Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Why Hasn’t Craig Conroy Been Extended?? Maloney’s Answer Raises Eyebrows 🤔 | BB Clips

Episode Date: November 24, 2025

Boomer, Pinder and Rhett react to Don Maloney’s latest comments about why GM Craig Conroy still hasn’t been extended, and the boys are left asking the same question every Flames fan is: what are we waiting for? Conroy has done everything asked of him in a brutal situation, and Maloney’s vague “internal process” explanation isn’t exactly easing concerns. If he’s your guy, then get it done.VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/4vppUlKxLog#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #calgaryflames CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who's cooking in that kitchen? It's the other thing I said to Ryan yesterday. Maybe the biggest takeaway, and maybe not. Maybe it's all just blather. And Maloney's like, I've been doing this for 50 years, guys. Thanks for, thanks for subscribing. No comment given on the contract status of Craig Conroy and what they're doing with him. Well, and maybe I'm wrong and we're close to it because we're at Calais.

and we see it. Who's all, who's all, who are the chefs in Vancouver and St. Louis and all these other team? Does Bill Zito have seven guys that he's relying on for advice? Like, there seems to be a lot of guys that have want or had that GM hat that are all up at the top of the food chain as far as the flames organization. Like, yeah, like, no one is. Conroy, you've got Nones, you've got Peter Handlin now, you've got Pascal now, who's been, like,

you've got Lonnie. That feels like a gauntlet. I think the front office is that it's a normal size. You just hope everyone's on the same page. That's kind of what you're alluding to, right? Like, is there all of a sudden a power struggle if people think Connie's not coming back? Yeah, it just feels like that's a lot of,

if you're walking down the hallway, and you've got an idea and a plan for what you're trying to accomplish, I'm going to, what do you think about, well, I'm not sure. What do you think? I agree with you. I think that what you're sitting in the boardroom with everyone. Are we a quorum? Is that the word called?

I think it's, I have no problem with differing of opinion and battling and presenting a case for what you believe is right. And I think we also all, whether we like it or not, yeah, you got to eventually, you got to go up to the very top to ownership. to get some things passed. But how many is it, is it Conroy? And then does he have to do the convincing of Maloney and then here? Because if you're constantly doing this, that gets old fast for a guy. And that's not, it's not conducive for getting good work done.

And if shares with, and have your battles. But if at the end of it, it's like, if Craig has the autonomy to at least say, Okay, well, good points, men. I appreciate it. Take it under advisement and I'm going to make my call. Then I'm fine with that. But to your point, Red, if it's who's got the stick? Well, and the catch to all this is, if you believe in, Craig,

why aren't you rewarding him with a new contract? Yeah, and that might just be the way. I understand. Get it dealt with. They might have a complete understanding, but we're allowed to talk about it. until then because it raises eyebrows and we don't know it's just like a trade i don't know what they're being offered for guys behind closed doors but the information i have right now makes me go

what the hell's going on and it's not just us it's it's people around the league and that's how i because there was a time media and people would come to town be like so uh what's going on with the flames what's what's going on upstairs like is there what's going on there is a little bit of that starting to trickle back in And maybe it's just because of these interviews, but it's like, so the Maloney's saying this and, well, does Conroy go to deal? So he doesn't have a deal? Or Malani said that it just, I guess it's good.

If you don't care what people think or what the optics are, then that's fine, I suppose. Yeah, you don't have to listen to us. You don't have to listen to us, but people that are listening, this is what I'm thinking about right now. When I look at the flames organizing, I don't agree with how you're approaching it. agree with Mr. Maloney's comments.

And I, I'm questioning why Craig Conroy doesn't have a contract. That I don't have any information that, but that's what I think about right now. So you're in a loud market. It's Canada. It's the biggest team in town. Like no one in California is talking about Pat Verbeek not having a contract. So that's part of it. And so that's why I keep coming back to this like self-inflicted wounds.

Like when you go put Po-ho in front of a camera and then asking these questions, like maybe this is a normal course of business. and they're just dot and eyes and crossing T's, but why would you do the interview at that juncture? Like if it's almost done, wait. The quarter poll, it was the quarter pole. Right, yeah, sure. So I'm of the mind that this is going to get done and they like Craig and they think Craig's done a good job.

I don't know how the front office operates, but it does in this market just add fuel to the fire when you try your president out twice and he doesn't really give a vote of confidence. Well, and it also says that he was listening to the response from people and fans. and pundits that he had to go out twice and have. Yeah, we're not totally clear on the timeline there, but it appeared like he went back to what might have been polished things off, but felt like a double down.

Or did he do another interview after the intermission and then the backlash all came later? I don't know. You know, we got a house of team next year, too. Yeah, and one with McKenna would be fun to watch. But that's fantasy hockey, apparently. Unlike winning culture at missing the playoffs three zeros that's that's real hockey not fantasy hockey just win together a bunch of

young kids and just have some i sent a couple things to jack here again i i i guess it's hey it's a hockey market sorry it's what you do yeah um you you analyze and you you read into things and ordinarily i'm i'm the guy that says it all the time don't don't take read too much into what you here in the media. It just, I, I feel like we're not being fed bullshit here. I kind of feel like we're getting a look inside. It feels different to me. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes you worry that you're getting an inside. I feel like what we're being, is we're not being fed something to subterfuge to kind of knock people off the scent. I think that this is kind of what we're seeing. We can go to the first one, the, the comment, uh, Jack. Yeah, that one.

there. So he was asked about, France asked about Craig Conroy and the work that he's been doing. I think Craig has been excellent at creating an environment, a culture here of being proud to play in Calgary. I think his biggest strength is his relationship with the players, which is excellent. He cares and they know he cares. I think the first year was very difficult with the number of good players we had at the end of their contracts. A couple of those guys would probably help us right now, but we got through that. I think year two was very strong, but again, you want to keep the pressure on each other and why we say we want to be a playoff team.

