Style Q+A: Craig Conroy

With nearly 15 years of NHL ice time under his stick, you’d think 38-year-old Craig Conroy would be used to the cheers, jeers and the mammoth sea of red.

A centre for the Calgary Flames since 2001, Conroy detoured to the Los Angeles Kings in 2005 as a free agent, only to make his way back to don the flaming “C” in January 2007 — scoring two goals and an assist the very next day.

“No matter how many times you do it, it’s still exciting — getting ready, and stepping out on to the ice, there’s nothing like it,” he says, blue eyes a-twinkle.

Although he had dreamed of an NHL future since childhood, Conroy decided to attend Clarkson University in upstate New York — just in case a sheet of NHL ice wasn’t in the cards.

“My dad played in the minors, so I’ve always grown up around hockey,” Conroy says. “It was always my dream to play in the NHL ... Did I think I was ever going to? No.”

Conroy still wasn’t entirely convinced come the 1990 NHL entry draft, where he was chosen 123rd overall. “I wasn’t a high draft pick. I just went to college and was going to get a job and go from there,” he says.

“From there” turned out to mean two sea-sons with the Montreal Canadiens and four seasons with the St. Louis Blues before lacing up his skates for the Flames, and the eventual Stanley Cup run of 2004 — a spot Conroy hopes to be in again come 2010.

Conroy has high hopes for the start of the first season under the direction of new head coach Brent Sutter. “I think all the things as a player that you’re hoping for, he has,” Conroy says. “He’s straightforward, honest, and I think you’re going to know exactly where you stand, and that’s the same way it was with [GM and former head coach] Darryl [Sutter].”

While the pressure to perform to raised expectations looms large, Conroy has no problem stepping up when the puck officially drops later this month. “Calgary is a hockey city,” he says. “When you’re playing a sport for a living, you want to have it mean something to people. And it does here. It really does.”

How does it feel to have yet another Sutter on board?
A lot of us had our best success when Darryl was coaching, when we made that Cup run. You figure some things will be similar, them being brothers. [Brent] has a few other ideas, though, just being a little younger and doing junior hockey in Red Deer. He really has a good grasp on what he wants from the team, and what he expects. It’s going to be very cut and dry. It’s about winning hockey games. Sounds simple, but a lot of that is going to be about puck control, because he doesn’t want to give it to the other team.

You’ve been back for two and a half years now. Happy to be here?
I never really wanted to leave. It was one of those things where the [2004-05 NHL] lockout was coming, Calgary wasn’t signing anybody, and I got a four-year deal with L.A. I talked to [then-NHL Players Association executive director] Bob Goodenow, and I asked, “What should I do?” He said, “I don’t know what the landscape is going to be like and what’s going to happen, so you’re better off taking the deal.” So I took it, and everything was great but ... Calgary is a hockey city, plain and simple.

You’re originally from New York, but does Calgary feel like home?
My girls have lived most of their lives here now, so it most definitely feels like we’re home.

Just how many girls make up “your girls”?
Three: Taylor is 12, Sophia, 9, and Sydney, 4. I hear those dryers go off every day. [Laughs] That’s what wakes me up — people blow-drying hair. Especially the older two, but now the little one has to get involved, too.

Sounds like a feminine household. Any plans to add more and make up your own all-girls hockey team?
I was an only child, so I always knew I wanted to have more than just one. And now, honestly, I can only see myself with girls. I can’t even imagine myself with a boy. But I’m all done. Three is my limit. I love them to death, but I don’t need anymore. We don’t have enough bathrooms, anyway. [Laughs]

You’ve been married for 13 years. What’s the best part?
Just to know you have someone there who is totally behind you. My wife, Jessie, she pretty much looks after everything. I focus on hockey and she runs the house. There has been some tough times she’s had to deal with. When I got traded to Calgary, my little one didn’t have a passport, so I went ahead without them and didn’t get to see anybody for four months. It’s tough when you have small kids. You have to have someone strong with you, because it’s a lot of pressure. She never complains, but I know some days she’s not very happy. [Laughs]

What’s a typical day for you during the season?
I usually drop off my younger daughter at around 8:45 a.m., and then I go right down to the rink. Now it’s a little bit different in the NHL, because they have a nice breakfast set up for us based on what the nutritionists say we should be eating, so I eat breakfast there. Then I’ll go and do my sticks, or whatever I have to do, get my equipment ready, get new skates, et cetera. We usually have [team] practice at 10 or 10:30 a.m., and after that we have another whole lunch set up. It’s nice because you don’t think about what you should or shouldn’t eat. I probably leave around 1 or 1:30 p.m. on non-game days, and then I go home and wait for my girls, and do whatever normal dads do from that time on — figure skating or dance class, and that kind of stuff. First half is all hockey; second half is all family time.

