It has been just under a week since the Calgary Flames shocked us all. They shipped off MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth for a package of future assets. It came as a surprise to all of us when the trade was announced. No one expected that he was going to be a part of this year’s fire sale, which also included Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri being traded.
The Flames got a very solid package in return for Weegar, as they did with the formerly mentioned Andersson and Kadri. However, I think I can speak for a lot of us when I say that it was a really tough pill to swallow seeing Weegar go. I may be the most biased as one of Weegar’s biggest fans, but he really embraced the city, the fans, the team, and the direction that this was going in.
Even with the failures and the rebuild that is now here. He represented the organization as well as anyone could, and it really looked like he was going to be the next captain of the team. This would have been when Mikael Backlund eventually retired or moved on from the Flames. We also have to acknowledge that Weegar was an absolute rock star with his play on the ice. He easily lived up to his billing when he arrived in Calgary and when he signed his contract.
So, in saying all of that, let’s take a trip down memory lane. Here are some of Weegar’s best moments as a member of the Calgary Flames.
Weegar’s first goal as a Flame
The 2022–23 season was a frustrating one for everyone, looking back on it. They couldn’t get a save, and they always seemed to be going down early and often. It just seemed like luck was never on the side of the Flames in a season where they came in as a contender. Well, things went very different then what was originally planned.
Weegar’s first season as a Flame was a mixed bag for some, but I thought he was rock solid. When it came to the defensive side of the puck, Weegar was fantastic. He played a key shutdown role alongside Chris Tanev for the majority of the season. His offence didn’t necessarily come until the second half of that season.
It was New Year’s Eve that year, that is when Weegar finally notched his first goal as a Flame. The Flames were up 2–0 and had the Canucks on the ropes with a shift they were dominating. The puck was getting worked around, and Tanev found Weegar just inside the blueline. The Canucks gave Weegar plenty of space, and he let a shot go. It got through traffic and went top corner on Spencer Martin. There wasn’t much of a celebration from Weegar, but you could tell the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders when that puck went in. He had his first of the season, first as a Flame, and his game really began to take off from that point.
Overtime winner against the Golden Knights
Fast forward now towards the tail end of 2023, a new season, and the Flames were under new management and a new direction. Players were on the verge of being traded, and a rebuild was ready to be embraced.
On this night, the Flames were in a battle with the Golden Knights. After tying up the game at one in the third, the game would head to overtime. It was a fantastic back-and-forth game; chances were being traded at both ends of the ice. Overtime was no different. The extra frame would be played at 4-on-4 due to some penalties being taken. It didn’t matter for the Flames in this case.
With under 15 seconds remaining in overtime, Weegar decided to take matters into his own hands. He took the puck from behind his own net, wheeled up the ice, made a couple of moves and then ripped a shot that beat Adin Hill under the blocker, giving the Flames the win. The team went nuts. Weegar was pumped, and the Flames battled extremely hard. They got a much-deserved win.
Weegar had some big goals with the Flames, but even though this season was a wash, this goal felt huge. It was one of the nicer goals that Weegar would score during his time in Calgary. It sure was immaculate.
First career hat trick against the Islanders
Now this is one we don’t get to see very often, a defenceman netting a hat trick. Still in that 2023–24 season, the Flames were in Long Island for a matchup with the Islanders, and it was the Weegar show on this afternoon.
Weegar got things started just four minutes in when he had an end-to-end rush that finished with him throwing a puck on net. This somehow snuck through Semyon Varlamov and gave the Flames a 1–0 lead. He was far from finished, though, with just under five minutes remaining in the second period, the Flames won a battle below the Islanders’ net, and the puck found its way to Weegar, who was standing wide open in the middle of the slot. Weegar unleashed a slapshot that would once again beat Varlamov, and he gave the Flames a 3–0 lead.
Once again, the show wasn’t finished. Now, with the Flames up 4–2 with less than thirty seconds left and with the goalie pulled, you could tell every Flame on the ice was trying to get the puck to Weegar. Kadri would get the puck to Jonathan Huberdeau high in the slot. Without hesitation, he threw it over to Weegar, who slammed it into the open net for his first career hat trick. This secured the win for the Flames.
You could see how excited everyone was for Weegar. He was mobbed, and the smiles on everyone’s faces were infectious. I don’t think anyone had this on their bingo card, but Weegar notched three in this one. For a brief time after this game, Weegar was leading all defencemen in goals. It didn’t finish that way, but it was an achievement in its own right for sure.
20th goal of the 2023-24 season
The 2023–24 season was a career season for Weegar. He scored a career high in points with 52 and scored 20 goals for the first time in his career. He also became the first player in NHL history to score 20 goals and block 200 shots. It was a banner year for him, and it somehow still flew under the radar league-wide. I don’t think anyone really understood how good Weegar was this season, even with how poor the Flames were as a team.
Weegar’s huge 20th goal would come in the final game of that season. The Flames were working the San Jose Sharks in this one. With the score already 4–0 in just the second period, Danill Miromanov would find Weegar with a pass just above the top of the circles. Without hesitation, Weegar put the puck towards the Sharks’ net. It was a bit of a knuckleball that somehow got through traffic, and it found the top corner behind now Flame, Devin Cooley.
Weegar, like he was plenty of times that season, was mobbed by his teammates; everyone knew how much that goal meant to him. Backlund would grab the puck, and once again, everyone was smiling more than we could have thought. It was a great way to cap off a season that wasn’t full of much team success, but it was really great to see Weegar have the year that he did.
Thanks for all the great times, Weegs
As I mentioned above, I don’t think there was a player who embodied what it meant to be a Calgary Flame these last four years quite like Weegar did. We never heard him complain. He was always the first to admit if he didn’t have a good game instead of blaming his teammates, and he was always a great face for the team. You know the player was a great person when, on his way out, you only heard positive things said about him in the media and from the team.
As someone who adored Weegar since he arrived, he lived up to all of my expectations and then some with the way he played. He blew me away with how he handled himself off the ice. He instantly became my favourite Flame. It really hasn’t been close since this new core took over after Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan left. I was lucky enough to meet Weegar back in 2023 in his hometown of Ottawa. I cannot speak highly enough about him and his family, and how I was treated, and he really took his time with all the fans that were there. He is a player I will never forget.
It also helps that Weegar really was the one who kick-started getting the new arena up and going. It really is a shame that he won’t be on the home side of Scotia Place when it opens in 2027.
Final thoughts
In saying all of this, Weegs, we are going to miss you immensely in Calgary. You brought us the best of times, and you carried yourself like no other player has since the doomsday in Calgary back in 2022. You embraced us, and we embraced you. It is something that will not go unnoticed, and we won’t ever forget it. It is time now for you to get back in the thick of the playoffs and to go chase a cup. I will always be your biggest fan, and you will have my support no matter what. The vibes may no longer be immaculate in Calgary anymore, but what you have done for the franchise will never be forgotten.
So long, partner.
