Utah Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar says it stings watching players push their way out of Canada.
The 32-year-old blueliner sat down on TSN's Overdrive Wednesday and didn't dodge the topic sweeping through Canadian NHL cities this offseason.
"It's a bit unfortunate to see players wanting out of Canada," Weegar said, pointing to the passion of fans in cities like Calgary, where he spent four seasons.
Weegar broke into the league with Florida before landing in Calgary in 2022, part of the blockbuster trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers. He was dealt again in March, this time to Utah.
Weegar posted 28 points and went minus-33 across 79 games last season, carrying a $6,250,000 cap hit into a new market betting on him settling in fast.
He leaned into the mic on set, working through his own history in Calgary before pivoting straight into the wave of stars now doing the opposite.
He's not wrong about the wave. Tkachuk forced his way out of Calgary right after Johnny Gaudreau bolted for Columbus in free agency, and both exits reshaped a franchise that's still rebuilding.
Watch the segment here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkBad0Tsguk
Five American stars have pushed their way out of Canada in two years
Tkachuk went on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups with Florida in 2024 and 2025, handing every disgruntled star in a Canadian market a blueprint worth copying.
Brady Tkachuk followed his brother to Florida in July after telling the Senators he had no plans to re-sign, walking away from a captaincy he held for five seasons.
Vancouver dealt captain Quinn Hughes to Minnesota last season once he made clear he wouldn't sign long term, and Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck went public with his own trade request in August.
Detroit captain Dylan Larkin asked out too this offseason. He's still in Michigan and still a Red Wing, for now.
Every one of those five players is American. Weegar is the Ontario kid who stayed put, and Utah is betting that mindset outlasts his cap number, not just matches it.
Utah went 1-2 against Calgary this season, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Flames in the final matchup back in April.
Weegar signed on to be part of the answer in the desert. Whether five unhappy American stars change how Canadian front offices operate long term is a question nobody on that Overdrive set touched.
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Is Weegar right that Canadian cities deserve more loyalty from their stars?
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