Calgary Flames

Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving announced Friday that defenseman Travis Hamonic has informed the team he's opting out of the remainder of the 2019-20 NHL season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"Travis explained that due to family considerations, he has made the difficult decision not to participate in the Stanley Cup Qualifier and Playoffs," Treliving said. "While we will miss Travis in our lineup, we understand and respect his decision. Our focus remains on preparation for training camp and our upcoming series in the NHL Qualifying Round."

Hamonic, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, is the first NHL player to confirm he won't take part in the league's restart, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

The NHL announced Friday it had reached an agreement with the NHL Players' Association on return-to-play plans, which also included a four-year extension of the collective bargaining agreement through the 2025-26 season.

Play, which was halted in March, will resume Aug. 1 in the Canadian cities of Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, the league's "bubble" locations. Twenty-four of the league's 31 teams will take part in playoff seeding and qualifying rounds over 10 days before the postseason is slated to start in earnest Aug. 11.

"While we have all worked very hard to try to address the risks of COVID-19, we know that health and safety are and will continue to be our priorities," commissioner Gary Bettman said. "We know that all of our fans are excited about our return to the ice next month, and that has been our goal since we paused our season on March 12."

Hamonic registered three goals and nine assists across 50 appearances for Calgary during the 2019-20 regular season. He's spent the past three years with the organization after seven seasons as a member of the New York Islanders.

The 29-year-old released a statement through his agency, Titan Sports 365, about his decision to opt out because of family health concerns:

https://twitter.com/TitanSports365/status/1281800045952630784

Hamonic's one-year-old daughter was hospitalized last year because of a respiratory illness, per Kaplan.

Michael Stone, Erik Gustafsson and Derek Forbort lead the group of options to fill the void on the Flames blue line when play resumes.

Calgary, which owned a 36-27-7 record before the shutdown, will face off with the Winnipeg Jets in the qualifying round. The bracket will be reseeded once the 16 playoff teams are finalized.

One NHL career is beginning while another one could be winding down.

New York Rangers All-Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is under contract through the 2020-21 season, per Spotrac, but the 38-year-old might not have the opportunity to play out his seven-year, $59.5 million deal in New York.

On the other end of the spectrum, Minnesota State defenseman Connor Mackey signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Calgary Flames on March 20 that will begin in the 2020-21 campaign. But the Flames weren't the only NHL club interested in his services.

Take a closer look at rumors swirling around both Lundqvist and Mackey below.

         

Is the Henrik Lundqvist Era Over in New York?

"The Rangers could buy Lundqvist out of the final year of his deal or maybe there's a trade to be made with Lundqvist's blessing plus the Rangers eating a chunk of his salary," The Athletic's Scott Burnside wrote on Thursday. "The buyout is much more likely than a trade given the moving parts."

Lundqvist's $7 million 2019-20 base salary carries a $8.5 million cap hit. The Rangers would have to absorb another $8.5 million cap hit in 2020-21 if, somehow, the two-time All-Star is still on the roster.

Prior to the NHL suspending all play on March 12, he had appeared in a career-low 30 games (26 starts) this season with a career-worst 10-12-3 record and .905 save percentage.

The Rangers have begun moving on with Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin, both aged 24. The former is 17-14-2 in a career-high 34 appearances and 32 starts, while the latter has gone 10-2-0 in 12 starts.

There have been hints that a mutual parting is on the way:

Georgiev is starting for #NYR tomorrow, and Lundqvist was very open about needing to have a conversation with management after the season: "If there comes a day when they feel like I'm not a good solution, let's talk about it and let's be open about it."

— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) February 24, 2020

Burnside added:

"In a perfect world, the Rangers are part of an expanded playoff grid and Lundqvist gets a chance to prove he's not done at the NHL level even if the sands have run out on his time in New York. But those are long odds. Could a team like Colorado use Lundqvist on a one-year deal? Buffalo? San Jose? Great story for the romantic in all of us but not a narrative that appears to be based in reality."

New York is 35-23-10 (80 points) and one point out from tying Toronto, Carolina and Columbus for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Lundqvist was a seventh-round pick of the Rangers in 2000. The Swedish star made his NHL debut in 2005.

                

Who were Connor Mackey's Suitors Outside of Calgary?

Mackey was TSN's top-ranked undrafted free agent when the Flames signed him.

https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/1241106552355880960

So, it would stand to reason that Calgary had to edge out other interested parties in order to land the 23-year-old.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Wednesday, the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers "gave Calgary a run" for Mackey.

