'IT'S A GREAT SHOW OF STRENGTH'

For Flames GM Brad Treliving, the first word that comes to mind when asked about Emile Poirier is strength.
After years of struggling with alcohol, Poirier could see his life going in the wrong direction.
A first-round pick in 2013, 22nd overall, the Gatineau native showed heaps of promise with his hometown Olympiques during his junior career. A dynamic, creative winger with bite to his game, he had star potential.
In his rookie season in the AHL, he managed 42 points in 55 games and earned himself a trip to the league's all-star weekend.

The future, it seemed, was bright. He looked destined to crack the Flames' roster and earn a regular spot in the lineup in short order.
But over the years, he developed a dependence on alcohol and his on-ice performance started to slip.
His offensive production - his bread and butter throughout his career - dipped and he didn't display the speed he was known for. He wasn't taking as many shifts as he once was and he was being surpassed by other prospects on the depth chart as a result.
Acknowledging the cause of his decline, Poirier made a call to Treliving this past January, asking for help.
The courage it took to come to that realization and make the decision to find support cannot be understated.
"It's a great show of strength," Treliving told CalgaryFlames.com. "Whatever walk of life someone comes from … to say 'Hey I'm having an issue here and I need help,' … to me, that's a great show of strength and a great show of character.
"It's not a weakness."
"This goes far beyond hockey. Hockey is irrelevant when it comes to doing the right thing with the people we have and I'm really proud of him.
"He's starting a journey now and it's a daily grind but we're there to support him and we're very proud of him."

Looking back on the past six-and-a-half months, Poirier is supremely appreciative of the outpouring of assistance and encouragement he has received.
"I want to thank the organization, especially Brad Treliving, for the support," he said.
"He's been truly supportive through the process. It wasn't easy for me at that time. The whole organization, they've been supportive. My teammates have been there … I'm working with a guy, Brian McGrattan, every day. I think he's awesome with me. He helped me to go through that process. I want to thank him, too.
"They've been with me all the way and I want to thank them again."
The Flames have encouraged Poirier to reach out to those who have went through similar experiences and continue to build his support network internally.
"I told him you have great people in this organization to help you and you're going to be shocked by how much support you're going to receive and he is realizing that each day that he is here," Treliving stated.
"Brian and (Micheal Ferland) have gone through that and they are a great resource for him.
"When you go through things like this, you can never have too much support."
Looking forward, Poirier has his sights set on achieving his life-long goal of being an NHL player.
He is spending the summer in Calgary, working with the team to get his conditioning where it needs to be ahead of training camp.

"He has a chance to really restart," Treliving said. "Now he is slowly piecing it together.
"When he called me it was like talking to a new guy. There was a release of things going on. He sounds different and looks different. He said to me the other day that he's looking at the world differently for the first time.
"He's strong, big, fast, has skill, he's what you want.
"He was a dynamic player and now the work starts again but you can see the steps he's taking to rededicating himself, it's exciting for him and for us. I think he's going to have a great summer.
While it has been a few months of recovery, Poirier has already noticed a change in himself. The alterations he has put in place have already paid dividends and he feels better than he ever has heading into a training camp.
"I've been healthy, working out, so that's a big part of training. I think it's been good. I've been playing good. I've been hitting the ice, I've been hitting the gym. I'm looking forward to being here and working hard to make this team.
"I've just got to play my game like I used to. Now that I'm fully focused on hockey, I think I've got to play my game and everything (will) go well. I think I'm a good player … nothing's in my way now.
"I'll just do my job and we'll see what happens. If it's the case that I'm here or not, at least that I'll do the best that I can do and I think it will be alright.
"I feel good. I feel awesome and I'm ready to go."