Calgary Flames add Matt Stajan to their staff in a skills consultant role

Good news, everybody! Matt Stajan is back with the Calgary Flames!

The club announced on Wednesday afternoon that Stajan, perhaps best known for his 15-year National Hockey League career that included time with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Flames, has been added to the club’s staff in a skills consultant role.

According to the club’s press release, Stajan “will be responsible for working daily with the NHL Flames and AHL Wranglers’ players in honing their individual skill development.”

A talented young centre that came up through the Ontario Hockey League pipeline with the Belleville Bulls. He was a second-round selection by the Leafs in the 2002 NHL Draft and became a full-time NHLer in 2003-04, making the team prior to his 20th birthday. Aside from spending the 2004-05 lockout with the St. John’s Maple Leafs in the AHL, Stajan was a full-time NHLer from 2003 until 2018.

Stajan joined the Flames in 2010 via the Dion Phaneuf trade and was soon signed to a lengthy contract extension by then-GM Darryl Sutter. While Stajan’s offensive output arguably wasn’t quite in line with his cap hit, he adapted his game to a bottom-six role and became a valued checker, penalty-killer, taker of key face-offs and a valued mentor to many of the club’s younger players.

Stajan left the Flames as a free agent in 2018 and spent a season in Germany with EHC München of the DEL before ending his playing career. He joined the Calgary Hitmen as an assistant coach for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, then moved into a skills development role for the 2023-24 season. Moving to the Flames gives Stajan the opportunity to keep doing what he’s been doing in the Western League – helping young players grow to their potential – while getting a chance to work within the framework of pro hockey with the Flames and Wranglers.

Stajan joins former Flames players Craig Conroy (general manager), Jarome Iginla (special assistant to the GM), Martin Gelinas (player development), Michael Stone (player development) and Brad Richardson (pro scout) on the club’s current staff.