The Vancouver Canucks were also rumored to be interested:

https://twitter.com/JDylanBurke/status/1240728643376009216

Mackey played three seasons at Minnesota State and earned his first All-WCHA First Team selection as a junior in 2019-20 with seven goals and 17 assists as the team's top-scoring defenseman, per the program's official website.

The Barrington, Illinois, native was also the 2016-17 USHL Defenseman of the Year as a member of the Green Bay Gamblers.

Bill Peters has stepped down as head coach of the Calgary Flames after admitting he used racial slurs toward a player in the American Hockey League while coaching the Rockford IceHogs. 

Flames general manager Brad Treliving announced Friday that Peters tendered his resignation:

This morning, #Flames GM Brad Treliving received and accepted a letter of resignation from Bill Peters: "Effective immediately, Bill Peters is no longer a member of the Calgary Flames organization." pic.twitter.com/IImaQVaXml

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) November 29, 2019

Akim Aliu played for the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate from 2008-10, and he wrote on Twitter on Monday that an unnamed coaching "protege" of Mike Babcock directed racial slurs at him:

Not very surprising the things we’re hearing about Babcock. Apple doesn’t fall far from the Tree, same sort of deal with his protege in YYC. Dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music. First one to

— Akim “Dreamer” Olumide Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

admit I rebelled against him. Wouldn’t you? And instead of remedying the situation, he wrote a letter to John McDonough and Stan Bowman to have me sent down to the ECHL. 20 year old on pace for 20 goals in his first pro year with zero PP/PK time was off to a great start in his

— Akim “Dreamer” Olumide Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

Per the Chicago Tribune, Babcock, who was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Nov. 20, has been a mentor to Peters since serving as his coach at Red Deer College.

Speaking to TSN's Frank Seravalli, Aliu provided additional details about Peters' use of the racial slurs in reference to the music Aliu played in the team's locker room during the 2009-10 season with the IceHogs: 

"He walked in before a morning pre-game skate and said 'Hey Akim, I'm sick of you playing that n----r s--t.' He said 'I'm sick of hearing this n----rs f--king other n----rs in the ass stuff.'

"He then walked out like nothing ever happened. You could hear a pin drop in the room, everything went dead silent. I just sat down in my stall, didn't say a word."

Simon Pepin and Peter MacArthur, Aliu's teammates at the time, corroborated Aliu's recounting of events to Seravalli. 

On Wednesday, Peters sent a letter to Treliving apologizing for the remarks, per TSN's Bob McKenzie:

A statement from Bill Peters, in the form of a letter to CGY GM Brad Treliving:: pic.twitter.com/YouP6ZABrm

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 28, 2019

However, Aliu disputed the sincerity of Peters' apology, while Seravalli noted parts of Peters' statement didn't match Aliu's recollection of events nor address allegations made against him from his time with the Carolina Hurricanes:

Statement from Akim Aliu: pic.twitter.com/z4v2UQLnox

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 28, 2019

In addition, Peters did not address or acknowledge the two physical altercations alleged to have occurred in Carolina in 2015-16 with @TheBigCzech23 and an unnamed #Canes player.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 28, 2019

When Aliu's allegations were made, the NHL said in a statement it would investigate the situation: "The behavior that has been alleged is repugnant and unacceptable. We will have no further comment until we have had an opportunity to look into the matter more thoroughly."

Treliving addressed Peters' status with the organization Nov. 26:

https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/1199395664326619136

Peters, 53, was in his second season with the Flames. He went 50-25-7 in 2018-19, and their 107 points were the second-most in franchise history (117 in 1988-89). 

Prior to being hired by the Flames, Peters spent the previous four seasons with the Hurricanes. On Wednesday, Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour—an assistant of Peters during his time with the Hurricanes—corroborated allegations from the team's former player Michal Jordan that Peters kicked and punched Jordan and another Hurricanes player during a game.

Aliu was a second-round draft pick by the Blackhawks in 2007. He has spent most of his career in various professional hockey leagues around the world, but he did play seven games for the Flames between the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. 

Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters apologized to general manager Brad Treliving and the organization as a whole while an investigation into allegations of racist language and physical abuse continues.

Bob McKenzie of TSN shared Peters' letter, which said, in part, "Although it was an isolated and immediately regrettable incident, I take responsibility for what I said. ... I appreciate the thorough review of this situation being undertaken by the Flames. It's the right thing to do, and I support it fully."

A statement from Bill Peters, in the form of a letter to CGY GM Brad Treliving:: pic.twitter.com/YouP6ZABrm

— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 28, 2019

Eric Francis of Sportsnet noted Peters is still employed by the team but is not with the club as it and the NHL investigate allegations from Akim Aliu that the coach used a racial slur a decade ago.

