Craig Conroy (22) spent 5 years in St. Louis as a reliable defensive forward.
CALGARY, AB – After a disappointing 22-23 Calgary Flames campaign saw the departure of general manager Brad Treliving and head coach Darryl Sutter, the Flames announced on Tuesday that Craig Conroy would be the new GM of the team.
Conroy, 51, has been a special assistant to the GM and Assistant GM with the Flames since 2011, becoming the 8th General Manager in Flames history. As a player, Conroy spent the better years of his playing career in Calgary and St. Louis. A talented two-way center drafted in 1990, he spent almost 5 seasons in a Blues jersey, getting traded from Montreal to St. Louis in 1996 in a package involving Pierre Turgeon.
In his sophomore year in St. Louis, Conroy jumped out on the page quickly as a solid defensive center, netting a then career-high 43 points and finishing 3rd in Selke trophy votes. He continued as a perennial Selke favorite, scoring 151 points in 349 games as a Blue, including 36 playoff games.
In 2001, Conroy was dealt to the Flames for a playoff rental in Cory Stillman; a trade initially quite unpopular in Alberta. The move paid off, however: Craig became Calgary’s number one center playing alongside Flames legend Jarome Iginla, netting a career-high 27 goals and 75 points the following season. He was even named captain of the Flames from 2001-2003, before eventually leaving the captaincy to Iginla. Conroy was instrumental in their 2004 Stanley Cup run, netting 17 points up to their eventual loss to Tampa Bay, scoring the Flames’ only goal in game 7.
After a brief stint in Los Angeles, Conroy finished his playing career in Calgary, becoming the second-oldest player at the time to play his 1000th NHL game. Conroy retired from NHL play in 2011, and immediately joined the Flames front office.