Brad Treliving is leaving the Calgary Flames despite being offered a contract extension, the NHL team announced.
In a news release on Monday morning, the team said Treliving agreed to mutually part ways after serving as the Flames’ general manager for nine seasons.
Don Maloney was promoted to president of hockey operations and will also serve as the team’s interim general manager.
The process to hire a new general manager will begin immediately, the team said.
Darryl Sutter will remain as the Flames’ coach, but Maloney said he is analyzing every detail of the organization to find ways to improve.
“Today is not a good day for me,” Maloney told reporters on Monday.
“Brad is a good friend and a very good hockey man. He left us for his reasons, but we move on.”
The announcement comes after the Flames failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs after losing to the Nashville Predators on April 10.
Maloney said a lot of people have contacted him expressing interest in the job, but he is focused on reforming the team. He estimated the hiring process will take more than a year to complete because he wants to find the best person for the job.
“That’s going to take some time. I’m looking for insights,” he said.
“We have people here in the office that is experienced and certainly part of the process is reaching out to the people that I know from being in the game so long.”
John Bean, president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, highlighted that Treliving’s resignation was mutually agreed upon and he is still friends with the former general manager.
“We’re going to remain friends… These are really high-pressure jobs. They’re exhausting at times,” he told reporters.