Calgary Flames
Encyclopedia
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey
team based in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
. They are members of the Northwest Division
of the Western Conference
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary Tigers
(1921–27) and Calgary Cowboys
(1975–77). The Flames are one of two NHL franchises in Alberta, the other being the Edmonton Oilers
. The cities' proximity has led to a famous rivalry known as the Battle of Alberta
. Games between the teams are often heated events.
The team was founded in 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia
as the Atlanta Flames
until moving to Calgary in 1980. The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral
before moving into their current home arena, the Scotiabank Saddledome (originally known as the Olympic Saddledome), in 1983
. In 1985–86
, the Flames became the first Calgary team since the 1923–24 Tigers to compete for the Stanley Cup
. In 1988–89
, the Flames won their first and only championship. The Flames' unexpected run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals
gave rise to the Red Mile
, and in 2011 hosted and won the second Heritage Classic
outdoor game.
The Flames have won two Presidents' Trophies
as the league's top regular season team and recognize five division championships. Individually, Jarome Iginla
is the franchise leader in games played, goals, and points, and is a two-time winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer. Miikka Kiprusoff
has the most wins by a goaltender in a Calgary Flames uniform. Nine people associated with the Flames have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
Off the ice, the Flames own a Western Hockey League
franchise (the Calgary Hitmen
) and a National Lacrosse League
franchise (the Calgary Roughnecks
). They also lend their name to a bar and entertainment centre called Flames Central on Stephen Avenue
in Downtown Calgary
. Through the Flames Foundation, the team has donated over $
32 million to charity throughout southern Alberta since the franchise arrived.
(WHA). In December 1971, the NHL hastily granted a team to Long Island
—the New York Islanders
—to keep the WHA's New York Raiders out of the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
. Needing another team to balance the schedule, the NHL awarded a team to an Atlanta
-based group that owned the National Basketball Association
's Atlanta Hawks
, headed by prominent local real estate developer Tom Cousins
. Cousins named the team the "Flames" after the fire
resulting from the March to the Sea
in the American Civil War
by General William Tecumseh Sherman, in which Atlanta was nearly destroyed. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum
in downtown Atlanta
.
The Flames were relatively successful early on. Under head coaches Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion
, Fred Creighton
and Al MacNeil
, the Flames made the playoffs in six of eight seasons in Atlanta. In marked contrast, their expansion cousins, the Islanders, won only 31 games during their first two years in the league combined. This relative success did not carry over to the playoffs, however, as the Flames won only two post-season games during their time in Atlanta.
Despite the on-ice success, the Atlanta ownership was never on sound financial footing. Longtime general manager Cliff Fletcher
said years later that Cousins' initial financial projections for an NHL team did not account for the WHA entering the picture. The Flames were also a poor draw, and never signed a major television contract.
In 1980, Cousins was in considerable financial difficulty and was forced to sell the Flames to stave off bankruptcy. With few serious offers from local groups, he was very receptive to an offer from a group of Calgary businessmen fronted by Canadian entrepreneur (and former Oilers owner) Nelson Skalbania
. A last-ditch effort to keep the team in Atlanta fell short, and Cousins sold the team to Skalbania for US
$16 million, a record sale price for an NHL team at the time. On May 21, 1980, Skalbania announced that the team would move to Calgary. He chose to retain the Flames name, feeling it would be a good fit for an oil town like Calgary, while the flaming "A" logo was replaced by a flaming "C". Skalbania sold his interest in 1981, and the Flames have been locally owned since.
Unlike the WHA's Calgary Cowboys
, who folded three years earlier, the Flames were immediately embraced by the city of Calgary. While the Cowboys could manage to sell only 2,000 season tickets in their final campaign of 1976–77, the Flames sold 10,000 full- and half-season ticket packages in the 7,000 seat Stampede Corral
.
Led by Kent Nilsson
's 49-goal, 131-point season, the Flames qualified for the playoffs in their first season in Calgary with a 39–27–14 record, good for third in the Patrick Division
. The team found much greater playoff success in Calgary than it did in Atlanta, winning their first two playoff series over the Chicago Black Hawks
and Philadelphia Flyers
before bowing out to the Minnesota North Stars
in the semi-finals. This early success was not soon repeated. After a losing record in 1981–82, Fletcher jettisoned several holdovers from the Atlanta days who could not adjust to the higher-pressure hockey environment and rebuilt the roster. Over the next three seasons, he put together a core of players that would remain together through the early 1990s.
