Wild forward Blake Coleman returns to Calgary and gets a standing ovation
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The gist
Minnesota Wild left wing Blake Coleman got a standing ovation in his first game back in Calgary since his July trade.
The 34-year-old's warm reception shows how his five seasons there landed.
Background
Blake Coleman is a 34-year-old Minnesota Wild left wing and Texas (Plano) native who previously played for the Tampa Bay Lightning and Calgary Flames. He signed a $29.4 million deal with Calgary in 2021 partly because people told him the city was like the "Texas of Canada," a selling point for raising his family. Calgary missed the playoffs in four of his five seasons there, and he was traded to Minnesota in July 2026 for forward Jake Middleton and future draft picks. He said trade rumors weighed on him for roughly three months last season before the deal was made in the summer so his family could settle in Minnesota before the season.
How it unfolded
- Jul 27, 2021On the eve of unrestricted free agency, Coleman and his wife Jordan chose among two finalists, including the Calgary Flames, over a bottle of red wine at their Dallas-area home.
- Jul 2026Coleman was traded from the Flames to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Jake Middleton and future draft picks.
- Oct 1, 2026Coleman played for the Wild on Opening Night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
- Oct 22, 2026In his first game back at Scotiabank Saddledome since the trade, Coleman received a standing ovation and a first-period video tribute; the Flames won 2-1, scoring two first-period power-play goals with Coleman in the penalty box on the first.
- Oct 24, 2026Coleman scored twice for the Wild in a 5-1 win against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena.
Who’s saying what
- Player
- Coleman said his Calgary experience "exceeded our expectations," that "We have no regrets," and that "Calgary is a good place to go and play. I don't have anything bad to say about Calgary."
- Coach
- Wild coach John Hynes said Coleman has arrived as advertised in 2026-27, playing a key role on the penalty kill with two goals in his first 10 games.
- Caution
- After a loss to the Flames, Coleman said "That's two games in a row we lost the special teams battle, and it cost us" and that three first-period penalties were "not the recipe," adding "I'll clean it up."
Still unverified
The Athletic wrote that "It wouldn't be surprising if the Wild eventually approach him about an extension."