On July 1, Kevin Rooney is slated to become an unrestricted free agent when his current contract with the Calgary Flames expires. Presuming that Rooney’s career path will take him elsewhere for the 2025-26 season, he’ll leave following one of the odder tenures in recent Flames history.

Rooney’s 2024-25 expectations

Rooney broke into the professional ranks after four seasons with Providence College in the NCAA, signing with the New Jersey Devils following his senior year in 2015-16. He spent four seasons in the Devils organization, eventually becoming a full-time NHLer by 2019-20. He then spent two seasons across the Hudson River with the New York Rangers. He never progressed beyond being a complimentary forward, a fourth-line checker that could kill penalties, but he had a pretty clear niche on both the Devils and Rangers.

On July 13, 2022, in the aftermath of the Flames’ second-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Flames signed Rooney to a two-year contract on the opening day of free agency. It was the only major move the team made in free agency, and calling it a “major” move is straining that word’s usage because of Rooney’s role on the team.

Rooney’s first run with the Flames in 2022-23 ended quickly, with head coach Darryl Sutter never quite developing full confidence in Rooney’s abilities and the forward ended up in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers. He found a niche with the Wranglers after being demoted, though, forming one-third of a strong checking line along with Brett Sutter and Clark Bishop.

The following season, Rooney seemed to sense an opportunity in training camp under new head coach Ryan Huska. He got off to a good start in camp, but suffered a shoulder injury during a practice that resulted in surgery. He returned to AHL action in January and was called up to the Flames from the Wranglers after the All-Star Break, essentially taking the roster slot vacated by Elias Lindholm’s trade to Vancouver.

In 2023-24, Rooney played 33 NHL games, almost exclusively on the fourth line, and had four points. He played with a rotation of wingers on the fourth line – some combination of of A.J. Greer, Matt Coronato, Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr – and was on the top penalty killing pairing with Mikael Backlund.

His underlyings were fine, but it was hard to judge because the Flames were making so many trades that their lineup and roles weren’t consistent as the coaching staff went into evaluation mode after the trade deadline. Rooney performed well to earn a one-year contract, though. Heading into 2024-25, the hope was probably that Rooney could be a reliable, consistent fourth-line centre as the team began their retooling process.

How Rooney did in 2024-25

Rooney was decked by J.T. Miller during the Flames’ opening game against Vancouver, causing him to miss five games while recovering from the hit. (Given the type of collision Rooney was involved with, all indications was that he was working through the NHL’s concussion protocol.)