Blake Coleman pens amazing thank-you letter following Calgary Flames trade
Blake Coleman doesn’t seem as though he will be forgetting his five years with the Calgary Flames anytime soon.
Set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season, the Flames traded Coleman, along with defenceman Olli Maatta, to the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. In return, they received defenceman Jacob Middleton and three draft picks.
Coleman served as one of the true heartbeats of the Flames since arriving for the 2021-22 season. Though he certainly would have preferred the team to be more competitive over his five years, it’s clear that Calgary meant a lot to him and his family.
“To the C of Red: not sure where to start,” Coleman wrote on Instagram. “My family and I took a leap of faith choosing to come to Calgary 5 years ago to represent the flames and wear the flaming C. We didn’t know anything about the city other than what we had heard from word of mouth, and even though it was great things, it was completely undersold.
“The passion for the team, the kind neighbors and people in the community, the friends we made, & the fans that supported me and my family and made it feel like home, it was truly a special place to raise our family and play hockey. The staff members, teammates and countless relationships we built around the rink made it some of the most enjoyable years of my career. We will always look back on our time in Calgary with a smile. Thanks for everything and I will always look forward to being back in cow town.”
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Coleman played some of the best hockey of his NHL career with the Flames. Despite the team struggling over his final four seasons, he remained a steady contributor at both ends of the ice. His best season came in 2023-24, when he established new career highs with 30 goals and 54 points.
Though it will be tough for Coleman and his family to leave Calgary, he now gets a chance to play for a talented Wild team. That is very exciting for the 34-year-old, who has been in the postseason just once since winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“With all that said and the difficulty of leaving, we couldn’t be more excited to join the Minnesota Wild organization and jump into an opportunity to chase down the ultimate goal. Can’t wait to get in that locker room and get to work!”