We don't want to go into the season saying we want to draft in the top five. I don't want to in any way, shape, or form be associated with that because then why are we doing this? Just to fantasize we're going to get a star player. So where I, you know, my, I get the tingles and starts. The first year was very difficult with the number of good players we had at the end of their contracts. A couple of those guys would probably help us right now.

But we got through that. As if to say maybe, maybe you should have signed your Noah Hannafins or Elias Lindholmes. Or is that? Yes, it is. That's one way to read into it. Right.

It doesn't really speak to, you know, paying guys more than they were worth, which was why Craig wouldn't sign them. But, hey, if that's winning culture, be an eighth in the West, maybe they're missing out.

And wanting out, and telling your team basically, you want out, pay me extra or I'm leaving? So a couple of those guys would probably help us right now. I think your two is very strong. But again, you want to keep the pressure on each other and why we say we want to be a playoff team. We don't want to go into the season saying we want to draft in the top five.

I just, I can't help. But again, try and read in. It feels like there's maybe there's the conversation has been. We can try and get young here and get some high picks. But the, but his take, Maloney's is. not interesting. He says as much. Yeah. I also think

like it's important to point out that he's talking about going into the season with that mentality. No one's asked you to go into the season like that. You came into this season talking about 97 points. What we're talking about now is that given that, you know, a quarter of the season done is done and you're in second to last,

at least open a window to show us you have a plan B. Like I agree, Don, you should go into every season trying to make the playoffs. Great. But now that you're where you are, is it maybe time to look at some other options. And I think, I really believe, as much as these quotes don't back it up,

I believe if they're in this spot in January, they're going to do all the things the fans want them to do. I really do. And I hope you're right. It's just that he's failed to even hint at it, which is just dumb PR. And again, self-inflicted ones. Which is exactly what you're saying is I don't disagree.

I think we all agree that push coming to shove, the writing will be on the wall. And if the offers are decent, they will do the right thing. I think that that's the gist of it. You're just saying it in such convoluted way. And I'm with you, boom. And I hadn't read those comments.

And you know what I mean? It kind of read through them. Looking at that, it reiterates what I just said. That comment is it almost, geez, I almost said something rude. But that's an ignorant comment. Some of those guys might help us right now. Those guys wanted the F out.

or they wanted to get paid handsomely and you'd be even older barely hanging on and all those kids that we're seeing play that were hopeful might be good would have no fucking spot that culture that culture that you yeah that culture that you covet

it was shit when those guys were here and moping around yeah that's true and belly achin and bitchin yeah he contradicts himself in that company goes well Craig's created a great spot we should have kept those guys but those guys, what?

What? Those two things might be related. Those guys were toxic and Conroy got them out of the room and now. We should have kept them. Final one, he's asked, this was the comment. Again, credits of Sportsnet and Francis did his article from the weekend. Conroy's in the final year of his contract. Why hasn't he been extended?

We keep that internal. We're not discussing that. We have a certain process. We go through here. Sounds like this guy's been here for 18,000 years and he's running, like. Did he trees, buddy? He hired Brad for living in Arizona. And then brought him in here when he got relieved to be a.

Well, he was here before he left, right? That's what I mean. Brad hired him to come in early in his stint to help him in the front office. And then when Brad left, he was elevated. Do we need to go through the careers of the, like? Yeah, I don't know that either are going to go to the Hall of Famous Builders at this juncture, but especially Donnie. had some lean years in Arizona.

But that doesn't mean he doesn't know he's doing. I just think he's awful at PR. Yeah. He was in Arizona. Don't let him talk to cameras. Don't. Or do. Give us days and days.

Yeah, that's true. I mean, yeah, for the fan base confidence low for content creators, fantastic stuff. Bring him in. We'll do it an hour sit down with them. Wow.

And it's probably shitty because we're kind of blasting them, but it's like we just said probably at the end of the day, they'll do the right thing. No matter what it's just that they were so dumb about it. They didn't even like allow that little nugget at the end. like, and if we're in the similar spot in two months, we can pivot. One sentence. We're evaluating this.

As it plays along, we're going to continue to evaluate and see what the best options. It's throwing good money after bad. Like, it's like, well, we have this plan and we can't pivot. We need more 35-year-old centerman. That's what's stacking up is creating winning cultures and success. Like, we need two more 35-year-old centermen. Okay, great. I say it again.

I just feel like this is a such, it's such an important point in the, in the franchise's life where you have some older players. You have some guys that are signed long term, but you have some young guys coming up. And so old, what are you going to do? The next, oh, you want to be ready for the building.

Well, the building, that's great. But if there's a concrete shortage, then all of a sudden, you know what I mean? like you are going to build your team based on the personnel that you have not on how how quickly a building is being yeah if you were really focused on building they'd be getting way you they're not you they're not younger three years ago when goodroll and them left and they had no interest in that because they're pissing themselves because oh everybody likes playing here well yeah they the guys are like playing here kicking their fucking feet up