Flames News

"Windsor Spitfires captain Mickey Renaud died of natural causes due to an underlying heart condition, his family said in a brief statement Tuesday, ending months of speculation about the 19-year-old's sudden death. An autopsy revealed Renaud had a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Toxicology tests showed "no evidence of drugs of any kind," Renaud's father Mark Renaud wrote. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a genetic disorder in which the heart muscle can be abnormally thick. Mark Renaud thanked the public for the "prayers and well wishes throughout our most difficult time." Renaud, a talented hockey star, collapsed in his family's home in the Windsor suburb of Tecumseh on ..."

"Like most Canadian kids, John Negrin has been dreaming of Maple Leafs and hockey skates for his entire life. But not getting an invite to this summer's junior national team development camp wasn't a complete bummer for the 19-year-old Calgary Flames prospect. "A goal of mine was to make it to (Canada's) camp," said the two-time, under-18 national team member from West Vancouver. "It's unfortunate that I didn't get asked but it's not the end of the world. "Just because I didn't get invited to the development camp doesn't mean I won't get asked to the camp at Christmastime." Two others Flames prospects, Greg Nemisz of Courtice, Ont., and Keith Aulie of Rouleau, Sask., were excused early from ..."

"Texas has its high school football, a la Friday Night Lights. Indiana has its basketball, Hoosiers. Aaron Marvin has lived the high school hockey version of that world. Marvin, the Calgary Flames third-round draft choice from 2006, hails from Warroad, Minn., about 200 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. Warroad was called Hockeytown, U.S.A. long before the Detroit Red Wings came up with that phrase as a marketing slogan. He was a big part of Warroad high school's last Division A state championship team in 2005. Hockey in his hometown -- 10 km south of the Canadian border on Lake of the Woods, where Ontario, Manitoba and Minnesota converge -- goes beyond fun and games. It's an event, as is ..."

"Sure, Robyn Regehr and Zdeno Chara had pictures to show the children of Mozambique what hockey was like. The interpreters did their best, too, explaining a rink was like a soccer field covered in ice and they had sticks, pucks and knife-like blades on their boots to move. One place, during the NHLer's recent trip to Africa, had props for them to actually demonstrate -- branches that crudely looked like hockey sticks. So, using a lock for a puck, they demonstrated passing and shooting. "I don't know if the kids got it," Regehr says with a chuckle, "or if they just thought we were crazy." Crazy or not, the memories that the Calgary Flames defenceman re-turned with from Africa will last with ..."

"Asked about fun so far this summer, Kevin Lalande just kind of looks at his inquisitor. Slouched and sweating in his stall at the Pengrowth Saddledome on Friday afternoon, Lalande gently reminds the notepad-toter that just last month he'd been still playing hockey. Meaningful hockey. Championship hockey. Then, after the Las Vegas Wranglers closed out their campaign June 5 -- they lost Game 6 of the ECHL final to the home-ice Cincinnati Cyclones -- the netminder had taken a week to decompress. Then he'd taken nearly a week to drive home to Ottawa. Then he'd taken a week to visit near-forgotten friends and family. Meaning that leading up to the Calgary Flames' professional development camp, ..."

"It was the day after the start of free-agent frenzy when Darryl Sutter made the proclamation that reverberated all the way to the west coast. The Flames GM, as he gave a state of the union address amidst the flurry of moves his team and the rest of the NHL clubs made, said junior-aged defenceman John Negrin was capable of playing in the NHL in the coming season. It's no secret the Flames are very high on the lanky defenceman they drafted in the third-round in 2007, but that was taking the acclaim to a new level. The Flames currently have eight NHL-calibre defencemen -- including Rhett Warrener and Anders Eriksson, who both went on waivers this summer -- plus two more experienced prospect ..."