Fletcher's efforts to match the Oilers led him to draw talent from areas previously neglected by the NHL. The Flames were among the earliest teams to sign large numbers of U.S. college players, including Joel Otto
, Gary Suter
, and Colin Patterson. Fletcher also stepped up the search for European hockey talent, acquiring Hakan Loob
and other key players. He was among the first to draft
players from the Soviet Union
, including HC CSKA Moscow
star Sergei Makarov
in 1983
, but Soviet players were not released to Western teams until 1989. Still, the team was sufficiently improved to challenge the Oilers, who required the maximum seven games to defeat the Flames en route to their 1984 Stanley Cup
Championship.
In 1983, the Flames moved into their new home, the Olympic Saddledome (now known as the Scotiabank Saddledome). Located on the grounds of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, the Saddledome was built as a venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics
. In three seasons in the Corral, the Flames lost only 32 home games. The Saddledome hosted the 37th NHL All-Star Game in 1985, a 6–4 victory by the Wales Conference.
By 1986 the Flames had landed forwards Doug Risebrough
, Lanny McDonald
, and Dan Quinn
, defenceman Al MacInnis
, and goaltender Mike Vernon. Finishing second in the Smythe with a 40–31–9 record (the only season from 1984 to 1991 in which they did not finish with 90 or more points), the Flames swept the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs, setting up a showdown with the Oilers. Edmonton finished 30 points ahead of Calgary during the season, and was heavily favoured to win a third Cup in a row. However, the Flames upset the Oilers in seven games, with the series-winning goal coming at the hands of Oilers' rookie Steve Smith
as he accidentally shot the puck off of goaltender Grant Fuhr
's leg and into his own net. The goal remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history.
From there, the Flames went on to the Campbell Conference Finals, where they defeated the St. Louis Blues in another seven-game series. This time, Calgary had to survive a scare of its own, shaking off the Monday Night Miracle
at the St. Louis Arena
. Trailing by a score of 5–2 with 10 minutes to play in the third period of Game 6, the Blues mounted a furious comeback to send the contest into overtime, where Doug Wickenheiser
scored to force a deciding seventh game. Calgary would win Game 7 at home, 2–1, advancing into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. The Flames proved to be no match for the Montreal Canadiens
, losing the championship series in five games. Montreal rookie
goaltender Patrick Roy
was nearly unbeatable in the last two games, allowing only four goals en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy
.
The Flames followed up their run to the Finals with their best regular season to that point. Calgary's 46–31–3 record in 1986–87 was good for third overall in the NHL, behind the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers
. However, the Flames were unable to duplicate their playoff success of a year prior, losing their first round match-up with the Winnipeg Jets in six games. The season was also difficult off the ice, as 1986
first round draft pick George Pelawa
was killed in a car accident prior to the season's start.
The Flames recorded their first 100-point season in 1987–88, earning the Presidents' Trophy
for having the league's best record and ending the Oilers' six-year reign atop the Smythe Division in the process. Joe Nieuwendyk
became the second rookie in league history to score 50+ goals, earning the Calder Memorial Trophy
as rookie of the year. Looking to bolster the line-up for a playoff run, the Flames dealt young sniper Brett Hull
, along with Steve Bozek
, to the Blues for Rob Ramage
and Rick Wamsley
on March 7, 1988. Their playoff frustrations continued, however, after defeating the Los Angeles Kings
in five games, Calgary was swept out of the playoffs in four straight by the Oilers.
In 1988–89, the Flames continued to improve. They captured their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy with a franchise record 117 points, finishing 26 points better than the second-place Kings in the Smythe Division. Fletcher continued to tinker with the roster, acquiring Doug Gilmour
as part of a six player deal at the trade deadline. In the playoffs, the Flames were stretched to seven games in the first round by the Vancouver Canucks
. They relied on several saves by goaltender Mike Vernon, including a famous glove save off a Stan Smyl
breakaway in overtime. The save remains a defining moment in Flames history.
The Flames then made short work of the Kings, defeating them in four straight, before eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks
in five games to set up a rematch of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals
against Montreal. This time, the Flames won in six games, the last being a 4–2 victory in Montreal on May 25, 1989. The clinching win was especially significant in that it marked the only time that an opposing team defeated the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup on Montreal Forum
ice. Al MacInnis captured the Conn Smythe Trophy
as playoffs most valuable player, while long-time captain Lanny McDonald announced his retirement. The 1989 Stanley Cup win gave Flames co-owner Sonia Scurfield
, the distinction of being the first (and only) Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the Cup. It also made another Flames co-owner, former Calgary Stampeders
great Norman Kwong
, one of the few to have his name on both the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup
.
