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Bob Hartley doesn’t sound too impressed with Lee Stempniak

New Jersey Devils v Calgary Flames

CALGARY, AB - OCTOBER 11: Lee Stempniak #22 of the Calgary Flames skates against the New Jersey Devils during an NHL game at Scotiabank Saddledome on October 11, 2013 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)

Derek Leung

Will veteran winger Lee Stempniak be a healthy scratch for the Calgary Flames tonight in Boston?

The answer this morning appeared to be yes. And even if he finds a way into the lineup versus the Bruins, he certainly seems to have run afoul of head coach Bob Hartley.

Per Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun, here’s what Hartley had to say when asked about Stempniak:

“It’s the same rule for everyone. We’ve said it all along that, while it is a rebuild, it’s important for us to set a very clear message on the culture that we want to instil over here. It’s all about hard work, and it goes to everyone. I think that I’ve been real clear with everyone on the team — whether you’re a rookie, whether you’re a call-up, whether you’re a veteran, the entitlement is over in Calgary. You need to prove yourself on a day-to-day basis, and I believe that’s how we’re going to fast-forward our rebuild.”

Stempniak (6G, 7A) was a minus-3 in Sunday’s 4-3 shootout loss at MSG. The 30-year-old has been held pointless in his last four games.

He’s also a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $2.5 million.

But is he big and truculent?

He is not often described that way, no.

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