"Of the 30 players at Calgary Flames prospects camp, five are first-round draft choices. The bulk of those who have been skating in the Saddledome were drafted by the NHL club. A pair were free-agent signings -- defencemen Brad Cole and Ryan Wilson -- and one, Kyle Greentree, was acquired by trade. Then there is Chris Bruton, the lone undrafted, unsigned free agent. "I guess I'm black horse, you could say," Bruton said. "Darryl (Sutter) called me a week before and I couldn't have been more excited." You may not recognize Bruton's name, but you've seen him. The Calgary product was captain of this year's WHL and Memorial Cup champion Spokane Chiefs. Yeah, he's the guy you've seen on the ..."

"Calgary Flames boss Darryl Sutter climbed onto the summertime soapbox and issued a public challenge to his well-whiskered employees. "Look at our team now," Sutter said Tuesday afternoon at the Pengrowth Saddledome. "We've got 15 or 16 forwards, eight or nine defencemen, who are legitimate NHL players. They're not all going to play here. So it's a different mindset . . . there are veterans who are going to have to make our team." Which was the point of the off-season overhaul. Incoming forwards include the pro-seasoned likes of Michael Cammalleri, Todd Bertuzzi, Rene Bourque, Curtis Glencross, Andre Roy, Jamie Lundmark, Kyle Greentree. Factor in knocking-on-the-door prospects such as ..."

"It's been three months since Matt Pelech parted with his agent and he still can't find anyone to fill Mike Gillis' shoes. But of course, Uncle Mike -- at least to the 20-year-old Calgary Flames prospect -- had left some fairly big galoshes. "He was my agent," corrected Pelech, with a laugh referring to the newly hired Vancouver Canucks general manager and his mom's brother. "So, I don't have an agent anymore now that he's got the GM job there. "But that's awesome for him . . . it's a huge opportunity and it's something that's really going to challenge him." Though Pelech's done the leg-work to earn his spot in this week's Calgary Flames prospect camp, he owes his genes -- and his former ..."

"A few days after the Calgary Flames acquired Kyle Greentree, Darryl Sutter threw down the gauntlet. Noted the Flames GM, Greentree has been knocked in the past for his conditioning, but Sutter added, "Like it or not, he will be in shape." You could say Greentree took it to heart. The 6-ft.-3, 212-lb. left winger moved to Calgary for the summer and has been working with Flames strength and conditioning coach Rich Hesketh. "Just getting myself ready for training camp," Greentree said. "It's about getting used to everything, so it's not a shock. When I go in there, I want to be ready." The roster for this week's prospects camp at the Saddledome is filled with players at least a year or more ..."

"At first glance, it would be a stretch for Mikael Backlund to make the Calgary Flames roster this coming fall. At age 19 and needing to develop more physically, the skilled 2007 first-round draft choice would be in tough to succeed in his true calling -- as a top-six forward. Then again, the way he turned his season around last year, beginning with a glorious performance at the World Junior Hockey Championships, it could be just the continuation of a rocket-like rise for the player chosen 24th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. It's certainly his goal."

"They're the potential, unfulfilled. They're the prospects, unpolished. They're the future, right now. Welcome to the Calgary Flames' annual professional development camp, which starts this afternoon at the Pengrowth Saddledome. The National Hockey League club is rustling up 30 of its unfinished gems and whipping them through a week's worth of on-ice buffing. The process is nothing new. The storylines, though, have never been riper: n Dan Ryder -- Looking like a third-round steal, the pivot had collected 92 points in only 57 games in his final season of junior, 2006-07, with Peterborough and Plymouth."

"The puck hit the tape of Daniel Ryder's stick. He swooped in from the faceoff circle and immediately roofed a shot from in tight. Looks like all that time off didn't diminish his skills all that much. "It's good to be back," the Calgary Flames prospect and brother of Boston Bruins Michael Ryder said after hitting the Saddledome ice. The Flames are sure thankful to see the talented centre back on ice, as he was for the first day of the club's annual summer prospects camp after a hiatus over nearly the whole year. Friends, fans and teammates, too."

"The Calgary Flames have added some experienced muscle, signing free-agent enforcer Andre Roy. The former Tampa Bay Lightning winger signed a one-year deal worth $550,000 US on Sunday and replaces Eric Godard, who signed with Pittsburgh on July 1, as the Flames' bodyguard. After missing the season's final 15 games because of a team-imposed suspension and a series of healthy scratches, Roy admits he was antsy about his future."