In 1989, thanks in part to Cliff Fletcher
's diplomatic efforts, the Soviets gave permission for a select group of Soviet hockey players to sign with NHL teams. The first of these players was Sergei Pryakhin
. Although Pryakhin never became an NHL regular, his arrival blazed a trail for the large number of Russian players who entered the NHL beginning in 1989–90. Sergei Makarov joined the Flames that season and, though already in his thirties, became the fifth Flame to win the Calder Memorial Trophy
as the league's Rookie of the Year. The selection would prove controversial, prompting the league to amend the rules to exclude any player over the age of 26 from future consideration. That season, the team fell two points shy of their third straight Presidents' Trophy with 99 points. Also that season, they won their third straight Smythe Division title. In the playoffs, they were dethroned in six games by the Los Angeles Kings
. They would not win another playoff series until 2004—one of the longest such droughts in NHL history.
. He had been the team's general manager since its inception in 1972. He was succeeded in Calgary by Doug Risebrough, and the two quickly completed a ten player mega-trade that saw disgruntled forward Doug Gilmour
dealt to Toronto with four other players for former 50 goal scorer Gary Leeman
and four others. The trade transformed both clubs. The formerly inept Leafs turned into a contender almost immediately, while Leeman scored only eleven goals in a Flames uniform. Despite the blossoming of Theoren Fleury
into an NHL star, the Flames missed the playoffs entirely in 1992, only a year after finishing with their third 100-point season in franchise history. It was the first time the Flames had missed the playoffs since 1975, when they were still in Atlanta. It was also only the third time out of the playoffs in the franchise's 20-year history.
Calgary rebounded to make the playoffs for the next four seasons, including two consecutive division titles. However, they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs each time. The 1994 and 1995 Division titles led to Game 7 overtime home defeats in the opening round to the Canucks and San Jose Sharks
respectively. In the 1995–96 season, Nieuwendyk was traded to the Dallas Stars
in a deal that acquired Jarome Iginla
. Iginla would make his Flames debut in the 1996 postseason during which the Flames again lost in the first round, a four game sweep by the Blackhawks. In 1997, only two years after winning their second consecutive division title, the Flames missed the playoffs and would not return for seven years. The low point came in the 1997–98 season, in which the Flames finished with only 67 points, the second-lowest point total in franchise history (behind only the 1972-73 Atlanta Flames).
During this time, the Flames found it increasingly difficult to retain their best players as salaries escalated while the Canadian dollar
lost value against the American dollar
. Calgary has always been one of the smallest markets in the league (it is currently third-smallest, behind only Edmonton and Winnipeg) and the NHL's small-market Canadian teams found it increasingly difficult to compete in the new environment. In 1999, for example, the Flames traded Fleury to the Colorado Avalanche
midway through the season. The trade came shortly after Fleury became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Fleury was due to become an unrestricted free agent
at the end of the season, and the Flames did not want to risk losing him without getting anything in return.
As the Flames sank in the standings, their attendance also sagged. For most of their first 16 years in Calgary, Flames tickets were among the toughest to get in the NHL. However, by 1999, attendance had fallen off so severely that the owners issued an ultimatum: buy more season tickets or the team would join its departed counterparts in Winnipeg and Quebec City
in leaving for the United States. The fans responded by buying enough season tickets to keep the Flames in Calgary for the 1999–2000 season. The Flames issued another appeal for more season tickets in the summer of 2000. The campaign, aimed at increasing season ticket sales from a franchise low of 8,700 to 14,000, proved successful. The increased sales did not halt the Flames' financial losses, however, as the team estimated it lost $14.5 million between 2001 and 2003.
One of the few bright spots in this stretch was Iginla, who captured the Rocket Richard and Art Ross
Trophies in 2001–02
as NHL goal- and point-scoring champion after scoring 52 goals and 96 points. Iginla again won the Rocket Richard Trophy, tied with Rick Nash
and Ilya Kovalchuk
, with 41 goals in 2003–04. Another bright spot for the team during this time was defenceman Robyn Regehr
who became the youngest nominee ever for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
, which recognizes perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Regehr had suffered two broken legs in a car accident the summer of 1999, but recovered in time to play 57 games at the age of 19.
