Noah Hanifin not thinking of boos from Flames fans ahead of return

Article content material

Noah Hanifin wore a Calgary Flames jersey lengthy sufficient that he is aware of full effectively what tends to occur on the Saddledome when gamers return after deciding to pursue alternatives elsewhere.

He was there when Johnny Gaudreau bought booed. Identical with Matthew Tkachuk. Nikita Zadorov, too.

Article content material

Not each participant will get that remedy and nearly all of them get an appreciative spherical of applause when the Flames play a video tribute for them.

Article content material

However there are sometimes numerous boos and Hanifin, now enjoying with the Vegas Golden Knights, needed to know he was in for a similar remedy in a while Thursday night when he spoke with the Calgary media that afternoon.

“Truthfully, I’m not even attempting to consider that an excessive amount of, I’m simply attempting to concentrate on my play,” Hanifin mentioned. “Can’t be nervous in regards to the distractions through the sport and stuff like that, simply gotta exit and execute and carry out.

“No matter does occur, I do know I had a good time in Calgary and I cherished my time right here and the individuals I met locally and within the group are the folks that matter probably the most to me and that’s actually what I care about.”

There may be all kinds of debate about whether or not or not Hanifin ought to be booed.

The Flames tried to re-sign him as just lately because the week earlier than the NHL commerce deadline, however the 27-year-old defenceman was finally set on going elsewhere.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been the rumoured vacation spot, with persistent chatter that they have been the one staff he was fascinated by re-signing with. Who was the supply of these rumours? It positively wasn’t the Flames.

Article content material

Article content material

However in the long run, the Golden Knights swooped in and provided a 2026 first-round draft decide, a conditional third-round decide in 2025 and defenceman Daniil Miromanov.

It was sufficient to safe Hanifin’s providers.

If there are people who find themselves sad with the best way Hanifin left and the best way the Lightning rumours could have scared off different suitors and prevented a bidding warfare that may have benefited the Flames, that’s their prerogative.

The counterargument is that Hanifin continued to play onerous proper till his ultimate shift with the Flames and put in six stable seasons of labor for the group earlier than he finally determined he needed to proceed his profession elsewhere.

And he’s solely ever mentioned good issues about Calgary and the Flames.

“The individuals and the group and the group, that’s most likely the piece I’ll miss probably the most about transferring on,” Hanifin mentioned. “The relationships you make with individuals, your teammates, your trainers, administration … Everyone I bought to know during the last six years and had a huge effect on my life as a participant and an individual, I’m going to overlook these individuals and even associates I’ve locally, I met lots of people away from hockey I’m going to overlook seeing.

Article content material

“That’s one thing I’ll positively bear in mind most.”

In time, Flames followers will certainly bear in mind the great occasions with Hanifin, too. His departure actually wasn’t all that acrimonious and appears like only a small piece of the sluggish dismantling of the squad that superior out of the primary spherical of the playoffs in 2022.

It’s just a little unusual for each Hanifin and his former teammates that he’ll be skating in Golden Knights colors on Thursday, only a week after he was traded by the Flames, however that’s simply part of the enterprise.

“He’s a extremely good man,” mentioned Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson. “You possibly can all the time joke round with him. We performed collectively for thus lengthy (and) you change into actually good associates and I discussed it earlier than, it’s all the time unhappy to see an individual go away, first, and he’s a extremely good participant, as effectively.”

Will probably be bizarre for Hanifin, too. He’s bought different issues to concentrate on now that he’s joined a staff that fancies its possibilities of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.

If he will get hit with a couple of boos on Thursday, so be it. Years from now, that received’t be what he remembers about Calgary or the Flames.

“It was unbelievable. I used to be very fortunate to have the ability to play right here and reside locally right here,” Hanifin mentioned. “I performed on some superb groups and met lots of nice individuals right here, I actually loved my time. I’ve mentioned it previously. I type of grew up right here. I got here after I was 21 years previous and I used to be right here for a very long time.”

Article content material