"They're the potential, unfulfilled. They're the prospects, unpolished. They're the future, right now. Welcome to the Calgary Flames' annual professional development camp, which starts this afternoon at the Pengrowth Saddledome. The National Hockey League club is rustling up 30 of its unfinished gems and whipping them through a week's worth of on-ice buffing. The process is nothing new. The storylines, though, have never been riper: n Dan Ryder -- Looking like a third-round steal, the pivot had collected 92 points in only 57 games in his final season of junior, 2006-07, with Peterborough and Plymouth."

"Andre Roy wasn't sure whether any NHL team would give him another chance. The way he sees it now, though, he's fallen into a best-case scenario. Roy's days were done with the Tampa Bay Lightning when he was sent home with a month remaining last season -- although brought back at his teammates' request -- and he didn't really know if any other club would come forward."

"The Calgary Flames have signed free-agent enforcer Andre Roy. The former Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Boston winger will make $550,000 US during the 2008-09 National Hockey League season. The 33-year-old from Saint-Jerome, Que., replaces Eric Godard, who on July 1 signed a three-year deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the Flames' heavyweight."

"For two weeks, Adam Pardy got the taste. As much as he appreciated it, he sure would like a full meal. The defenceman spent a couple of weeks with the Calgary Flames last season, called up due to a couple of injuries along the blueline, and it was a glorious time. Except for the fact he didn't play a single game... The way it looks, the 24-year-old from Bonavista, Nfld., will be in a similar position again this season after signing a one-year, two-way contract yesterday."

"Alexander the Great is coming to Calgary this season. So are the completely rebuilt Tampa Bay Lightning -- if anyone is excited about the 2004 Stanley Cup finalists meeting again -- and all five of the Northeast Division squads. The Flames unveiled their 2008-09 schedule yesterday, and the decrease in divisional games -- down from eight to six -- will allow for more clashes against Eastern Conference teams than in the past three years."

"Even when he was traded away from the Flames in the 2006-07 season, Jamie Lundmark was of the mind Darryl Sutter had faith in his abilities. Lundmark found that belief to be true when the Flames GM signed him to a free-agent contract yesterday. "I thought it would be best to sign with Calgary because I know Darryl and I think Darryl believes in me," Lundmark said. "But I know I have to earn a spot." The 27-year-old inked a one-year, two-way deal, which means he'll likely start the season with Calgary's AHL affiliate, the Quad City Flames."

"A game in Winnipeg and clashes against the Phoenix Coyotes and Florida Panthers. Not only will Calgary Flames fans see their division rivals less often in the regular season than they have in recent years, but that trend is carrying over into the pre-season, too. The Flames' pre-season kicks off Sept. 23 when the Panthers come to town, then the team heads to Winnipeg for a game the next night against the Coyotes, the former Winnipeg Jets."

""I'm going to have to stay away from that," says Iginla, with a healthy guffaw. "I definitely have some ideas in my head, but I think I'm going save those ones (for myself). I'll read yours, then one day I'll tell." Iginla may want to play coy, but his desire to line up with newcomer Todd Bertuzzi is obvious. That, he couldn't hide. The two wingers had skated together briefly -- with Joe Sakic in the middle -- at the 2006 Olympics. Iginla itches for a reunion."

"Technically, Jamie McLennan is still under suspension. Of course, that won't stop the former goaltender from performing in his new roles as a pro scout and the Calgary Flames' director of goaltender development. "I didn't even think of that," laughed the 37-year-old who last played for the Flames in Game 5 of a first round playoff series against the Detroit Red Wings in 2007."

""A lot of different signings, everybody debates. Sometimes people get more into it than others," said Iginla. "For a long time -- even before his incident -- he's a guy that was playing for Vancouver. Our fans love to get after him." There are those in this city who believe in second chances, too. Both on the ice and in the public eye, Bertuzzi seems to be getting that from some. "I think there's also been a lot of supportive fans, which I think is great," said Iginla. "People that look forward to cheering for him now.""

