<p>On July 1, Kevin Rooney is slated to become an unrestricted free agent when his current contract with the Calgary Flames expires. Presuming that Rooney&#8217;s career path will take him elsewhere for the 2025-26 season, he&#8217;ll leave following one of the odder tenures in recent Flames history.</p>
<h2>Rooney’s 2024-25 expectations</h2>
<p>Rooney broke into the professional ranks after four seasons with Providence College in the NCAA, signing with the New Jersey Devils following his senior year in 2015-16. He spent four seasons in the Devils organization, eventually becoming a full-time NHLer by 2019-20. He then spent two seasons across the Hudson River with the New York Rangers. He never progressed beyond being a complimentary forward, a fourth-line checker that could kill penalties, but he had a pretty clear niche on both the Devils and Rangers.</p>
<p>On July 13, 2022, in the aftermath of the Flames&#8217; second-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Flames signed Rooney to a two-year contract on the opening day of free agency. It was the only major move the team made in free agency, and calling it a &#8220;major&#8221; move is straining that word&#8217;s usage because of Rooney&#8217;s role on the team.</p>
<p>Rooney&#8217;s first run with the Flames in 2022-23 ended quickly, with head coach Darryl Sutter never quite developing full confidence in Rooney&#8217;s abilities and the forward ended up in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers. He found a niche with the Wranglers after being demoted, though, forming one-third of a strong checking line along with Brett Sutter and Clark Bishop.</p>
<p>The following season, Rooney seemed to sense an opportunity in training camp under new head coach Ryan Huska. He got off to a good start in camp, but suffered a shoulder injury during a practice that resulted in surgery. He returned to AHL action in January and was called up to the Flames from the Wranglers after the All-Star Break, essentially taking the roster slot vacated by Elias Lindholm&#8217;s trade to Vancouver.</p>
<p>In 2023-24, Rooney played 33 NHL games, almost exclusively on the fourth line, and had four points. He played with a rotation of wingers on the fourth line – some combination of of A.J. Greer, Matt Coronato, Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr – and was on the top penalty killing pairing with Mikael Backlund.</p>
<p>His underlyings were <em>fine</em>, but it was hard to judge because the Flames were making so many trades that their lineup and roles weren&#8217;t consistent as the coaching staff went into evaluation mode after the trade deadline. Rooney performed well to earn a one-year contract, though. Heading into 2024-25, the hope was probably that Rooney could be a reliable, consistent fourth-line centre as the team began their retooling process.</p>
<h2>How Rooney did in 2024-25</h2>
<p><a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/10/11/flames-place-kevin-rooney-day-to-day-on-injury-reserve-list-call-up-justin-kirkland-from-ahls-wranglers/">Rooney was decked by J.T. Miller during the Flames&#8217; opening game against Vancouver</a>, causing him to miss five games while recovering from the hit. (Given the type of collision Rooney was involved with, all indications was that he was working through the NHL&#8217;s concussion protocol.)</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xt6sXJ42djM?si=bfgLkShSywBYNRfZ" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>After Rooney returned, he took awhile to really find his rhythm again. While he was out, Justin Kirkland performed really well, and the team attempted to keep both players in the lineup, which involved some juggling of their familiar roles. Of the two, Rooney arguably had the hardest time with the juggling – and considering he had missed time, that made sense.</p>
<p>Eventually, Rooney found his comfort zone, and he and Ryan Lomberg developed some solid chemistry on the fourth line. That unit had its ups and downs, never quite finding consistency on a regular basis until Adam Klapka joined Rooney and Lomberg near the end of the season. Rooney did score some big goals and make some good plays down the stretch, though.</p>
<p>Rooney&#8217;s gig in 2024-25 was basically the same as it was in 2023-24: fourth line duties, deployments heavily skewed towards the defensive zone, and usually playing against the other team&#8217;s bottom two forward lines. His underlyings weren&#8217;t all that good this season – 43.9% expected goals – and he won only 47.2% of his draws, too. He also played on the penalty kill, but that unit had some ups and downs this season and didn&#8217;t really find their mojo until the last 20-25 games.</p>
<p>In short: Rooney was <em>fine.</em> He filled a role that the Flames really had nobody else to fill this season, fourth line centre, but nothing about his performance this season really demands he be brought back.</p>
<h2>Next season’s expectations</h2>
<p>Rooney is perfectly capable of being an NHL player somewhere. He&#8217;s shown the ability to fill in and perform well in a pinch during his Flames tenure.</p>
<p>But odds are his NHL tenure will continue elsewhere, as the Flames likely would prefer to give the likes of <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/04/09/justin-kirkland-nominated-for-bill-masterton-memorial-trophy-by-calgary-phwa-chapter/">Justin Kirkland</a>, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/02/18/sam-mortons-performance-with-the-wranglers-has-helped-raise-his-stock/">Sam Morton</a> or even college signing <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/04/19/flames-prospect-carter-king-made-his-pro-debut-with-the-wranglers-on-friday-afternoon/">Carter King</a> chances to make a push for NHL duty.</p>
<h1>This article is presented by Bon Ton Meat Market</h1>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-138373 size-medium" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-300x300.png 300w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-150x150.png 150w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-768x768.png 768w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-1536x1536.png 1536w, https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-2048x2048.png 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>A Tradition of quality products and personalized service for 104 years.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>Proud to feature only the finest premium AAA Alberta Beef, Locally raised fresh pork, locally raised fresh free range chicken and turkey, fresh alberta lamb and milk fed veal.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>Over 20 varieties of in store made salads,  delicious desserts and of course our famous in store made meat pies. Proud to be Calgary, and Southern Alberta&#8217;s Consumers Choice Award Winner for best Meat and Deli for 24 consecutive years! Bon Ton Meat Market, 28 Crowfoot Circle NW.</em></strong></p>