What's more, former Carolina Hurricane Michal Jordan said Peters physically abused him on the bench.

Both players made the allegations on Twitter:

Not very surprising the things we’re hearing about Babcock. Apple doesn’t fall far from the Tree, same sort of deal with his protege in YYC. Dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music. First one to

— Akim “Dreamer” Olumide Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

admit I rebelled against him. Wouldn’t you? And instead of remedying the situation, he wrote a letter to John McDonough and Stan Bowman to have me sent down to the ECHL. 20 year old on pace for 20 goals in his first pro year with zero PP/PK time was off to a great start in his

— Akim “Dreamer” Olumide Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

https://twitter.com/TheBigCzech23/status/1199412238228099077

https://twitter.com/TheBigCzech23/status/1199412275561607168

"He walked in before a morning pre-game skate and said 'Hey Akim, I'm sick of you playing that n----r s--t,'" Aliu said, per Frank Seravalli of TSN. "He said 'I'm sick of hearing this n----rs f--king other n----rs in the ass stuff.'"

Seravalli noted Simon Pepin and Peter MacArthur, who were both teammates of Aliu on the AHL's Rockford IceHogs at the time, confirmed the incident happened.

"He then walked out like nothing ever happened," Aliu added. "You could hear a pin drop in the room, everything went dead silent. I just sat down in my stall, didn't say a word."

The NHL released a statement on the allegations: "The behavior that has been alleged is repugnant and unacceptable. We will have no further comment until we have had an opportunity to look into the matter more thoroughly."

As for the Jordan situation, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour said it happened as well, per Sportsnet.

Brind'Amour was an assistant when Jordan played for Peters.

The NHL is investigating allegations by former Calgary Flames winger Akim Aliu that head coach Bill Peters directed racial slurs toward him.

Aliu said on Twitter Peters "dropped the N bomb several times" in the locker room when he was a rookie with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008-09.

Not very surprising the things we’re hearing about Babcock. Apple doesn’t fall far from the Tree, same sort of deal with his protege in YYC. Dropped the N bomb several times towards me in the dressing room in my rookie year because he didn’t like my choice of music. First one to

— Akim “Dreamer” Olumide Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

admit I rebelled against him. Wouldn’t you? And instead of remedying the situation, he wrote a letter to John McDonough and Stan Bowman to have me sent down to the ECHL. 20 year old on pace for 20 goals in his first pro year with zero PP/PK time was off to a great start in his

— Akim “Dreamer” Olumide Aliu (@Dreamer_Aliu78) November 26, 2019

Aliu later spoke to Frank Seravalli of TSN and gave more details on Peters' alleged comments in reference to Aliu's choice of hip hop:  

"He walked in before a morning pre-game skate and said 'Hey Akim, I'm sick of you playing that n----r s--t.' He said 'I'm sick of hearing this n----rs f--king other n----rs in the ass stuff.' 

"He then walked out like nothing ever happened. You could hear a pin drop in the room, everything went dead silent. I just sat down in my stall, didn't say a word."

Seravalli spoke to Simon Pepin and Peter MacArthur, who were Aliu's teammates at the time, and they corroborated Aliu's comments.

The NHL issued a statement about the situation: "The behavior that has been alleged is repugnant and unacceptable. We will have no further comment until we have had an opportunity to look into the matter more thoroughly."

Per the John Wawrow of the Associated Press, Flames general manager Brad Treliving said the team is also looking into the accusations against Peters.

"We're aware of a tweet from former player Akim Aliu," Treliving said in a statement. "And obviously, we're playing, so I haven't had the chance to sit down with Bill or our people internally to talk about this and get to the bottom of it. We take these matters very, very seriously."

Treliving later told reporters Peters "has not been relieved of his duties," adding that he wants an investigation done quickly, but "it has to be thorough."

Aliu was originally drafted by the Blackhawks in 2007, but played in the Ontario Hockey League and American Hockey League for the next year before signing a three-year NHL contract in Aug. 2008.

Peters was head coach of the Blackhawks' AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, when Aliu played for them in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Aliu had 17 points in 48 games for Rockford during the 2009-10 season before being demoted to the ECHL.

The Flames hired Peters to become their head coach in April 2018. He spent the previous four seasons in the same role with the Carolina Hurricanes.

Aliu made his NHL debut with the Flames in April 2012. He played seven games with the organization over two seasons from 2012-13.

Currently an unrestricted free agent, Aliu spent last season in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears. 

