a player, that's all you know, you don't he is not anything since then. Well, I mean, I think it's again, I think it's based on relationships. I think that Craig, I think Craig Conrad and Jerome again, I have talked hundreds and thousands of times since they both retired as playing. And I think they trust each other's judgment, Bob. You know, I think it's I think it's very easy to sit and say, well, he hasn't been in the NHL, but Jerome again, I know is the game of hockey. Jerome again, understands the game of hockey and the game of hockey hasn't changed. It has a million people that know the game of hockey. You know, I'm not trying to be negative on Jerome again. Like it's just, I think that he is being talked about in this glorious fashion, simply because of the kind of player he was and the kind of person he was as a player and not because of anything else. I think he's been talked. I think he's been talked about glowing clean Calgary because, you know, this is a team that over the years needs to reengage with the greatness of some of their players, the greatness of, you know, I know you and Lanny don't get along, but the greatness of Lanny McDonald, the greatness of Jerome again, I think it's all part and parcel. You know, the glory days of the Calgary Flames, whether it be in 1986, 1989 or 2004, those guys deserve the opportunity to be around the hockey club, in my opinion. And if they can, if they can help, and obviously Craig believes the Jerome in some former manner. Oh, somebody believes that. I don't know whether it's Craig though. I think it's Craig. I mean, let's face it. Craig, Craig Conroy was as good a center for Jerome McGinley in his time in Calgary than anybody. He knows the, he could tell you when Jerome McGinley was going to be every time, every time they were on the ice together. So from that perspective, I don't want to be negative on Jerome McGinley. And I know that coming off is that. I just think that too much attention is being paid to him coming into the Flames organization at some point. I know I don't put it any different though, Bob. I don't put it any different to the process that Craig Conroy started 11 years ago as an especially assistant to the general manager. Well, look at how long it's taken him to get a position of some authority. You know, he was a, he was a been a B player for a decade. A guy who. And there and learned every ass as, as, as he told us, he knows every guy in the office, he in the marketing department and I don't know anything but you can see that with his personality. He is not a kind of guy who was on anybody's list outside of Calgary for an upcoming GM job. Was he? Like how many of those other jobs did he ever? He was not. He was not. I think he, I think he had interviews with two other jobs over the last three or four years, but he wasn't high on it. He wasn't high on anybody's list. He's a perfect fit for the Calgary Flames. The way the flames are constructed right now. You know, someone because I'm not denying that, but he's a guy of no experience in the job. And if you, you know, if you mentioned a Ginla as the, you know, somehow the, the foreseer of greatness, he's a guy who has had zero experience 10 years from now. Let's see how he's been doing. Yeah, I think it's important to bring Jerome back. I really do. I think in so many ways, I think it's a good story. No, I think it's a feel good story. And I think that you're, I think Jerome can offer something, as I said, of a sounding board for, for Craig, that makes this organization go in the right direction. And, and, and it's, you know, funny at the moment, you say that, you think you're criticizing Brad for living because I'm not, but I think that, for living did a lot of great things in Calgary and just had some unfortunate situations and had a coach that went in a different direction, had a coach that in the end didn't work on the same page as the rest of the franchise. But the coach got fired and for a living left. Now was truly pushed out? Do you think? No, I don't think so. I think he was offered his job and turned it down. So what, well, why did he turn it down? You know, here's, I don't think he, I don't, I think in the, in his time there, he was not going to be allowed to move the coach out. And I think the moment that Brad left, honestly, I honestly believe that the moment Brad left, I think it shocked ownership. I think it shocked a lot of people in the organization to say, wow, Brad's leaving because he won't, you know, we won't let him do what he wants to do. We better look at this. And then when Don Maloney, who was Craig Tola, sat in the exit meetings with the players, gave ownership what the players thought was going on with Daryl Sutter. Ownership was backed into a corner and had no choice but to get rid of Daryl Sutter. What do you think happens with Tre living because there are, you know, rumors right now that he is going to be the next GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs? I don't know. I mean, I know they've talked. We know that he's been in Toronto and talked. But I think like, like Craig's, Craig figure out what is going on with his coaching situation. I think Brendan Shanahan is still trying to figure out what's going on and who's on his list. I mean, we've heard Tre living being talked to, but have we heard any other names? We haven't really heard any other names. Well, not really. I mean, everybody's focused on the on living situation. But look, you know, as you said, Tre living just came off a conflict with ownership, with the board. Well, no, with Murray Edwards. He does it. Yeah, with Murray Edwards. Yeah. Okay. Is he likely to come to Toronto and be in a situation where everybody believes that the president of the hockey club would come down on you as the GM if he doesn't like the decisions that you're making? Well, that's a great question because we all know in the end that it was a power struggle between Kyle and Brendan on who is going to make hockey decisions. Exactly. Cause caused the conflict last week. So, but here's the problem. Here's the issue with with the Toronto Maple Leafs job, Bob. It is it is the Golden Goose. Well, it is what it's just people get people get blinded by it. People get blinded by it. If I can win the Stanley Cup with the Toronto Maple Leafs, I'm a god, you know, but that's what people think. Well, that's what that's what fans think. And that's what the media, you know, right? I think that's what I think there's a ton of people. It's nonsense. You don't think people in the hockey world think that? Sure. I think I think you win a Stanley Cup. You win a Stanley Cup. It doesn't matter where you are. I think you get to put that on your resume, whether it's in Toronto or in Las Vegas or Florida. So what? You want to stand the cup? It's on your resume. It's the whole way you use later on, period. It is the Holy Grail for so many people. Why? It be because of the because because of the yes, because they haven't won since 67, because it is this giant business monolith that is more successful business wise than any or franchise in the national hotel. Who is the general manager of the New York Rangers when they won the Stanley Cup after more than Neil Smith's? Okay. What happened in his career? Different. That's what I'm saying. The Toronto Maple Leafs are different, Bob. No, they aren't different than the major. No, they are not. Here they are. There are a crummy franchise who's been that has been misrun for decades. So if you come in and win a cup, somebody's going to come in and win a cup eventually with them. It might take 100 years. Oh, are you sure? Oh, no, I'm not. It might take 200. But somebody is going to eventually win with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That's an inevitability. And then there are set for a white and then what? Look at Neil Smith, the guy who took the Rangers after 50 more than 50 years and put together a team that won the cup and then got left what the next year or year after that hasn't worked in the NHL seriously since then. Hasn't got another GM's job. No, he did. He did have one. He did have one on the island after that. Yeah, for what? Maybe. Maybe he was the GM. Maybe he wasn't. And he had that job for a nanosecond effectively. Yeah. No, you're right. I think I think but I think people get blinded by the Maple Leafs job. I really do. I think there are people that just they drool over getting the job to run the Toronto Maple Leafs. I think guys like you drool. I think I want to be the general manager. The reality is who cares? Do you want to be a GM? Get a GM job someplace. Maybe the Toronto will be the last place you should be looking at. But you know, I don't know that. Listen, we got to get out of here. You have yourself a good weekend. Okay. You too. All right, we'll see you Monday and we'll see our audience on Monday. We thank you for watching or listening for John Shannon, Bob O'Kown. See ya. Bye.