Veteran Defenseman Speaks Out On Wave Of Players Leaving Canada
Speaking on TSN's "Overdrive" this week, the Utah Mammoth defenseman addressed the recent wave of star players pushing their way out of Canada.
"As a Canadian-born player and to play in Calgary, for me personally, I had a great experience in Canada," Weegar said. "Calgary was an absolute blast to play in that city. It's a bit unfortunate to see players wanting out of Canada, just because I know how passionate the fans are there, the citizens in each city, and how much they love their hockey and their star players."
MacKenzie Weegar on playing in Calgary.
— Robert Munnich (@Robert_Munnich) September 3, 2026
"For me, personally, I had a great experience in Canada. Calgary was an absolute blast to play in that city. I think there is great things to come for that team.”
Weegar is a class act.
Via @OverDrive1050 pic.twitter.com/fycLG2Ti7M
Pattern That's Accelerated Fast
Weegar's comments land in the middle of a remarkable stretch for Canadian franchises.
Matthew Tkachuk forced his way out of Calgary in 2022 shortly after Johnny Gaudreau left as a free agent, the same trade that originally sent Weegar to the Flames.
Quinn Hughes told Vancouver he wouldn't re-sign before landing in Minnesota this past December. Brady Tkachuk was traded from Ottawa to Florida in July after indicating he wouldn't stay, reuniting with his brother.
Connor Hellebuyck made his own trade request from Winnipeg public in August, with no resolution yet.
Ottawa native and former Calgary Flames d-man MacKenzie Weegar shared his thoughts on the recent trend of star players wanting out of Canadian markets 🫣
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) September 3, 2026
Weegar made it clear how much he loved playing in Calgary and praised the passion of Canadian hockey fans, but added that… pic.twitter.com/y5B5LxU90j
Four members of the gold medal-winning 2026 U.S. Olympic team have asked out of their teams within the past year alone, three of whom were playing in Canada at the time.
Weegar, born in Ottawa, was traded from Calgary to Utah at this year's deadline for defenseman Olli Maatta, prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three second-round picks, landing him in a market he didn't choose but has come to see the appeal of.
"You don't like to see it, but at the same time, there's a lot of teams out here, Utah, that has to offer a little bit more than you'd say in Canada," Weegar said. "But at the end of the day, I think we're all hockey players, and it doesn't really matter where you play. You just want to play in the NHL."