Calgary Flames defenseman TJ Brodie collapsed and appeared to have a seizure on the ice during the team's practice on Thursday, according to Jermain Franklin of TSN:

It looked like the #Flames D-man, TJ Brodie had a seizure of some sort on the ice. Practice was halted immediately. The ambulance and fire department have arrived on the scene and stretched a conscious and, what looked like, an alert Brodie out of the Saddledome.

— Jermain Franklin (@TSNJFranklin) November 14, 2019

According to the team, he was hospitalized and was "alert and responsive" following the episode:

'TJ Brodie experienced an episode on ice at practice today. He is alert and responsive and has been transported to local area hospital for evaluation. We will provide a further update when available. Thank you.'#Flames GM Brad Treliving pic.twitter.com/VQYqHw717p

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) November 14, 2019

The team later announced Brodie was discharged from the hospital.

On Friday, Flames general manager Brad Treliving told reporters all tests on Brodie had come back negative, but he noted there was no timeline for his return. 

According to Kristen Anderson of the Calgary Sun, Brodie "was standing by himself during a drill at the blueline when he suddenly fell to the ice and began convulsing." The good news, however, was that he "appeared to be moving his extremities and talking" when paramedics arrived.

Teammates and staff gathered around Brodie following his collapse to the ice:

Super scary moment at #Flames practice today. T.J. Brodie collapsed and started convulsing. Fire and paramedics working on him. On a stretcher and looks to be ok. pic.twitter.com/BUue9ZCf8X

— Glenn Campbell (@CTVGCampbell) November 14, 2019

According to ESPN, the team cancelled the remainder of practice following the incident.

Brodie, 29, has appeared in all 21 games for Calgary this season, registering eight assists while averaging 19 minutes, 13 seconds of ice time. He's been a regular fixture for the team in his 10-year career after being a fourth-round selection in the 2008 NHL draft, playing in 70 or more games the past six seasons. 

The Flames are 10-8-3 and in fourth place in the Pacific Division with 23 points.

Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano won the 2019 Norris Trophy on Wednesday.

The best player to man the blue line in 2019: @MarkGio05! pic.twitter.com/yzZg4kaYSL

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 20, 2019

Giordano won the award in a landslide, beating out fellow finalists Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks and Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning:

Norris Trophy voting results pic.twitter.com/GELrwLaZHs

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 20, 2019

It marks the first career Norris Trophy for the 13-year vet, who became the first Flames player to receive the honor. He also becomes one of the oldest first-time winners ever, per Sportsnet Stats:

Oldest first-time Norris Trophy winners

Al MacInnis: 1998-99 (35 years old)#Flames Mark Giordano: 2018-19 (35 years old)
Harry Howell: 1966-67 (34 years old) pic.twitter.com/wiX3Vn82ex

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) June 20, 2019

Giordano is coming off his most productive season to date. The 35-year-old scored 17 goals while establishing new career highs in both assists (57) and points (74).

Mark Giordano reaches the 60 point plateau at 35. Just the 4th defenceman in history of the NHL to do so.

— Peter Loubardias (@LoubardiasMedia) February 28, 2019

Mark Giordano became the fifth defenseman in @NHLFlames franchise history to record 50 assists in a single season. #NHLStats #NJDvsCGY https://t.co/IPiE5Ht2sM pic.twitter.com/W1uFS0gRbV

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) March 13, 2019

Mark Giordano’s 16th goal of the season gets him up to 70 points on the season (16G, 54A).

He’s the first Calgary d-man to hit 70 points since Al MacInnis had 82 points (28G, 54A) in 1993-94. #Flames

— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) March 24, 2019

His plus-minus of plus-39 was also a personal best by a wide margin, as his previous best was a plus-22 in 2016-17.

There is more to Giordano than just his stats, though. Calgary coach Bill Peters pointed out earlier this season that his captain played an important role in the locker room.  

"There's definitely a positive influence in our room, especially amongst the young D," Peters said in April, per David Satriano of NHL.com. "You don't want to be a young D cutting your teeth in this league, and all of a sudden you're off the ice before him all the time, you're out of the rink before him all the time. When you're at the rink, be productive, and that's what he is. He's very productive with the use of his time."

With Giordano leading the way, Calgary recorded a Western Conference-high 107 points during the regular season. His playmaking abilities helped the Flames to put up the joint-second-most goals in the league in 2018-19.

Giordano's strong season resulted in one of the sport's most prestigious individual awards. However, the defenseman has made sure to credit his teammates along the way, per Satriano:

"It always feels good to contribute and get points offensively, but again, we have such a good team, we score so many goals that a lot of guys' numbers are going to look really good this year. ...

"We've been pretty consistent all year. Our style of play and our details is what helps us every night. We have a lot of depth."

With the help of his teammates, it was a special year for Giordano.