CALGARY — All these years later, Dion Phaneuf can finally tell the story.
The one about the spring of 2004, when the Calgary Flames were gearing up for what became the most magical, improbable run in franchise history. The one that people still talk about.
Phaneuf, then a teenage wrecking ball whose Red Deer Rebels had just been eliminated, had actually driven down Highway 2 with the intention of signing and joining the Flames for the playoffs.
He met with Darryl Sutter. He watched a game, and even got a visit from Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy, who admitted afterward they were jacked about the imminent addition of the beefy blue-liner who the team had drafted ninth overall.
He waited while Sutter and agent Don Meehan tried hammering out a contract.
But the performance-bonus structure — standard today, contentious then — killed the deal.
“I did come down, and I did talk with Darryl, and we couldn’t come to terms on a deal,” revealed Phaneuf, while standing inside the Saddledome for what might be his last time.
“Yeah, I had everything here, all my equipment, and I was heartbroken to turn around and go back. I would have loved to play. I was a kid. But the business side of the game takes over sometimes.”
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So, with the Flames tied 1-1 in the Western Conference semifinals against Detroit, the future franchise cornerstone packed up his gear, got back in the car, and drove home to Edmonton. And, like everyone else in Alberta, he watched the Flames’ Cinderella run from afar.
“It was an incredible run,” said Phaneuf, of a string of upsets that gave birth to the Red Mile and fell one goal short of a Stanley Cup. “It was unfortunate we couldn’t come to terms.”
“Unfortunate” is one word to use. Flames fans might choose another.
Because after you hear this story, it’s impossible not to wonder: Would a fresh‑legged, first‑round pick like Phaneuf have made the difference in Game 7 against Tampa? A series Calgary lost with a blue line so battered by the war of attrition that it required nine defencemen that spring, including Brennan Evans, and Robyn Regehr playing on a broken foot.
We’ll never know. But the possibility lingers, only adding to the sting.
Phaneuf admits the silver lining was the development time that followed, as he got another year in Red Deer thanks to the 2005 lockout.
“I think the blessing that gets overlooked about that lockout year was I got to go back to junior and get a little bit stronger,” he said. “So, when I did come to the NHL, I was ready.”
Ready enough to score 20 goals as a rookie, collect all his rookie bonuses, and bulldoze his way into league stardom.
Now working with the Kings’ sales and partnerships group, Phaneuf’s recent return to Calgary came shortly after Matthew Schaefer blew past his iconic rookie mark of 20 goals.
“I was getting a lot of texts,” smiled Phaneuf, 41, who retired in 2019. “It reminded me of that 20th goal. Chris Simon passed me the puck, God rest his soul. What a great teammate he was.”
The reason for his return to Calgary was simple: he wanted one last walk through the building in which he grew up in. The Dome he called home.
“The memories kind of came flooding back when I was flying up here,” he said. “I played a lot of hockey here. That’s 20 years ago, so it’s been a long time since I started here.
“Hopefully, this is not my last time at the Dome, but I wanted the memory of being here.”
Phaneuf made no attempt to hide how emotional it felt walking back into the Saddledome, where everywhere he walked, he was greeted by familiar faces and warm embraces.
He took pictures, inside, outside, soaking it all in.
He saw Scotia Place on his way in. He’s thrilled for the city.
“The fans deserve it, the team deserves it — it’s going to be an amazing state‑of‑the‑art facility,” said Phaneuf. “But this building has got so much history. It’s an iconic building. If you look at the skyline of Calgary, you see the saddle. The newer buildings are not as steep (inside). This building, the fans are on top of you. You can feel them. You can hear it.”
He still remembers the chills of the C of Red.
“It was known around the league,” he said. “It was all red. The fans are so passionate here. The building was so electric and so loud. I don’t think there’s a better night than a Saturday-night Battle of Alberta.”
Phaneuf’s affection for Calgary is deep, genuine, and still raw.
“This is where I grew up,” he said. “I came into the league here as a rookie. I learned so much about the business, about being a professional.”
He rattled off names with reverence: Iginla, Roman Hamrlik, Bryan Marchment, Ken King and, of course, Sutter.
“Darryl was instrumental in my development as a player,” he said. “He taught me a ton. I have so much respect for Darryl and the whole Flames organization.”
For all the good memories, one still stings.
“When I got traded, I was in tears,” he said of the shocking swap to Toronto in 2009. “I loved Calgary. It’s an incredible place to play. I got to be a part of that for six-and-a-half years.”
Today, he’s settled in Los Angeles, raising his kids with wife, actress Elisha Cuthbert, and keeping the door open, someday, to NHL management.
But for one last night he was just a kid again, walking into the rink where it all began.
“I’ve got a smile on my face since I’ve been in the building,” he said. “And I’ll keep smiling the whole way through it.”