Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterMar 14, 2024, 09:50 AM ET
CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.
SEATTLE — Tucked away from public view at the Scotiabank Saddledome is the small security shed that stands guard over the players’ parking lot.
For six years, Noah Hanifin drove up to this shed where he would see the familiar faces of attendants who’ve welcomed numerous Calgary Flames players before home games. But when Thursday arrives, the tinted windows of the Vegas Golden Knights charter bus will cruise past that shed, making Hanifin just another visitor to the Saddledome.
The trade that sent Hanifin from the Flames to Las Vegas is a little more than a week old. It’s enough time for Hanifin to play a few games, have a couple of practices and get to know his new teammates. It’s also the amount of time he’ll have before returning to Calgary for the first time since being traded.
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“It’s been a pretty crazy week. … Going back to Calgary after this game will be fun. It’ll be cool,” Hanfin told ESPN before the Golden Knights’ 5-4 overtime win against the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night. “It’ll probably be a little weird being on the other bench, but I’m just going in and trying to get a huge win for the team.”
The circumstances around Hanifin’s eventual departure from the Flames had been a frequently discussed subject for more than a year. The Flames fell short of a playoff berth by three points last season. That led to a coaching change, followed by a change in general manager.
New Flames GM Craig Conroy was tasked with trying to get the Flames back into a playoff spot while managing a roster that had several players entering the final year of their deals. Hanifin was among those players who were pending UFAs.
Daily Faceoff reported last offseason that Hanifin didn’t plan to re-sign with the Flames. Once the season started, the focus was on whether the Flames had enough to challenge for a playoff spot in a difficult Western Conference landscape….
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/39722090/noah-hanifin-back-calgary-vegas-golden-knights
Author : Ryan S. Clark
Publish date : 2024-03-14 14:54:51
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