Shortly after announcing Mikael Backlund as the 21st captain in franchise history, the Calgary Flames named four assistant captains to work alongside him in Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Rasmus Andersson, and Jonathan Huberdeau.
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Perhaps the biggest surprise in all of this was to see the fact that Ryan Huska chose to go with four assistants, the first time the Flames have had that many since the 2015-16 season. Another surprise, albeit much more minor, is seeing that Huberdeau received a letter. While by all accounts a highly-talented player, he isn’t one who had his name brought up much, if at all, when discussing who may be the Flames’ next captain earlier this offseason. That said, there was another player often brought up in those discussions who wound up not receiving a letter at all.
Weegar a Surprising Omission
It became clear early in the offseason that the Flames would have a captain for the upcoming season. Craig Conroy said so shortly after being named general manager, and Huska echoed those same sentiments after being named the team’s head coach. Everyone seemed to agree that it was the right choice for a team that hasn’t had a captain in either of the past two seasons.
When discussing who the Flames’ potential captain would be this season, one name that got brought up plenty was Andersson. The Swedish defenceman said on a number of occasions that he would welcome the honour with open arms. While the Backlund extension ensured Andersson would be ruled out, he was still named an assistant captain for the first time in his NHL career.
Another candidate discussed as a frontrunner alongside Andersson was MacKenzie Weegar, who was brought in to Calgary last offseason alongside Huberdeau. After settling in around the midway point of the 2022-23 season, Weegar quickly became not only one of the team’s best players but also a strong leader. Media members pointed that out on a number of occasions, and it played a big part in why he was considered a favourite to land the ‘C’.
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The hype around Weegar became so strong that he was asked about the potential of being the Flames’ captain on several occasions. The 29-year-old couldn’t help but admit that he was more than open to it, and he seemed to believe that he was more than capable of holding such a role.
“That’s a huge honour,” Weegar admitted when it was brought to his attention that many considered him the favourite. “If they did choose me, I would love to be the captain of the Calgary Flames. There would be a lot of work. I think I’m ready for it, and I would love to represent the Calgary Flames as the captain. It would be a real honour and a real pleasure.”
Weegar not getting named captain wasn’t a surprise, as everyone was well aware that Backlund has been the Flames’ main leader since the departure of Giordano. The only reason he wasn’t being considered a frontrunner came down to his contract situation, which made it no surprise to see that Backlund named captain on the same day he agreed to a two-year extension.
What was surprising, however, was to see that Weegar wasn’t one of the four assistants named later on. While he hasn’t admitted so publicly and won’t any time soon, you can’t help but wonder if he took it as a snub. Given how excited he seemed to be when asked about the opportunity, it was quite evident that he felt he was more than up for the challenge.
Next Season Could Be a Different Story
As disappointed as Weegar may be at the fact he didn’t receive a letter, one may not be too far away from him. As mentioned, both Lindholm and Tanev were named assistants, and given that they are both entering the final year of their deals, there is by no means a guarantee that either will be back with the Flames next season. If either or even both depart, Huska will have to find another player or two to take over their roles as assistants, and one would have to imagine that Weegar would get the call. But in the meantime, many Flames fans are left puzzled as to why he didn’t receive a letter this time around.
