Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinny01
There are benefits to being in Calgary but end of the day this is still a bottom 5 market in the league for desirability. I think Calgary ranks ahead of Edmonton, Winnipeg and maybe a couple of US based markets. The media and fans might not be as tough here as they are in other parts of the country but this is still a fishbowl for NHL players. It is a small market city in freezing cold western Canada with the worst arena in the league.
Flames would have been a nice fit for Tavares and they had the cap to make it work that summer. They don’t even get a meeting. I remember at the STH meeting that summer prior to the draft where they traded Hamilton a fan asked about going after some big name free agents and Treliving said “we can have interest in a player but that player also needs to have interest in coming here”
I am very pumped the Flames convinced Markstrom to sign here. That is the first truly elite free agent we signed since Bouwmeester in my opinion (even Bouw was technically a trade and sign)
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Yeah this is true and likely a factor in signing players. But these are hockey players, so hopefully there's at least some familiarity with growing up in places like Calgary.
Green Bay can attract football players after all..