During the 2002–03 season
, the Flames hired Darryl Sutter
as the team's head coach, replacing Greg Gilbert
, who was fired as the Flames languished in last place in the Western Conference. Sutter also became the team's general manager following the season, and is credited with revitalizing the franchise. Among Sutter's first moves was to acquire goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff
, whom he had previously coached in San Jose, early in the 2003-04 season. Kiprusoff responded by setting a modern NHL record for lowest goals against average
at 1.69.
. The
Flames' first victim was the Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks, whom they defeated in seven games. It was the Flames' first playoff series win since they won the 1989 final.
The Flames then upset the Presidents' Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings
in six games. After eliminating the Pacific Division champion Sharks, also in six games, in the Western Conference Final, the Flames earned a trip to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals
to face the Tampa Bay Lightning
. Martin Gelinas
scored the winning goal in all three series. The Canadian Embassy in Washington DC
, flew the Flames flag beside the Maple Leaf
, while Prime Minister
Paul Martin
dubbed the Flames "Canada's team".
The final series went to seven games, with the Flames suffering a controversial non-goal in game six at home. Replays showed that Martin Gelinas may have scored what would have been the go-ahead goal late in the third period; however, the referees never signaled a goal, and later replays were ruled inconclusive. This goal could have made Gelinas the only player in NHL history to score the winning goal in every playoff series en route to winning the Stanley Cup. The Lightning would go on to win the game in double overtime, before winning game seven at home to capture the Stanley Cup. Despite the loss, 30,000 fans packed into Olympic Plaza
to celebrate the Flames run.
The Flames would not raise their Western Conference championship banner for nearly 15 months, as the 2004–05 season was wiped out by a labour dispute. During the lockout, team owner and Chairman of the Board
, Harley Hotchkiss
, attempted to save the season by engaging in discussions with National Hockey League Players Association president Trevor Linden
. While their discussions failed to save the season, Hotchkiss was credited with easing tensions that allowed for a successful negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Flames played their 25th season in Calgary in 2005–06, finishing with 103 points. It was their best total since the 1989 Cup winning season, and good enough to capture their first division title in 12 years. However, the Flames lost to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
in seven games during the first round of the playoffs. Miikka Kiprusoff
captured both the William M. Jennings
and Vezina
Trophies as the NHL's top goaltender, while Dion Phaneuf
's 20 goals was the third highest total for a rookie defenceman in league history.
The 2006 off-season began with a trade for Alex Tanguay
, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche
, and with Sutter relinquishing his head coaching position to assistant Jim Playfair
so he could focus on his duties as general manager. Despite a marked improvement in team offence and a solid 96-point season, it was only good enough for eighth place in a Western Conference where seven teams cracked the 100-point barrier. In the playoffs, Calgary fell in six games to the top seeded Red Wings in the first round. During the series, the Flames were fined by the NHL for several stick-related penalties in the fifth game. Notably, backup goaltender Jamie McLennan
was suspended five games for slashing Red Wings forward Johan Franzen
. Franzen would score the series clinching goal in the Game 6 defeat in Double Overtime.
Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, the Flames demoted Playfair to associate coach, bringing in Mike Keenan
as the team's third head coach in three years. During the season, Jarome Iginla became the Flames' all-time leader in games played, passing Al MacInnis' mark of 803. Iginla also passed Theoren Fleury
's mark of 364 goals to become the Flames all-time goal scoring leader on March 10, 2008. Despite another solid season, with 94 points, they only garnered the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They fell in the Western Conference quarterfinals to the Pacific Division champion Sharks in seven games. Iginla continued to set franchise records in 2008–09
, surpassing Fleury's franchise mark of 830 points, and scoring his 400th goal on the same night against the Lightning. The team failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs, resulting in the dismissal of head coach Mike Keenan
after two seasons. Brent Sutter
was named his successor on June 23, 2009, but the Flames failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2009–10 season
.
, falling to 14th place in the conference at the Christmas break. Consequently, the organization asked Darryl Sutter to step aside as general manager. The team named assistant Jay Feaster
the interim general manager in his place, making it permanent following the season. The team pulled itself back into playoff contention following the change, but once again failed to qualify for the post-season.
Calgary hosted the 2011 Heritage Classic
, the NHL's second outdoor game of the year, at McMahon Stadium
on February 22, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens 4–0 before 41,022 specators. Miikka Kiprusoff became the first goaltender to record a shutout in an NHL outdoor game. Jarome Iginla reached two major milestones late in the season. He became the 10th player in NHL history to score at least 30 goals in ten consecutive seasons, and scored his 1,000th career point, all with the Flames, with a goal against the St. Louis Blues
on April 1.
