The duo had a lot to unpack as they broke bread at Montreal’s Bar George on Monday, where a foundation of trust was built between a franchise player and a GM that led to Thursday’s eight-year, $84 million extension with the Flames. The biggest deal in franchise history put the neatest bows on a tumultuous fortnight that saw both sides turn a period of huge upheaval into a positive outcome that few could have fathomed. The player got his dream contract and the team solidified its future with a talented pillar around which to continue to build. Despite the loss of two of the franchise’s most valuable stars, there is now immense optimism and intrigue in Calgary. And a lot of that has to do with Huberdeau’s long-term commitment, which reinforces the belief of many that the return of Treliving in the Matthew Tkachuk trade flipped the franchise’s fortunes on a dime. With a four-man return that included MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, a champion and Huberdeau, Treliving turned a shocking organization on the brink of a rebuild into one of the league’s most exciting tools in decades. With the signing of Huberdeau, the deal looks even better. “I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you there are some challenges,” smiled Treliving of his month from hell. “A wise man once told me, ‘a lot of guys can hit the fastball, but who can hit the curve determines how long you’re going to be around.’ Some curves, as in two franchise players seeking greener pastures within weeks of each other. Since then, Treliving has convinced Andrew Mangiapane to stay for three more years (at $5.8M AAV), Oliver Kylington for two more (at $2.5M AAV) and now Huberdeau, further bolstering its upside agreement that brought him here. “The idea of signing Huberdeau wasn’t to flip the narrative,” Treliving said, insisting the push to ink him immediately had nothing to do with dispelling myths about players wanting out of Calgary. “I understand that, we went through the situation with some players who made a decision and it happened back to back. This is not an ongoing thing where people can’t wait to get out of Calgary.” “I don’t blame anyone. This is entirely within the player’s rights. I said it that day, it kind of pisses you off when you hear it because I don’t think that’s the narrative. Listen, (Huberdeau) has done his homework. Obviously he got a very good contract and we have a very good player for many years.” Huberdeau admitted Friday that he needed time to process everything before realizing a path forward could be fruitful for everyone. “Emotionally it’s been a roller coaster the last few weeks,” smiled Humberto, of the blockbuster trade from Florida two weeks earlier that hit him harder than any errant beach Frisbee ever could. “Obviously shocked at the trade. I was a little down, but at the end of the day you want to look ahead in life. That’s what I told myself and my family. It was important to turn the page for good and focus on the new team.” Huberdeau explained why he chose to dive into an eight-year extension without dipping his toe in Calgary first. “I know it’s a good town to play hockey in and the community is great,” said the left winger, who will fit right into the left slot vacated by the one player who tied him with 115 points last year, Gaudreau. “I asked a lot of questions to a lot of people but, at the end of the day, I wanted to sign for the long term. They traded for me and I know they wanted me, and they talked a lot about me. When you hear that you want to play for a team that wants you.” “That’s why it was so important for me to show them loyalty and I want to give back to the community already. I’m excited to get there and learn more about the city.” The fact that Treliving, and assistant GM Don Maloney, hopped on a plane to meet him in his native Quebec earlier in the week meant a lot to the game wizard. They didn’t talk numbers as it was just a get to know dinner. Contract talks with Allan Walsh intensified after Huberdeau said he was comfortable moving on. “I can tell in his eyes by the way he’s been talking that he wants to win now,” Treliving’s Huberdeau said. “He wants to build a winning team. He wants to go get players. We have a good line-up at the moment. Our defense is really good and we have a great goaltender, and you look down our line-up and we’re just a good team.” “He made me think that I would fit in very well in this lineup. He wants to win for many years and I liked that.” After signing late Thursday, Huberdeau said he woke up Friday laughing at his good fortune. “This is just the start of something good,” said Huberdeau, who has also been excited by conversations with coach Darryl Sutter. “My goal was to sign a long-term contract, but my main goal is to win a Stanley Cup. It’s pretty crazy. When I woke up this morning I thought “this really happened”. Sometime soon, when the adrenaline of the last month wears off, Treliving will probably say exactly the same.
