CALGARY — The Calgary Flames ended last season just one point shy of a playoff berth, carrying a formidable chip on their shoulder. Fuelled by predictions that largely dismissed their chances, the team delivered a surprising 96-point performance, finishing two points behind the Cup-winning Florida Panthers and five points ahead of two Eastern Conference playoff teams.
A last-second goal in Minnesota`s final game ultimately cost Calgary the tiebreaker for the West`s last playoff spot. Despite this setback, Flames GM Craig Conroy opted to largely retain the promising, ascending roster that closed the season with an impressive 11-3-2 record, fostering high optimism for the upcoming camp.
However, as MacKenzie Weegar revealed in a recent conversation, the “us-against-the-world” mentality is expected to remain a primary motivator. “It`s just one of those things that pisses me off, because I know the kind of team we have, and I want those expectations to be higher,” Weegar stated, emphasizing the persistent lack of respect for Calgary.
Locally, there’s considerable excitement surrounding talents like Calder Trophy finalist Dustin Wolf, first-round pick Zayne Parekh, 32-goal scorer Nazem Kadri, sniper Matt Coronato, a re-energized Jonathan Huberdeau, and a growing pool of high-potential prospects. While some hockey analysts might predict the Flames will break their three-year playoff drought, the team still struggles to gain significant national attention, rarely featured in higher-profile games, especially in the US.
“I think we can still carry that little edge that we had last year that motivated us, that expectations are still low for this team,” said Weegar, who recently returned to Calgary after a busy summer that included his wedding and attending Hockey Canada’s orientation camp. “I want to be on the national stage representing Calgary, with other cities watching us. That`s the recognition we deserve after a good season, and sometimes we still don’t get it.”
Weegar acknowledges that some experts will likely recognize the team`s improvement, and he won`t dispute their views. Yet, he remains keenly aware of the small slights. “We still had 96 points, but lost due to a crappy tiebreaker. If not, we would have been in the playoffs, and maybe we would have got more (respect),” he reflected. “For me, it’s internal, and it fires me up.”
Motivation certainly won’t be an issue for the 31-year-old defenseman. His recent three-day Olympic confab alongside 41 other Canadian hopefuls left him profoundly inspired. “I don’t know how many times I got goosebumps during the whole camp, it was kind of just one thing to another,” Weegar shared, highlighting a coaches` video showcasing great Canadian sporting moments.
A particularly surreal moment for Weegar was trying on the official Lululemon Olympic gear. “They were like, `This jacket is for the opening ceremony, and this jacket is for the podium, and this one is for the closing ceremony,` and I was just trying all these clothes on and looking in the mirror and saying, `Jeez, this is crazy.`”
Another memorable experience was having breakfast with hockey legends Sidney Crosby and Drew Doughty. “Before one of the meetings about drug testing, I’m sitting there having a coffee and then Sid sits next to me,” said Weegar, who had previously gotten to know Crosby at the World Championships. “Then Doughty sits next to me. I grew up idolizing Doughty. He’s an absolute riot.” Weegar recounted trying to eat his eggs while eagerly listening to their conversation. “I always remind myself I’m there for a reason too. I’m sure they have respect for me being there too, but for me it just goes so much further for those guys.”
Weegar, a former 20-goal scorer, hopes this invitation as one of 13 Canadian defensemen will serve as a significant springboard. “I left there so inspired and motivated to make that team that I think it’s going to be a big year for me,” he stated. Last season, he accumulated 47 points and averaged over 24 minutes per night, earning consideration for Canada`s 4 Nations Face-Off roster.
“I feel confident in myself, I feel confident in my training this summer, I feel confident in the group of guys we had last year returning,” Weegar affirmed. “I think the focus is everybody giving five or 10 percent extra, and we can certainly make it. I want to make that team super bad, and I think if I am the player I am to make that team, I think I’m going to help out the Calgary Flames.”
The Flames intend to approach a challenging opening month with the same intensity they displayed at the end of last season, excelling in crucial, high-stakes games. Weegar firmly believes they can maintain that hard-earned momentum. “I think a lot of us, when we come back to camp, we will feel that same energy we had at the end of last year,” he concluded, confirming that the burning desire to prove their doubters wrong will be a central theme.
