Flames GM Brad Treliving very bluntly defends Calgary after many say it's not a desirable place to play

First Johnny Gaudreau left in free agency to Columbus, then Matthew Tkachuk said he wouldn't commit long-term to the organization, before being shipped off to the sunshine state to join the Florida Panthers. Kudos to Tkachuk for at least helping the Flames in the trade by agreeing to a new contract to boost the return.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for the Flames, the city of Calgary and GM Brad Treliving. The city and team have even come under fire from the media and other fans of the team saying the city is undesirable for players, and the state of the Saddledome doesn't help.

"Calgary and us as an organization have taken some body shots. Quite frankly it pisses me off. As a community, as an organization, we do not have to apologize for anything. We're proud of who we are," said Treliving on Saturday.

Some strong words from the Flames GM who had also come under fire for not being able to keep Gaudreau only to have most Flames fans praise him for how he handled the Tkachuk issue, so it can certainly be a bit of a mixed bag in Calgary.


Treliving has done everything he can to keep the Flames remain competitive despite losing his top 2 scorers from last season and from personal experience, Calgary is a great city. There's always lots to do, and something going on, but I'm sure a new arena would go a long way in helping attract new players and keep them in the city.