On July 1, Kevin Rooney is slated to become an unrestricted free agent when his current contract with the Calgary Flames expires. Presuming that Rooney's career path will take him elsewhere for the 2025-26 season, he'll leave following one of the odder tenures in recent Flames history.
<h2>Rooney’s 2024-25 expectations</h2>
Rooney broke into the professional ranks after four seasons with Providence College in the NCAA, signing with the New Jersey Devils following his senior year in 2015-16. He spent four seasons in the Devils organization, eventually becoming a full-time NHLer by 2019-20. He then spent two seasons across the Hudson River with the New York Rangers. He never progressed beyond being a complimentary forward, a fourth-line checker that could kill penalties, but he had a pretty clear niche on both the Devils and Rangers.

On July 13, 2022, in the aftermath of the Flames' second-round loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Flames signed Rooney to a two-year contract on the opening day of free agency. It was the only major move the team made in free agency, and calling it a "major" move is straining that word's usage because of Rooney's role on the team.

Rooney's first run with the Flames in 2022-23 ended quickly, with head coach Darryl Sutter never quite developing full confidence in Rooney's abilities and the forward ended up in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers. He found a niche with the Wranglers after being demoted, though, forming one-third of a strong checking line along with Brett Sutter and Clark Bishop.

The following season, Rooney seemed to sense an opportunity in training camp under new head coach Ryan Huska. He got off to a good start in camp, but suffered a shoulder injury during a practice that resulted in surgery. He returned to AHL action in January and was called up to the Flames from the Wranglers after the All-Star Break, essentially taking the roster slot vacated by Elias Lindholm's trade to Vancouver.

In 2023-24, Rooney played 33 NHL games, almost exclusively on the fourth line, and had four points. He played with a rotation of wingers on the fourth line – some combination of of A.J. Greer, Matt Coronato, Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier and Walker Duehr – and was on the top penalty killing pairing with Mikael Backlund.

His underlyings were <em>fine</em>, but it was hard to judge because the Flames were making so many trades that their lineup and roles weren't consistent as the coaching staff went into evaluation mode after the trade deadline. Rooney performed well to earn a one-year contract, though. Heading into 2024-25, the hope was probably that Rooney could be a reliable, consistent fourth-line centre as the team began their retooling process.
<h2>How Rooney did in 2024-25</h2>
<a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2024/10/11/flames-place-kevin-rooney-day-to-day-on-injury-reserve-list-call-up-justin-kirkland-from-ahls-wranglers/">Rooney was decked by J.T. Miller during the Flames' opening game against Vancouver</a>, causing him to miss five games while recovering from the hit. (Given the type of collision Rooney was involved with, all indications was that he was working through the NHL's concussion protocol.)

<iframe title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xt6sXJ42djM?si=bfgLkShSywBYNRfZ" width="560"></iframe>

After Rooney returned, he took awhile to really find his rhythm again. While he was out, Justin Kirkland performed really well, and the team attempted to keep both players in the lineup, which involved some juggling of their familiar roles. Of the two, Rooney arguably had the hardest time with the juggling – and considering he had missed time, that made sense.

Eventually, Rooney found his comfort zone, and he and Ryan Lomberg developed some solid chemistry on the fourth line. That unit had its ups and downs, never quite finding consistency on a regular basis until Adam Klapka joined Rooney and Lomberg near the end of the season. Rooney did score some big goals and make some good plays down the stretch, though.

Rooney's gig in 2024-25 was basically the same as it was in 2023-24: fourth line duties, deployments heavily skewed towards the defensive zone, and usually playing against the other team's bottom two forward lines. His underlyings weren't all that good this season – 43.9% expected goals – and he won only 47.2% of his draws, too. He also played on the penalty kill, but that unit had some ups and downs this season and didn't really find their mojo until the last 20-25 games.

In short: Rooney was <em>fine.</em> He filled a role that the Flames really had nobody else to fill this season, fourth line centre, but nothing about his performance this season really demands he be brought back.
<h2>Next season’s expectations</h2>
Rooney is perfectly capable of being an NHL player somewhere. He's shown the ability to fill in and perform well in a pinch during his Flames tenure.

But odds are his NHL tenure will continue elsewhere, as the Flames likely would prefer to give the likes of <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/04/09/justin-kirkland-nominated-for-bill-masterton-memorial-trophy-by-calgary-phwa-chapter/">Justin Kirkland</a>, <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/02/18/sam-mortons-performance-with-the-wranglers-has-helped-raise-his-stock/">Sam Morton</a> or even college signing <a href="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/2025/04/19/flames-prospect-carter-king-made-his-pro-debut-with-the-wranglers-on-friday-afternoon/">Carter King</a> chances to make a push for NHL duty.
<h1>This article is presented by Bon Ton Meat Market</h1>
<img class="aligncenter wp-image-138373 size-medium" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2099/08/Bon-Ton-Logo-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" />
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>A Tradition of quality products and personalized service for 104 years.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>Proud to feature only the finest premium AAA Alberta Beef, Locally raised fresh pork, locally raised fresh free range chicken and turkey, fresh alberta lamb and milk fed veal.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong><em>Over 20 varieties of in store made salads,  delicious desserts and of course our famous in store made meat pies. Proud to be Calgary, and Southern Alberta's Consumers Choice Award Winner for best Meat and Deli for 24 consecutive years! Bon Ton Meat Market, 28 Crowfoot Circle NW.</em></strong></p>

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