Flames GM Craig Conroy is praying for Westen rival to win the Stanley Cup

The Dallas Stars beat the defending Stanley Cup champions Vegas Golden Knights in seven games and are now focused on getting past the Colorado Avalanche in round 2. Pierre LeBrun gathered of lot of comments from the start of the series, and several Stars players have given a lot of credit to defenseman Chris Tanev and his role in why Dallas has moved on in the postseason.

“When we played against him, we knew he blocked tons of shots,” fellow blue liner Esa Lindell told The Athletic. “I feel like that’s the first thing people talk about him. But maybe it surprised me how well he plays with the puck, too. Like the poise and when he holds onto it and dekes the first forechecker, then he makes that tape-to-tape pass.”

Needless to say, the Stars are thrilled to have won the sweepstakes for Tanev as many teams were in the mix to acquire him ahead of the March deadline. When he finally made it to Dallas, it was great news for the Stars, though it remains a tough subject for the Calgary Flames and general manager Craig Conroy.

The Flames GM loves his former defender so much that he now prays for the Stars, a conference rival, to win the Stanley Cup.

“He’s hands-down one of my favorite players,” Conroy said via text message. “It’s amazing what he did behind the scenes with our guys, making sure they were always taken care of. His work ethic in the gym and on the ice was second to none. It’s always about the team.

“His ability to play through injuries is also something that stood out,’’ continued the GM. “The way he treated the support staff was also second to none. I’m praying they win the Cup, because he deserves it.’’

As LeBrun puts it, it had to be heartbreaking for Conroy to part with Tanev, knowing everything he can do for his team.

The Stars tied the series last night with a 5-3 win over the Avs, but Conroy will need to keep praying for Tanev and Dallas to reach the Conference finals and make it all the way to the ultimate prize.

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