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Flames sign defenseman Joel Hanley to two-year contract

Originally posted on Daily Faceoff | By Mike Gould | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 10:51 AM ET

The Calgary Flames have brought back unrestricted free agent defenseman Joel Hanley on a two-year contract worth $1.75 million per season, the club announced Tuesday morning.

Hanley, 34, appeared in 53 games with the Flames during the 2024-25 regular season, collecting two goals and nine points while averaging a career-high 18:35 of ice time.

The Flames originally claimed Hanley off waivers from the Dallas Stars midway through the 2023-24 season, shortly after the two teams consummated the Chris Tanev trade. Hanley played a much larger role with the Flames in 2024-25 and spent a significant portion of the season on a pairing with MacKenzie Weegar.

This is the first deal of Hanley’s NHL career that carries a seven-figure cap hit.

NACHO IS BACK!

Joel Hanley has signed a two-year extension with an AAV of $1.75 million! pic.twitter.com/LpBB57lBNW
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) July 1, 2025

An undrafted player, Hanley signed his first NHL contract with the Montreal Canadiens organization in 2015 after wrapping up a four-year college career at UMass-Amherst. The 5’11” lefty appeared in 17 NHL games over parts of two seasons with the Habs before dressing for five more with the Arizona Coyotes.

Finally, at age 27, Hanley latched on with the Stars in 2018-19 and kicked off what would end up being a six-year tenure with the team, during which he played a supporting role (and scored his first NHL goal) in their run to the 2020 Stanley Cup Final.

Hanley was never anything more than a depth defender during his time in Dallas, which made it all the more surprising when he latched on alongside Weegar in Calgary’s top four this past season. Now, in his mid 30s, Hanley has the strongest job security of his NHL career to date.

Through 246 career NHL games over parts of 10 seasons with the Canadiens, Coyotes, Stars, and Flames, Hanley has collected five goals and 38 points. The Keswick, Ontario product has also skated in 33 playoff contests (all with Dallas), recording a goal and two assists.

This article first appeared on Daily Faceoff and was syndicated with permission.

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