What’s your favourite hockey moment?
When we beat Detroit, and we started getting ready to go to the Western Conference finals against San Jose in 2004. Just being on the ice ... the whole city was electric. [Then] to be out there, and grabbing the Western Conference trophy, and just thinking, “Holy cow, we’re going.” We really thought we were going to win the Stanley Cup. In our minds, we believed it was destined to happen, and we were going to do it. I’ll never forget that.

What’s been the biggest surprise of your career?
The day I got traded back to Calgary. I knew I was going to be traded, but I didn’t think it would be to the place I actually wanted to go.

Who do you admire professionally?
[Flames and Blues Hockey Hall of Famer] Al McInnis was a guy I always wanted to be like. How he handled himself, how he handled his teammates and his professionalism. A total class act.

And Brett Hull. Brett always got a bad rap, but he was always just a great teammate and a great guy. I was young and a little nervous coming in, and he just made me feel welcome and a part of it all right away.

You’re now the team veteran. How does that feel?
I know I’m the oldest guy on the team, but I don’t feel like I’m the oldest guy on the team. When I graduated high school, some of them weren’t even born yet! But when I’m right there with them, I don’t feel like I’m slowing down.
I think a lot of it is mental. If you think you’re old and getting slower, then you just might. I think staying around all the young guys makes me feel younger and then I don’t
even think about it. They do make fun of me, though. All last season, the coaches would say, “Craig’s 38 and he can still ... ” and I would say, “Whoa, whoa, whoa! I’m 37, guys!” I guess now that I’m 38 ...

How would you describe your personal style?
I’m very laid-back and casual. I don’t like to go overboard. I like to be comfortable and enjoy myself and not feel stuffy. I don’t mind wearing a suit, but I’d rather not. If they said come to the rink without a suit, that’d be fine by me. There are guys like Todd [Bertuzzi], and Jarome [Iginla] who are more fashion-savvy than me.

I hear you recruited some help in the fashion department now?
My buddy Carl [Abad], who owns Worth. Jarome was making fun of my suits one day, and told me about this guy who helps him pick stuff out, so I met him, and he now makes it easy. We pick stuff out, I try them on, buy the stuff I like and away I go. I can do it in about 40 minutes, which is great. With three kids, I don’t have a lot of time to waste walking around trying to pick stuff out on my own. I am a little lazy, but I guess that’s one of the benefits of playing in the NHL;
you can afford to have someone help you.

Are you more fashion-conscious now that you have some help?
Definitely. I just gotta keep up with it. Now it’s a competition between Jarome and I. He’ll get a new belt, and I’ll get some new shoes, and we’ll kind of size up each other’s picks.

Do you shop much out on the road?
Not me. Some guys, though, like Dion [Phaneuf], shop a lot. That guy’s a shopaholic! Every city we go to, I’m just shocked. I mean, he must wear everything just one time. I think when you have three kids and you’re out on the road, the first thought is, “I’m going to relax and take it easy.”

Are clothes an investment for you?
You know, you want to look good, and when you’re in public, you worry about what other people are going to think. I did some things for TSN, and was meeting producers, going in front of the camera, so I didn’t want to look like I don’t know
how to put an outfit together. I want to look good and feel professional. I don’t want to be a shabby ruffian, so I buy nice things ... It surprised me though — I walked in and [TSN hockey commenta-tor] Bob McKenzie had jeans on under the table.

Have you ever taken a fashion-inspired chance?
I’ve got some wild, wild shirts that I’ve worn to a couple events, and I’ve walked in and gotten some “whoas.” One is loud and frilly, and even Jarome was like, “Wow, you’ve got your own style tonight, buddy.”

Who talked you into that?
I think my youngest picked it out for me. And then, of course, she wants me to wear it out, so how can I say no? I wore it for her.

What’s your favourite piece of clothing in your closet?
I love jeans, especially Mek jeans. They fit well, and are super comfortable. I slip them on, and off I go.

What would you never be caught dead wearing?
There’s probably a few things that Rhett [Warrener] wears I wouldn’t be caught dead in. [Laughs] I’m not a huge plaid pants person. Some of the guys wear plaid pants, and I just look at them thinking, “What the heck are those things?” Golfing or anywhere, they’re just not for me.

Where do you hope to be in 10 or 15 years?
Obviously, I won’t be playing anymore, but something to do with the game still. I don’t know if that will be coaching or on the management side, or TSN, but I definitely want to be around the game. It’s in my blood. That’s all I’ve ever done, and it’s hockey for life.

MY FAVOURITES

Suit Prada

Store Worth

Restaurants Mercato and Osteria De Medici

Meal Sushi

Music Rock

Band Hedley

Treat Heath Bar Blizzard

Salon Influence

Car Audi R8

Book Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell

Hockey Players Mark Messier and Steve Yzerman

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