In 1994, the Flames approached the Saddledome Foundation with a proposal to renovate the Olympic Saddledome
, rename it the Canadian Airlines Saddledome and take over management of the facility. The board agreed to this proposal, and was bought out by the Flames for $
20 million as the team signed a 20-year agreement to manage the building.
Looking to fill extra dates in the Saddledome, the Flames agreed to a lease deal with the expansion Calgary Hitmen
of the junior
Western Hockey League
who began play in 1995 and were partly owned by Theoren Fleury
. Two years later, in 1997, the Flames bought the team for $1.5 million. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Flames heavily marketed the Hitmen, and as a result, the team led all professional or junior hockey teams in North America in attendance, averaging over 10,000 fans per game.
In April 2006, the Flames announced that they would be opening a hybrid restaurant, bar and entertainment facility in downtown Calgary on Stephen Avenue
. In announcing the venture, Flames' President and CEO Ken King stated: "While hockey remains our core competency, we are constantly seeking new opportunities in which to grow the Flames brand and allow our fans greater opportunities to enjoy hockey. We believe establishing a location outside of the Pengrowth Saddledome to share food, fun and hockey will bring our fans even closer to the team." One year later, in April 2007, Flames Central opened to the public.
, the Flames are helping to fund the first children's hospice
in Alberta, and one of only six in North America.
The Flames are also close partners with the Alberta Children's Hospital
and the Gordon Townsend School housed within. Among the many activities the Flames participate in, the Wheelchair Hockey Challenge with the Townsend Tigers has remained a highly popular tradition for both the players and the children involved. In 2010, the Tigers defeated the Flames to move to a perfect 27–0 record since the challenge was first instituted in 1981.
In April 2006, the Calgary Police Service
announced that Red Mile gatherings would not be encouraged, and that measures would be taken to discourage them, including traffic diversions, a zero-tolerance policy on noise and rowdy behaviour, and the presence of plain-clothed officers among the crowd to ticket offenders. After meeting with the Chief of Police, Mayor Dave Bronconnier
convinced the Calgary Police Service to relax their ban on the "Red Mile" and encouraged people to make their way to 17th Ave, however the police retained their zero-tolerance policy on public nudity and drunkenness.
against the Oilers. Oiler fans were donning hats promoting "Hat Trick Fever" in their quest for three straight Stanley Cups
. Flames fans countered by wearing red. In the 1987 playoffs against Winnipeg, the Jets responded to the C of Red by encouraging fans to wear white, creating the "Winnipeg White Out".
The Flames primary logo is the "Flaming C" design, introduced when the team came to Calgary in 1980, and was designed by a Calgarian graphic designer named Patricia Redditt. The design of the logo has remained constant since it was created, though the Flames use a different coloured logo for the home and away jerseys. From 1980 until 2000, the home logo was red on a white background, while the road logo was white on a red background. In 2003, the NHL switched to using coloured jerseys for the home team. The home logo became black, with the road logo red on a white background. The original "Flaming A" logo of the Atlanta Flames has been restored for use as a patch denoting the team's alternate captains. The flaming horse logo was retired in 2007 with the introduction of the new Rbk
Edge jerseys.
The Flames' original jerseys used red and yellow striping. In 1994, the Flames added black to the team's colour scheme, while also adding a diagonal stripe from the base of the jersey to below the logo. In 1998, to celebrate the "Year of the Cowboy", the Flames introduced their third jersey design, the "flaming horse" logo on a black background. Two years later, the jersey became the Flames road jersey, while the home jersey was updated to incorporate the same V-style striping on the arms and waist of the jersey. This jersey was once again relegated to third jersey status in 2003 when the NHL adopted the coloured jerseys for the home team. In 2007, with the introduction of the Rbk Edge jersey, the Flames updated their look once again, replacing the horizontal striping with vertical striping down the sides. To honour the team's heritage, the Flames added the flags of Alberta
and Canada
as shoulder patches. In celebration of their 30th season in Calgary, the Flames wore their original jersey design for five games in 2009–10
, each against a Canadian opponent.
The Flames changed the design of their home and away socks to match their classic jersey's socks in their 30th season. The Flames wore their alternate throwback jersey 15 times during the 2010-11 season. The jersey fit like the rest of the RbkEdge jerseys and was made of the same materials as their home/away jersey(s). In the same year, the Flames played the Canadiens in the 2011 Heritage Classic
, wearing jerseys loosely based on the 1920 Calgary Tigers
.
of the Canadian Football League
. Harvey was the first mascot in the NHL. Harvey is famous for an incident in January 2003 where he had his tongue ripped out by Edmonton Oilers
head coach Craig MacTavish
as he was harassing their bench. The incident made headlines throughout North America and led to much humour, including having many other NHL team mascots arrive at the 2003 All-Star Game
with their tongues hanging out.
