Calgary Flames GM clarifies Huberdeau's status after 'setback' comments

Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy is walking back some comments he made during an interview with QR 770 earlier this week.

Conroy joined Jock Wilson on QR 770 Tuesday evening to discuss the upcoming 2026-27 season. There were plenty of talking points, including Conroy’s message that it’s time for younger players to step up and act as leaders. The part that really caught headlines, however, was an update on the health of Jonathan Huberdeau.

As Flames fans know, Huberdeau’s 2025-26 season ended early after the 33-year-old chose to undergo hip resurfacing surgery. It’s a tricky procedure that several former NHLers have struggled to come back from, giving the Flames fan base reason to be concerned.

That concern only grew when Conroy revealed to Wilson that Huberdeau had suffered “a little bit of a setback, maybe two weeks ago, with his skating.” On Friday, Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that he had misspoke.

“It was a poor choice of words on my part,” Conroy explained.

“It’s not that there was a setback. It was more the hope in me that he was going to be ready for camp. What I meant was it was a setback that he won’t probably be ready for the first day of camp. That’s where I made my mistake.”

Conroy also noted that the timeline of hip resurfacing surgery is roughly seven to nine months, making it tricky to give a firm date as to when Huberdeau will be ready to go. The hope had initially been that he would be ready for training camp, though it appears that he may be absent in the early going.

The good news is that Huberdeau has been skating consistently, indicating that he is on the right path. Both he and the Flames are hoping he can get back on track upon his return, as he disappointed in 2025-26 with 10 goals and 25 points in 50 games.

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