The Calgary Flames have finally cut ties with Ryan Howse.

After countless attempts at helping the 2009 third-round prospect in his hockey career and several seasons of trying to develop him as a National Hockey League player, Flames general manager Jay Feaster went through the process of terminating his contract last week.

“Ryan had indicated to us through Craig Conroy a few days before he was scheduled to come in for rookie camp and had indicated he wasn’t sure he wanted to play,” Feaster said in Saskatoon on Monday prior to the Flames’ pre-season clash against the Ottawa Senators. “Craig talked to him and tried to convince him his heart should be in it. (Conroy) said, ‘Are you sure you want me to go to Jay? Because if I tell Jay this is what you’re thinking, it’s in the stream and kind of out of your control.’

“He said, ‘Yeah. I don’t want to play, my heart isn’t in it.’ He went home, thinking he’d get his passion rekindled being around his former teammates and buddies. But he hadn’t.”

When Howse, 22, did not report for rookie fitness testing and physicals on Sept. 3, the Flames sent him a letter indicating an “anticipatory repudiation” of his contract.

However, Feaster said they still encouraged him to come to Calgary to have a face-to-face meeting.

And, still, no word from the player.

“We had a flight booked for him,” Feaster said. “He didn’t come to Calgary. We went to Penticton and sent him a letter that gave him five days to report. That deadline was noon Monday. He didn’t report. He didn’t communicate.

“And, so, that Monday afternoon, we placed him on waivers and the waivers would take effect Tuesday (unconditional for the purpose of terminating a contract).”

Howse cleared unconditional waivers last Wednesday and the Flames sent notice to Howse, his agent, the NHL, and the NHL Players’ Association of the termination of his contract. As of last Thursday, Howse was a free agent.

Feaster expressed his disappointment on many levels.

“Because of the time we invested in him,” he said. “Last year in Abbotsford, not only Troy Ward but Mike Thompson our strength and conditioning coach. Mike basically not only worked on him in the gym, trying to help him get in shape. But Mike took him to the grocery store and said, ‘Here are the aisles you avoid and here’s where you shop. Here’s how you fix a meal and here’s how you eat healthy.’ Mike took him to restaurants and said, ‘Here is the area of the menu you order from and here’s where you avoid.’ Even talking to Ryan’s agent, he made that comment; that he’s never seen an organization go out of his way with a player the way we did with Ryan.”

The Prince George native had been a star in the Western Hockey League with the Chilliwack Bruins, topped the goal-scoring chart for the team three years in a row and 51 in his final WHL campaign in 2010-11.

But before the 2011-12 season, Howse’s first year in the pro ranks with the Flames’ No. 1 farm team, Feaster had publicly challenged the six-foot sniper to take those areas seriously and shed some weight from his 205-pound frame. His conditioning issues continued and it got to the point where Heat head coach Troy Ward forced him to take a month off to get that part of his game — and life — under control.