"The Calgary Flames, it seems, are not done tweaking. Thursday, the team introduced Duane Sutter as the director of player personnel and Jamie McLennan as pro scout/director of goaltender development. "Moving forward, the work needed to build good hockey teams will require the efforts and experience of a strong group of individuals in the player personnel and development areas of the business," Flames general manager Darryl Sutter said in a statement. "It was important to our organization to add the right people who have all the necessary experiences, qualities, know the league but most importantly understands the philosophy and the identity of the Calgary Flames.""

"Darryl Sutter scoffs at the notion that Todd Bertuzzi is not welcome in Calgary. One isolated incident -- his sucker-punch of Steve Moore in March 2004 -- should not forever brand Bertuzzi a bad boy. "That's a long time ago," the Flames general manager said Monday after signing the burly winger to a one-year deal worth $1.95 million US. "I had a traffic ticket three years ago. I hope there's three or four fans who can forget that I went through a red light. "You know what? I guess I expected certain members of the media to bring that up." Sutter also insisted there's enough upside to Bertuzzi -- his price tag, his production, his desire to play in Canada, his support from Jarome ..."

"In the midst of Monday's lectures, Calgary Flames boss Darryl Sutter began to talk about familiarity. Specifically between coach and player -- and does it make a lick of difference? "At the start of (last) year," said Sutter, "Mike Keenan didn't know Owen Nolan from a load of hay . . . " For the latest load, no introduction is necessary. Todd Bertuzzi, signed Monday, and the Flames skipper go back -- way back. "I have some history with him," said Keenan, "and I know him very well.""

"Tickling the Toledos at 245 pounds, Todd Bertuzzi has always been a load. Of trouble, for defencemen. Of controversy, for the curious public. Of gruff ill humour, for the media. In an astonishing move, the Calgary Flames hitched their little (Sea of) Red wagon to the 33-year-old ol' Cannoli Truck, Big Bert, on Monday, in hopes that he has enough tread left on those oversized tractor tires to help haul them out of the bog and back into the playoffs. One thing's for certain: Toxicity levels down at the ol' Saddledome, already dangerously high, just took a little additional bump. Admit it: Upon hearing THAT name didn't you need a spatula to scrape the shattered remnants of your ..."

"Just last week, Darryl Sutter was asked if he'd consider signing a player with baggage like Sean Avery. "I'd have to talk to the guys first," said the Flames GM of his leaders in a tight dressing room. "They're the ones who'd have to deal with it every day." Fast-forward to yesterday's signing of Todd Bertuzzi, a man with more baggage than Greyhound. Well aware public sentiment would be mixed, as it was a year earlier when he hired Mike Keenan, Sutter made it clear he did not take the decision lightly."

"Jarome Iginla stuck his neck out for Todd Bertuzzi. Bertuzzi's job will be to make sure the Calgary Flames star captain doesn't pay for it. From the moment the Flames announced they'd signed the controversial winger, they made sure everybody who'd take notice knew full well Iginla was 100% behind it. Smart move."

"Twice Mike Keenan has acquired Todd Bertuzzi. The now Calgary Flames head coach was acting GM of the Vancouver Canucks when he sent Trevor Linden to the New York Islanders for Bertuzzi, Bryan McCabe and a draft choice that ended up being Jarkko Ruutu. As GM of the Florida Panthers, Keenan made the much-maligned deal that brought Bertuzzi to Florida along with Bryan Allen and Alex Auld for Roberto Luongo, Lukas Krajicek and a sixth-round draft choice. Keenan is thrilled to be reunited with the big winger for a third time."

"While Calgary Flames president Ken King urges fans to cheer the signing of Todd Bertuzzi, many are voicing their disapproval about the move. Disgruntled fans took their angry backlash to calgarypuck.com, where 64% of 435 pollsters yesterday slammed Bertuzzi. Of that, 8% said they will no longer cheer for the team, while 56% said they don't like it but the"

"No visiting player in recent memory has been the target of as much Saddledome derision as Todd Bertuzzi. Boobirds have been out in full force every time he touched the puck amidst the Sea of Red. Even before the Steve Moore incident. So, the newest Calgary Flames forward is well aware he'll need to win over the hearts of a segment of Flames fans in the coming season. "Hopefully it won't take too long," said the hulking winger who signed a one-year, US$1.95 million contract yesterday. "The last thing you want to do is be a home guy and getting booed."

