CALGARY — Curtis Glencross spent last Thursday at the ranch of Calgary Flames president Ken King, in the picturesque foothills of the Rocky Mountains.

“Ken had four horses saddled up when we got there,” Glencross recalled. “We went for a ride on two horses. Came back. Went for a ride on another two horses.”

On the first ride, Glencross, a pending unrestricted free agent, and King chatted mainly about horses, cows and life in rural Alberta.

On the second trip, they talked business: Dollars. Cents. Security.

“I wasn’t sure we were going to get this done,” King said Monday at a news conference in Calgary. “There are lots of different ways you engage people, but if you can talk to them in an environment they’re more comfortable with.

“He rode my best horse, so he was pretty comfortable.”

Two days later, Glencross and his agent approached the Flames and said they would accept the team’s offer of a $10.2-million US, four-year contract extension — under one condition: a no-movement clause.

“The no-move clause was a determining factor,” Glencross, 28, said Monday. “I was going to take the money they gave me as long as they gave me a no-move clause.

“If I didn’t get a no-move clause, I was going to wait to July 1.”

The no-movement clause made the Flames swallow hard. After all, they already led the NHL in that category with 10 such deals. But the Flames agreed. The contract was done.

“I feel very strongly we need to be judicious when we give these clauses,” said Flames general manager Jay Feaster. “At the same time, we asked the player to make a commitment to us. The player was willing to do it in a deal that I think is very fair to us and very fair to him.”

So, did Glencross take a hometown discount?

“We don’t know what that number is that he gave up,” Feaster said. “But we do know he was willing to do it to stay here. That’s what mattered to him.”

To Glencross, it all came down to family. His wife Tanya gave birth to the couple’s first child, daughter Karter, in March. His parents live in Red Deer, Alta. Tanya’s parents live in Penhold, Alta.

“I could have went somewhere else and got a bigger contract,” Glencross said. “If I wanted to hit a home run, I would have gone elsewhere. I’m not looking to hit home run. I’m looking for some stability for my family and I.

“Obviously, we love Calgary. We love the city.”

Streaky at times, Glencross scored a career highs in goals (24) and points (43) last season and proved an invaluable member of the penalty-killing unit.

With new contract in hand, the Kindersley, Sask., product has no intention of resting on his laurels.

“I still hope to get to the 30-goal mark,” he said, “and I still think I’m capable of getting to the 30-goal mark. But at the same time, I’m still a defensive player. I’m a penalty-kill guy. A lot of the big, big money guys don’t do the penalty kill. They don’t play against the other team’s top lines. That’s part of my job as well.

“I take just as much pride in that as I do in the goal scoring department.”

With Glencross signed, the Flames still have a lengthy list of pending unrestricted free agents headlined by left-winger Alex Tanguay and goalie Henrik Karlsson. Feaster said he is confident he can get both of them signed.

Centre Brendan Morrison is recovering from knee surgery and also had work done to fix a problem with his wrist. He is not expected to be ready come training camp, so Feaster said there is no rush to negotiate with the savvy 35-year-old veteran.

But for a moment Monday, King and Feaster took satisfaction in knowing they got one of their main men locked up in Glencross.

“He’s a nice poster child,” King said, “for a good western kid who did really well.”

Calgary Herald

vhall@calgaryherald.com