According to Hockey Central insider John Shannon Brendan Shanahan could be joining the Calgary Flames front office.
Shanahan met with Flames owner Murray Edwards and president/CEO Ken King in Calgary on Friday.
Speculation is Shanahan may be asked to lead the Flames if King spearheads the campaign for a new arena in Calgary.
When reached for comment, Shanahan confirmed he met with the Flames brass but declined to divulge the specifics of the meeting.
“Yes, I flew into Calgary yesterday and had dinner with Ken King. Both parties ran it by commissioner Bettman. Purely just a conversation. Beyond that I’d rather not get into it or comment publicly,” Shanahan told Sportsnet via email.
The Flames, who are mired in a four-year playoff drought, are in the midst of an organizational overview in an attempt to determine how to get the franchise back on track, according to a source close to the Flames organization.
“It would be accurate to say that a complete organizational review has been undertaken to determine what is required to win the Cup. Lots of soul searching and hard questions asked of each and every person and position to determine what changes and or improvements need to be executed in order to get on the right track”.
And while the franchise has underachieved on the ice recently, it has continued to be a tremendous financial success — a top-six revenue generator in the NHL with a passionate fan base. It should also be noted that many in and around the game have insisted there has been little or no urgency to make major changes because of the financial success of the team, which is rumoured to be in the $30-million range.
Shanahan has worked in an executive role with the NHL since retiring as a player in 2009. He was named the NHL’s vice-president of hockey and business development in December 2009 and replaced Colin Campbell as the league’s chief disciplinarian in June 2011.