"Todd Bertuzzi's newest NHL destination point is Calgary, where the hulking winger has signed a $1.95-million, one-year contract with the Flames. Calgary general manager Darryl Sutter announced the signing today saying,"Todd is a proven scorer with the ability to play both wings. He expressed to us that he wanted to play in Canada and that desire along with signing him to a one year deal was important to our philosophy.""

"When Rene Bourque was acquired Tuesday by the Calgary Flames, he'd had a hunch the contract would get done in a hurry. A couple of weeks, maybe even sooner, Bourque figured. He was correct -- the Flames inked the left-winger to a two-year deal Friday. But even Bourque was caught off guard by the swiftness of the negotiations. He'd driven down to Calgary from his home in Lac La Biche, Alta., on Thursday. He got to meet bossman Darryl Sutter and the coaching staff. "Just to get a heads-up on what they want.'' Then -- bingo -- a pact was hatched the very next morning."

"While the bulk of his winter was spent with San Antonio Rampage -- grumpily garnering 332 penalty minutes in 38 outings -- Vandermeer also got into an April match against the Dallas Stars. But do not consider his NHL thirst quenched. The day after agreeing to a one-year, two-way deal with the Calgary Flames -- brother Jim also signed on, three years for $6.9 million US -- Vandermeer was asked about his desire to keep his NHL clock rolling. "Oh, damn rights," says Vandermeer, on the phone from Sylvan Lake. "It must be what drugs are like, because I got a little taste of it last year -- now I want more, more, more of it."

"Somewhere in between feeding the horses and cleaning out the barn, Curtis Glencross found time to become a multi-millionaire Tuesday night. A full-time grunt who follows Rae Croteau Jr.'s chuckwagon outfit across western Canada each summer, the 25-year-old left winger wrapped up an intense night at the Ponoka Stampede by putting his signature on a three-year, $3.2 million deal with the Calgary Flames. Quite fittingly, he inked it while standing in the rodeo office, completing his second Dash for Cash of the evening."

"On the surface, the Calgary Flames have only made a tweak here and a tweak there. Seeing as last year's team squeaked into the playoffs in the final days, that would not appear a good thing. However, GM Darryl Sutter is not buying the theory the Flames, as they appear today, are no different from the 2007-08 squad."

"The word out of Calgary this morning is that Curtis Glencross will be marching down Highway 2 to sign a contract with the Calgary Flames. After turning heads with his play in Edmonton in the final 26 games of the 2007-08 campaign, Glencross and the Oilers could not come to an agreement as to how much he was going to be worth in the coming campaigns. The unrestricted free agent had arrived in Edmonton via a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets."

"Rene Bourque knew Tuesday was going to be big. After all, he had a golf commitment -- a tournament, no less -- in his home town of Lac La Biche, Alta. But before he could stick a tee into the ground, the significance of his Canada Day was ratcheted up a notch or two. Via cellphone, Bourque discovered that the Chicago Blackhawks had shipped him to the Calgary Flames -- a conditional second-round pick went the other way -- on the opening day of the National Hockey League's free-agent market. That was all the Flames did Tuesday -- well, that and temporarily destroy Bourque's golf game. Oh, he'd gone ahead with his round, but it was certainly nothing to brag about."

"His one-year Russian exile over, defenceman Mark Giordano called up his former roommate to let him know he'd be back with the Calgary Flames. "I called Dion (Phaneuf) first," said Giordano, a restricted free agent who officially rejoined the Flames yesterday with a three-year, one-way deal. "He was excited. He was happy for me." Not happy enough to open up his doors again to the 24-year-old who played for the Moscow Dynamo after failing to garner a one-way deal from the Flames last summer following his rookie NHL season. "Naw, I'm getting the boot," said Giordano over the phone from Toronto late last night. "I think he's had enough of me. I'll go get my own place this year.""

