One stray remark, then the retreat
Craig Conroy has been back in front of the cameras. The Calgary Flames general manager had said earlier in the week there was “a small setback” in Jonathan Huberdeau’s return to skating, two weeks ago. The line did the rounds. It raised eyebrows.
Conroy has now pulled it back. “That was a poor choice of words on my part,” he admitted. “There was no setback. What I meant was I was hoping he’d be ready for camp. What I was trying to say is the setback is that he’s probably not going to be ready for day one of camp. That’s where I got it wrong.”
The distinction matters. A player going backwards and a player just missing a target date are not the same thing.
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Six months after a rare operation, still no date
Huberdeau underwent hip resurfacing surgery in March. Six months on, he is skating with his teammates and looks close to a return. No date has been set.
Conroy says he hopes to have him back at some point during training camp. But he was clear on one thing: the 33-year-old winger will come back only when he feels 100 percent. Not before.
Hip resurfacing is still rare for an active top-line forward. The procedure preserves the joint rather than replacing it, but the rehab is long and the return of explosiveness has to be gradual. Rushing him back would make no sense at all.
Calgary needs him
The Flames came through a tough season offensively. Huberdeau, who arrived in 2022 in the Matthew Tkachuk trade, is still tied to a hefty long-term contract. If he misses the start of the season, Calgary lose one of the few proven creators they have.
Camp opens in the next few weeks. Conroy has chosen to steady the ship rather than feed the uncertainty, which is probably smarter than letting one badly worded quote run wild all through September.
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