Milan Lucic explains why players want to leave Calgary

Over the past few seasons, it’s been tough for the Flames, who have lost several key players. Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Tyler Toffoli, to name but a few, have all moved on.

Of course, the passing of Darryl Sutter didn’t help, and is certainly one of the reasons for the departure of several good players. Jonathan Huberdeau is very happy about his former coach’s departure. The Quebecer thinks that with Sutter gone, he’ll be able to make better use of his offensive creativity, in particular.

But the coach isn’t the only reason for the Flames’ inability to keep their players.

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The cold is obviously one of the main reasons. Like all cities in Canada, it’s cold in winter and when you have the choice of moving to Calgary or California/Florida, the choice is easy to make.

Another reason is probably the arena. As Lucic said, “They all love the Dome, but it’s old”.

From Calgary, travel is equally difficult. The Alberta city isn’t necessarily close to many field hockey towns. Sure, it’s close to arch-rivals Edmonton, but unfortunately, it doesn’t play 41 games at Rogers Place per season. Apart from Edmonton, Vancouver, Seattle and Winnipeg, the other teams’ arenas are starting to feel a little remote.

What’s more, Calgary isn’t a very dynamic city. There are no other top teams in the city. And when the players are off, they like to go to basketball and baseball games. Again, there’s nothing close in Calgary.

Of course, we can make connections with Montreal. Because as a Canadian city, we have a lot to worry about. But let’s face it, the Quebec metropolis does have some interesting attractions nearby. The Blue Jays and Raptors aren’t far away, and American cities like Buffalo, Boston and New York aren’t far away by car…

Still, Lucic wasn’t about to throw Calgary under the bus any more than he had to. The newest member of the Boston Bruins said he and his family really enjoyed their stay.

The city, the fans, everything, it was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. I also had some of the best teammates of my career. – Milan Lucic

In bursts

– No news yet.

– Obviously.

– And the season is just beginning…