Prior to his time with the Flames, Treliving held the role of Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager with the Phoenix Coyotes for seven seasons, where he also served as the General Manager of the Coyotes' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates, the Portland Pirates and San Antonio Rampage.
In 1996, Treliving co-founded the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) and served as the league's Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for five years. In May of 2001, he helped facilitate the merger of the WPHL and the Central Hockey League (CHL) and was subsequently named President of the CHL, a position he would hold for seven years before joining the Coyotes organization.