Don Maloney’s Comments Should Terrify Flames Fans

Flames president talking about not wanting to give up on this season is organizational malpractice

On November 19 in Buffalo, Don Maloney joined Sportsnet during the first intermission of the Flames Sabres game to talk about the present and the future of the club. Coming off a back to back, where just the night before, former first overall pick Connor Bedard and the young Blackhawks embarrassed his team, he decided it was time to tell the fans there was no need for a “rebiggle”. That’s right, he couldn’t even make himself say the word. Two days later he sat down with Eric Francis of Sportsnet for a 45 minute interview of which the answers ran most Flames fans up a wall.

For a couple years now, many Flames fans have been asking for a “rebuild”, to strip the team down, get draft picks and top end talent and start over. They believe its time to move on from this core. After all, the Flames are one of only 9 teams to never pick 1st overall, and if you bring that list down to teams that existed before 1990 they are only one of 3 teams that with that distinction. A franchise that has seen their rivals and a team just up the highway win 5 cups with top end talent and high draft picks, and more recently make the last 2 Stanley Cup Finals, believe that the model doesn’t work. How is that even possible?

Don Maloney said that the start of this season has been “poor and unexpected”, well that’s just not true and any actual fan of the team could’ve told you this was coming. Last season the only 2 teams to score less goals then the Calgary Flames were the last place sharks and last place bruins. Both teams that were trying to lose. Teams that traded away players like Brad Marchand in hope of freeing up cap space and getting to the draft to build for the future. This year, the Flames are averaging a measly 2.14 goals per game, if this statistic holds it will be the lowest in franchise history. There is not enough talent on the offensive end and your superstar sophomore goalie can only do so much to carry this team like he did last year. You need superstars to score goals and you need top draft picks to get superstars.

“The Culture”

For years, this ownership group has talked about their culture. They don’t want to build a team with the message that they are trying to lose. They believe that this causes their younger players to believe that losing is ok and that it harms the team more then it helps. Well, Don let’s talk about the culture of this core. Since the summer of 2022 where the Flames lost two superstars in Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau they have made the playoffs 0 times. They have had a winning percentage above .500 0 times. They have had a player score more then 75 points 0 times and how many times has someone scored over 35 goals in a season? 0 times.

This is not a culture to boast and brag about. Maloney was asked if this start to the season affected the approach of the organization and he said: “I don’t think it would alter the long-term approach. We’re so conscious of our culture here, and creating the right environment to grow these players, and we feel it’s better to grow winning players in a winning environment”. What culture do you have? What winning players? What winning environment?? Since the lockout this has been a failure of a franchise, arguably the worst in the NHL. You aren’t the blackhawks, or the penguins that have stats to back up your “winning environment”. You are losers, all you do is lose.

In fact, since the 2004-2005 lockout the Flames are fourth last in series wins. A teams success is obviously determined by your work in the playoffs (something they also don’t get to that often), so then how is this a culture you can be proud of, how is this a “winning environment”.

A Fantasy World

Far and away the most infuriating part of this interview was when Don was asked about the projected first overall pick Gavin Mckenna and how easy it would be to lean into this tank and get him. He answered: “In a fantasy world yeah. Unfortunately this isn’t fantasy hockey.” The follow up question was “Is there not a lesson to be learned by the fact that the top four leading scorers in the league now are all No.1 picks overall, and teams like San Jose, Chicago, Anaheim have all turned it around with their stars leading the way?” To this he again responded, “Again in a fantasy world it’s very enticing. You have to deal with the real world too”, followed by “those teams are good, but on the other side look at some of the teams that have been in this, I font want to say the teams, but they’ve been down for years and missed playoffs for years and years. And then you lose your fans and interest nobody wants that”.

Appalling. This is not a fantasy world Don. In front of your eyes you can see three teams who showed you the method and you’re blind to it. The blackhawks won three cups in 2010, 13 and 15, in the years after they realized that this core had been played out and got rid of Toews, Kane and Seabrook. They bottomed out and now with superstars like Connor Bedard are in a playoff spot, in fact Don saw it with his own 2 eyes when the Blackhawks beat his Flames a combined 9-2 in 2 games this year with Bedard putting up 4 goals and 4 assists in those 2 games. The ducks similarly, won 2 cups got rid of Getzlaf and Perry before it was too late and are now first in the pacific division. The sharks were a powerhouse for half a decade couldn’t win a cup, traded away talent before it was too late, and now led by Celebrini and Will Smith look like they will be a scary team for the next decade. The process works. Fans have seen it play out for countless teams around the league. In a salary cap system you can’t just retool on the go you have to rebuild. The only way you “retool” is by hitting on your late draft picks, but outside of Gaudreau in 2011 the Flames haven’t picked a consistent NHL-er past the 3rd round in 15 years.

Furthermore. having the audacity to talk down on other teams (without naming names of course) like you are the president of some powerhouse is insane. The team he is obviously talking about that has “missed playoffs for years and years” is the Buffalo Sabres. Coincidentally, the team the Flames were playing when he got interviewed. He’s right, the Sabres have the longest playoff drought in hockey, a grueling 15 years, the team has not been good and they’re losing fans. The problem with Maloney making that statement though, is that since the 2005 lockout the Sabres have more series wins then the Flames! You are on that level Don, you don’t have some special code, you don’t know what you’re doing, your franchise also sucks. You are no better then the Sabres.

The Future

Don Maloney and the ownership group are scared, they think that if they commit to a rebuild ticket sales will go down and he won’t make his precious money. But that doesn’t matter, last year when the team was contending for a playoff spot they were still 20th in attendance, no one wants to watch a boring team. Lucky for him, he’s been handed a golden ticket, Scotia Place. The city of Calgary - that loves and cares about this team more then Don and Murray Edwards ever could - are in the process of building the Flames a brand new state of the art arena that will bring fans in no matter how bad the team is. Why not give them something to cheer about. His job is so easy, let Conroy trade Andersson, trade Coleman, maybe even Kadri. Get Mckenna or Dupont. Get 32nd again next year and bring in that new arena with young stars and get some excitement into the city again. It’s not fantasy it’s possible.

We want to watch Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin and Rory Kerins, not 36 year old Mikael Backlund dump it in and go for a change for the 5th time this period. The job is easy, bottom out and create a powerhouse. If you don’t want to do that, if you want to just stay afloat, sell the team, give the reins to Conroy and Iggy. They will bring us Calgary Flames supremacy, something this city deserves.