Hartley has high praise for what Treliving has been able to accomplish since he was named general manager of the Calgary Flames on April 28, 2014. “Brad is a worker. He is relentless. Our team is an image of our general manager. Brad communicates really well. He makes us feel valued. We feel good around Brad. During the season, he asks, ‘What do we need?’ and ‘What can I do for you?’ It is always done in a way that is very positive and constructive.” The Flames’ success this past season did not go unnoticed. Hudler won the Lady Byng Trophy (presented to the most gentlemanly player in the NHL) and Hartley became the first Flames head coach in franchise history to win the Jack Adams Award, which is presented annually to the coach in the National Hockey League that has contributed the most to a team’s success. Hartley was humbled by the award. “Personally, I believe in team. To the credit of management, our scouting staff, our players, my coaching partners and support staff, we surprised lots of people and that’s probably why I was nominated and won the Jack Adams Award. I look at the Jack Adams Award as a team effort. I was the one designated to pick up the award, I guess.” Before joining Calgary, Hartley spent five seasons each with the Colorado Avalanche and Atlanta Thrashers, winning a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001. In the season prior to coming to Calgary, Hartley won the 2012 Swiss-A championship with Zurich. Hartley was excited for the opportunity to coach the Calgary Flames. “I was so excited to come to Calgary because I wanted to coach in a Canadian market. Now I am in a Canadian market, where hockey is basically a religion. That’s where you create expectations. Fans know exactly what is going on out there. They come to the game to see their favourite team win. There is a real respect factor between our fans and the organization. We are proud to play hard for them. We will do everything to make them proud of us. You want to represent the community with pride.” There are currently 3,700 registered coaches within Calgary minor hockey. Hartley offers his words of wisdom to the many coaches, who are trying to achieve success. “Show your passion to your players. It is important to communicate, to be demanding, but at the same time, be fair. I think the coach-player relationship is a relationship you can build. I was so excited to come to Calgary because I wanted to coach in a Canadian market. Now I am in a Canadian market, where hockey is basically a religion... It is also important to treat people the way you like to be treated and be open-minded. The players are the actors. They are the performers. Don’t be stubborn. Ask them for feedback. They are the ones on the ice and they are the ones sometimes with the great ideas. I have a great relationship with my players. Sometimes you have to cut the line somewhere, but every decision I make is to benefit the Calgary Flames. It is not to benefit myself. You need to be the ultimate team guy.” Hartley has high praise for two 2015 off-season acquisitions. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins stands 6’5”. “His style of play will fit in really well with the way that we play. He has so many years to mature and so many years to get better. At 21 years old with the Boston Bruins he was already a stud in the NHL. Obviously, we got bigger, stronger and faster. He is going to be a big part of our hockey club.” Hartley calls second acquisition left winger Michael Frolik from the Winnipeg Jets “probably one of the best two-way hockey players in the NHL. He is very solid defensively. He has great speed, good hands around the net. I would like to try and increase his offensive role with the organization.” As for personal goals for the 2015-16 NHL season, Hartley’s expectations are lofty. “My ultimate goal is always a Stanley Cup. I tell the players all the time, as soon as you become a playoff team, you can really turn your focus to the ultimate goal. We have an 82-game schedule in front of us. We are looking for consistency. We are looking for discipline. I will challenge the players to be even better than last year. Last year we earned more respect from teams in the league. Teams will be approaching us in a different way this year. Early last season we might have surprised a few teams. I think teams will now be ready for us and there will be some games that will be tougher to win. At the same time, the expectations cannot change and expectations need to keep growing. We are a young hockey club. Last year we had nothing to celebrate. We did our job and we have to find a way to do it better next year.” Flames fans have the right to be excited. They have a head coach with an excellent regular season career record of 428-321-113. As Hartley continues to stress the importance of his principles and philosophies in coaching, the Flames have the potential to be a serious contender for years to come. < < < < < < < < < < < 11