A familiar face - and a veteran presence - will be back in Flames colours when training camp begins in earnest Thursday.
The club has hired Matt Stajan as a skills consultant; the former Flames forward joins Head Coach Ryan Huska’s staff following three seasons of coaching experience with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.
His role will be one of mentorship, of individual relationship-building, and a chance to help players with both the Flames and Wranglers reach their potential.
“I’ll be an extension of the coaching staff; the whole team works together, but I’ll be a bit of a liaison with the players where I can work with them on details of the game that maybe the coaching staff doesn’t have as much time for when they’re prepping and planning for the next game and what we’re going to do as a team,” Stajan said Wednesday. “I’ll be able to take individual players and help them with certain details of their position and what they do, so they can better themselves and make themselves better players.
“(I’m) kind of a middle-man, but working with everybody to be another resource for the players, to work on the skills that they maybe don’t always get the chance to work on during the season.”
The 40-year-old spent parts of nine seasons wearing the Flaming C after starting his career with the Maple Leafs, earning a role as a dependable, two-way centreman over his 1,003 career NHL appearances.
The transition to coaching was a natural one for Stajan and now, he’s ready to join the Flames staff after cutting his teeth at the major junior level.
“I think late in my career, I was kind of in a position where I was a fourth-line centre, but I was also helping the young kids coming into the league, so I kind of had that a bit as a veteran guy on those Flames teams,” he explained. “But definitely, once you get into a coaching role, the player-coach relationship is different than being teammates with someone. I think that’s an asset I have where just finding what works as a relationship with each individual, because everybody’s different and you have to try to help everybody out.
“It’s been a nice transition, I was fortunate enough to work with the Hitmen, the coaching staff there helped me along and I got my feet wet in a coaching role. You just continue to adapt, like we all do as we get older and (more) involved in what we’re doing.”
Stajan is a role model, too. Since arriving in Alberta, he and his family have ingrained themselves in the community - both on the ice and through charitable work both during his playing career and now as a member of the Flames Alumni.
It’s only fitting that Stajan is now getting re-acquainted with the team in a hockey operations role.
“I just love the organization, my family’s been in Calgary since we were traded here,” he said. “Just to be able to help the players achieve as much as they can, ultimately it’s up to each individual on improving. As coaches, we’re a resource for them to reach the ceiling of what they can bring and be as a player.
On-ice sessions will begin in at WinSport Thursday, and Stajan will be right in the thick of things, helping everyone be the best they can be.
“I’m really excited, it’s a hungry group and there’s a lot of opportunity for players,” he said. “We’re all excited to see how this team continues to grow into something special.”