"Anyone in Calgary complaining of boredom when it came to the lack of activity by the Flames yesterday should be thankful their favourite team didn't have to be an active player on the opening day of free agency. Former Flaming C defenceman Mike Commodore making almost $4-million a season for the next five years? One-way wonder Brian Campbell set for the next eight years at more than $7M per? Just imagine what Flames blueline staples Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf -- who are a million times better than Commodore and Campbell -- would have made on the open market had general manager Darryl Sutter not taken care of business early and locked those two pillars up in the past year."

"Toronto Maple Leaf fans can expect at least one familiar face next season. Sources are telling Sportsnet that goaltender Curtis Joseph has agreed to a one-year deal with his former club. Joseph spent four solid seasons with the Leafs, from 1998-2002 but left via free agency when he signed with the Detroit Red Wings. In nine appearances with the Calgary Flames last season, Joseph went 3-2 as a back-up to Miikka Kiprusoff."

"The NHL's free agency period began at 11 a.m. and the Blackhawks are already making news. The Hawks traded restricted free agent Rene Bourque to the Calgary Flames in exchange for a future second-round draft pick. Bourque, a winger who had 10 goals and 14 assists in 62 games last season, was caught in log-jam at forward on the Hawks' roster. The move opens up a space for potential free agents or top draft pick Kyle Beach."

"By now, Flames fans have digested most of the scouting reports on newcomer Michael Cammalleri. "Has excellent playmaking skills and a nose for the net," raves one website about the forward acquired from the Los Angeles Kings on draft weekend. "Plays with intelligence and is usually in the right place at the right time." "He's so easy to play with," chimes in Flames left-winger Eric Nystrom, Cammalleri's former linemate at the University of Michigan. He's just a great playmaker -- I would go to the front of the net and he would just find me. It was, honestly, one of the best years of my life being able to play with a guy of that calibre. I'm really excited that he's on our team.""

"If Rhett Warrener's tenure with the Calgary Flames is over, he's hopeful his NHL career will continue. "I still think I can play. I don't think that I should be packing it in or thinking that way," the 32-year-old said yesterday from his home in Calgary. As of early last night, the rugged defenceman was still a member of the Calgary Flames -- he'd yet to receive the paperwork necessary to complete a buyout of the final year of his contract -- but he knew that could change in the next day or two. He didn't have any advance notice he would be waived along with teammates Marcus Nilson and Anders Eriksson Thursday, available to every other NHL team at his current $2.5-million ..."

"Darcy Tucker, a Calgary Flame. Love it or hate it, it might just be a perfect fit. No, it hasn't happened yet and, no, we're not suggesting it absolutely will. But you can bet it's a possibility -- an intriguing one -- that general manager Darryl Sutter is looking into as he prepares for the lifting of the free-agent freeze Tuesday. After all, Sutter tried to trade for Tucker just a few years back. Bought out of the final three years of his four-year, $12-million US contract by the Leafs last week, the 33-year-old forward will enter the open market knowing he'll be paid $2 million by the Leafs no matter where he toils. With that in mind, the question now is: What is Tucker ..."

"Rhett Warrener, Marcus Nilson and Anders Eriksson all went unclaimed through waivers, but Calgary Flames general manger Darryl Sutter said the team still hasn't decided what to do with the trio, and that talking buyout is premature. Although the buyout window ends early next week, Sutter says an extension is possible. Putting the trio on regular waivers -- not unconditional waivers, which is necessary to start the buyout process -- served a couple of purposes, according to the Flames GM. One is to gauge interest from other teams. It's also a statement Sutter is making to his players."

"There's a common feeling among the four Calgary Flames whose new deals were all officially announced yesterday. They all want to be here. Giving up their looming unrestricted free agent status, centres Daymond Langkow and Craig Conroy, winger Eric Nystrom and goaltender Curtis McElhinney all made that statement."