"What do I feel? Relief, excitement, happiness, you name it. Everything all in one," Versteeg told the Flames website. "You want to know where you're going, where your life is going to be set up, first and foremost. It can be kind of unsettling. Things are happening, it's all kind of crazy, you try to listen to other people, but in the end I wanted to be home, to be with the group from last season and to build on a very special season.
"That was always my first choice. For me, it was always about being a Flame, always. About making it work for myself and for them. I wanted Calgary."
Versteeg, 31, had 37 points (15 goals, 22 assists) in 69 games with the Flames this season after signing a one-year contract with them Oct. 11, one day before their season opener. He had one goal and three assists in four Stanley Cup Playoff games, when Calgary was swept by the Anaheim Ducks.
"The first order of business is getting back into the playoffs and that's a feat in itself," Versteeg said. "But I think with the players they have and the players they continue to add, you like the organization wants to take a step forward. I know the players are dying to take a step forward.
"But first and foremost it's about taking a deep breath, getting back into those playoffs again and from there, anything's possible. I'm just so pleased I'm doing it here, with these guys, on this team."
Versteeg, selected by the Boston Bruins in the fifth round (No. 134) of the 2004 NHL Draft, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, the first of seven times he has been traded in his NHL career. Versteeg has 350 points (146 goals, 204 assists) in 619 regular-season games with the Blackhawks, Flames, Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
A four-time 20-goal scorer, Versteeg won the Stanley Cup twice with Chicago (2010, 2015) and has 48 points (18 goals, 30 assists) in 93 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
