“At This Point, No”: Flames Rule Out Reunion With Dube

Summary:

• GM Craig Conroy says the Calgary Flames have no plans to re-sign Dillon Dube. 
• Dube was acquitted in July of sexual assault charges tied to Canada’s 2018 world junior team and reinstated by the NHL. 
• He is eligible to sign with clubs starting October 15.

The Calgary Flames have made it clear that they won’t be pursuing a reunion with forward Dillon Dube, despite his recent acquittal in a high-profile case.

Dube, who spent six seasons in Calgary, was among five former members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey team charged with sexual assault earlier this year. Following an eight-week trial, an Ontario Superior Court justice ruled in July that the players were not guilty, with the Crown later confirming it would not appeal the decision.

Even with the NHL reinstating Dube and the others, Flames general manager Craig Conroy said on Wednesday that the organization isn’t considering a new deal with the 26-year-old. 

“At this point, no”, Conroy told reporters when asked about re-signing the forward. “I think Dylan probably just needs a fresh start”.

Mental Health Break

Dube was originally drafted by the Flames in the second round in 2016 and served as captain of Canada’s junior squad two years later. He played 325 games in Calgary, scored 57 goals, and had 70 assists while also proving a lineup powerhouse.

His career, however, was abruptly interrupted in January 2024 when he announced that he would step away from the team on an indefinite leave of absence to address his mental health. 

Later that same month, he and four other players, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Michael McLeod, and Alex Formenton, were formally charged. The charges also marked the end of his existing contract with Calgary.

While the court’s decision cleared the group and the league has now opened the door for them to resume playing, eligible to sign contracts starting October 15 and to return to NHL games on December 1, Conroy’s comments suggest that the return won’t happen in Calgary.

The Flames have sent a clear message that they refuse to absorb a player who grew up in the system but now carries baggage. As for Dube, the decision could represent a chance to hit the refresh button on his career in a new city, free from the shadows of his time in Calgary.

Whether another NHL team is willing to take that chance remains to be seen, but what is certain right now is that the Flames will be moving forward in his absence.