CALGARY – Craig Conroy’s finest hour as GM of the Calgary Flames came mere minutes after the sun rose on a glorious summer morning.
Two hours before the team teed off for its annual charity golf tourney, Dustin Wolf walked into the Saddledome for a 7 a.m. contract signing that helped mark a turning point for the franchise.
By putting his name to a seven-year, $52.5 million US deal to be the club’s franchise netminder, the 24-year-old Californian helped flip the script on an ugly narrative surrounding the club.
After three years of key departures, highlighted by U.S.-born Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Noah Hanifin, Wolf has helped usher in a new era of young franchise pillars who’ve bought into the city and the direction of the club.
His signing punctuates a summer in which three Americans committed long-term to a city and a culture they all rave about: Kevin Bahl (six years, $32.1 million), Matt Coronato (seven years, $45.5 million), and now Wolf.
“It’s a big day for the organization,” said Conroy.
“I think as we move forward, it sends a message to the rest of the league. People want to be in Calgary, and they believe that we have a chance to win here. We’re trying to build something, and we want to win. Hopefully that even draws other people here.”
Not to be lost in the importance of ensuring the Calder Trophy finalist is here long term is the fact the cap hit Conroy signed Wolf to ($7.5 million AAV) is a stroke of genius that will look even better with every year the salary cap continues to increase.
After compiling comparable numbers to the ones Jeremy Swayman posted the year before the Bruins netminder signed his eight-year extension at $8.25 million AAV, Wolf’s contract seems an extremely tidy piece of business.
Conroy deserves credit for initiating contract extension talks one year early, as Wolf still has another season left on his entry-level deal. The netminder could very easily have waited another year and bet on himself, as he has throughout his star-studded junior and AHL career.
Conroy is convinced the brilliance of Wolf’s first full NHL season, combined with his endless goalie of the year performances that led to it, is all the evidence he needs that one of the game’s most cerebral goaltenders is only going to get better.
Waiting for another year of proof would only have cost more.
Instead, the undersized kid who went 2014th in the 2019 draft, felt compelled to ink a deal that will give his family generational wealth while toiling in a city he’s called home for several years.
“I’m excited I’m able to stay in the hometown here for the next seven years on top of this one,” said Wolf, who will be 32 when the deal expires.
“I think there’s a lot of exciting things coming from our team, from our staff, from our organization and from the new building coming in two summers.”
That’ll be two more summers of charity golf tourneys, music festivals, and Stampedes at which he was spotted all summer long, soaking up his newfound celebrity as the franchise’s most exciting player.
“I think Calgary is an incredible city — I don’t think there’s been anyone that has said otherwise,” said Wolf, who enjoys living here year-round.
“I know me and Matty (Coronato) are both super excited to be here for the long term. I think Calgary is a big town, but has a small-town feel, and everyone knows everyone. It’s pretty cool to be around the city and see people recognize you and see how much they appreciate what you do.”
The appreciation for the lad who went 29-16-8 with a .910 save percentage was heightened by a 7-2-2 stretch drive that was the driving force behind the team’s unlikely push for a playoff spot that fell one point short.
The gratitude involved goes both ways.
“I was the fourth-last pick in the draft, and I’ve kind of always used size and the draft pick selection as motivating factors,” said Wolf, appreciative of all the opportunities he’s earned as a Flames pick.
“They took another swing by giving me a chance to play a lot of hockey last year, and every time I step on that ice, I want to prove them right.
“I’m really glad that they believe in me to help lead the team from the back end.
“We’ve got some incredible leaders, incredible players on our team, and we’ve got a lot of good things cooking right now, so I’m certainly excited to get this season going.”
The big story going into Tuesday’s golf tourney was supposed to be Rasmus Andersson, who spoke for the first time following a summer in which it became clear he wouldn’t be signing an extension in Calgary.
Wolf’s signing overshadowed everything, kickstarting camp with a jolt long rumoured to be in the works.
It was no coincidence, as Conroy has worked diligently to reduce the bevy of negative distractions he inherited when he took the top job two years ago.
Those are the days the sun seems to be quickly setting on here in Calgary.
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