"We were watching Mile 22 , with Mark Wahlberg. I told my dad later: 'How wild is that? Isn't that the weirdest thing?'

"You're not going to believe this," laughed the freshly-signed Hanifin, long distance late Thursday. "I'm in Tampa Bay right now with Auston Matthews and some guys - Charlie McEvoy, Kyle Palmieri - at a camp. We skated this morning and - I'm not making this up - I was a movie theatre this afternoon when I talked to Pat, my agent, about the deal being done. I swear to God.

Well, there's obviously something about the magic of the movies …

The moment Noah Hanifin heard the news from agent Pat Brisson on June 23 that he'd been dealt to the Flames, he was at home in Boston, at a local Cineplex, about five minutes into a screening of Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom .

The luck, really, is two-fold: Hannifin, a RFA, gets a newly-minted six-year deal worth $4.95 million per. The Flames get the emerging young D-man they can pencil into their top-four for the next half-a-dozen winters.

Term of contract was a major factor for both sides.

"It's a big commitment,'' agreed Hanifin, a vital component in the five-player deal that shipped Dougie Hamilton, among others, to Carolina. "I know it took a bit of time, was a bit of a process, but I was confident. I knew it'd get done.

"I wanted to be in Calgary really badly. And obviously with the situation there, it's been a busy off-season for Brad (Treliving) and the entire staff there.

"Just really happy it's finally official. This is a big deal for me and my family.

"Great organization. Big hockey town. And, I think, a heckuva hockey team.

"I wanted to be there for a long time. There's a really bright future and I want to be a part of it for the long run.

"That's really important to me. I just want to get to work now."

For GM Treliving, Hanifin's signature on a deal represents the final order of business during an off-season that has seen a re-tooling of his roster.

"Obviously it's taken a summer to put a deal together but he and I have talked off and on,'' said Treliving. "We've watched the film on him and (new head coach) Bill (Peters)'s coached him, obviously, but just talking to him you can tell how driven an individual he is. Getting input from people over the summer who know him well, they all seemed to come back to his dedication to his craft.

"He's still a young, developing player but his mindset is simple: I want to be the very best.

"Now a lot of guys have that same aim. But his physical tools jump off the page. And I believe he's driven to be very, very good.

"We're glad to have him here."

That restless ambition, Hanifin believes, has been a part of his inner make-up for as long as he can remember.

"I've always wanted to be the best,'' he said. "I'm coming into my fourth season and I really believe my game has gotten better every year. I don't think that's going to stop anytime soon.

"I'm definitely ready to take my game to the next level, have more responsibility - more minutes, against tougher players.

"This, now, is something I've been preparing for my first few years in Carolina. I definitely feel ready to deal with it."

Another word that's continually used in describing the Boston-born, fifth-overall pick in the 2015 entry draft, is 'mature'.

And small wonder. He had to grow up early.

At age 13, Hanifin was an eighth-grade student and playing varsity hockey at St. Sebastian's School in Needham, Mass., when his father, Bob, was diagnosed with colon and kidney cancer.

There followed a year of chemotherapy. Hanifin's mom and two younger siblings, leaned on the oldest son during that period.

"That was a tough time for my family,'' he admits. "My dad and I are extremely close. Just seeing him go through that was … hard. But at the same time, I think that was an important time in my life … I had to kind of help out, be there for my siblings and my mom. You're depended upon and it makes you stronger.

"Thankfully he's doing really well right now. And I know he's excited to get up to Calgary and watch me play some games there."

Calgary, needless to add, can't wait, either.

"Noah's 21, different in the sense that most kids at 21 are still trying to break into the league, find their feet,'' reminded Treliving. "At 21, he's approaching 300 games of experience. He's unique that way.

"We think he's just scratched the surface of his potential.

"We're talking about a guy we're going to have from now, at 21, to 27, 28, the prime of his career."

And when, years from now, in the summer of 2024 most likely, the time comes to re-up this new deal?

"I guess,'' reasoned Hanifin, playfully, "I'll have to start spending a lot of time at movie theatres again."