Olli Määttä is, in a word, excited to join the Flames.
The defenceman was dealt from the Utah Mammoth Wednesday night – along with touted prospect Jonathan Castagna and three 2026 second-round picks – in exchange for Calgary blueliner MacKenzie Weegar.
The 31-year-old Määttä has suited up for 22 games for Utah this season.
“I’m excited,” said Määttä by phone from Philly, where the Mammoth were in town to play the Flyers Thursday night. “Definitely exciting. It’s never easy to be traded but looking forward to the new start there.
“Heard great things about the city and the team.”
And he had a great chat with the always affable Flames GM Craig Conroy, furthering his enthusiasm to join the team.
“The more I talked to him, he added, “the more excited I got.”
Määttä has 783 NHL games under his belt with Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and Utah. He won the Stanley Cup twice with the Pens and has 42 goals and 196 points in his career.
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He described himself as a “two-way defenceman who takes pride in handling and moving the puck well, and playing good defensively.”
The rearguard said he’s looking forward to the fresh start with the Flames, wanting to take advantage of this opportunity.
“I think I’ll be very happy when I get there,” he said. “Seems like a great spot.”