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
during the team's history in Calgary. Lanny McDonald
was the first Flame player inducted, gaining election in 1992. McDonald recorded 215 goals in 492 games for the Flames, including a team record 66 goals in 1982–83. He was joined in 2000 by a fellow member of the 1989 Stanley Cup
championship team, Joe Mullen
. Mullen spent five seasons with the Flames, recording 388 points and capturing two Lady Byng Trophies. Grant Fuhr
, elected in 2003, became the third former Flames player to enter the Hall. Fuhr played only one season in Calgary; however, he recorded his 400th career win in a Flames uniform, a victory over the Florida Panthers
on October 22, 1999. In 2007, Al MacInnis
became the fourth former Flame inducted into the Hall, and the third to earn his Hall of Fame credentials primarily as a Flame. MacInnis was a member of the Flames from 1981 until 1994. He is best remembered for his booming slapshot, as well as for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1989 as playoff MVP. On November 9, 2009, Brett Hull
became the fifth player in Calgary Flames history to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hull was drafted 117th in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
by the Flames, and began his NHL career playing two seasons (1986–1988) with Calgary. On June 28, 2011, it was announced that former Flames forwards Doug Gilmour
and Joe Nieuwendyk
would become the sixth and seventh members to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame in the players category.
Former head coach "Badger" Bob Johnson joined McDonald in the class of 1992, gaining election as a builder. Johnson coached five seasons with the Flames from 1982–87, and his 193 wins remain a team record. Cliff Fletcher
was the Flames general manager from the organization's inception in 1972 until 1991, a span of 19 years. During that time, the Flames qualified for the playoffs sixteen consecutive times between 1976 and 1991. Fletcher was inducted in 2004. In 2006, Harley Hotchkiss
became the third Flames builder to gain election. Hotchkiss was the team's governor, and was an original member of the ownership group that purchased and brought the Flames to Calgary in 1980. He has served many years as the chairman of the NHL Board of Directors, during which he played a significant role in the resolution of the 2004–05 lockout. Fellow original owner Doc Seaman
was similarly inducted in 2010.
Flames radio broadcaster Peter Maher
was named the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award
in 2006 for his years of service as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Calgary Flames. Maher has been the radio voice of the Flames since 1981, the team's second season in Calgary. He has called six All-Star Games and four Stanley Cup Finals. Longtime trainer Bearcat Murray
was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 by the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers.
The Calgary Flames have retired two numbers, and a third was retired league-wide. The Flames retired #9 in honour of Lanny McDonald
who played right wing for the Flames from 1981 to 1989, winning the Stanley Cup as the Flames' co-captain in his final year. Mike Vernon's #30 is also retired; he was a goaltender with the Flames for fourteen years, from 1982–94 and 2000-02. Wayne Gretzky
's #99 was retired league-wide in 2000.
Conroy and Boughner were co-captains for the latter half of 2001-02 after Dave Lowry was stripped of the captaincy.
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Flames player
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team based in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. They are members of the Northwest Division
Northwest Division (NHL)
The NHL's Northwest Division was formed in 1998 as part of the Western Conference due to expansion. Like the Pacific Division, the Northwest Division is also a descendant of the former Smythe Division, as three of its Canadian teams played in that division from 1981–1993...
of the Western Conference
Western Conference (NHL)
The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. Its counterpart is the Eastern Conference....
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary Tigers
Calgary Tigers
The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the...
(1921–27) and Calgary Cowboys
Calgary Cowboys
The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
(1975–77). The Flames are one of two NHL franchises in Alberta, the other being the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
. The cities' proximity has led to a famous rivalry known as the Battle of Alberta
Battle of Alberta
The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canadian cities of Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta, and Calgary, the province's largest city...
. Games between the teams are often heated events.
The team was founded in 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
as the Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames
The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA from 1972 to 1980. The team, a member of the National Hockey League , was relocated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the start of the 1980–81 NHL season and were re-named the Calgary Flames. The NHL returned to the...
until moving to Calgary in 1980. The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral
Stampede Corral
The Stampede Corral is an ice hockey, rodeo, and Davis Cup tennis arena venue in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million to replace Victoria Arena as the home of the Calgary Stampeders Hockey Club...
before moving into their current home arena, the Scotiabank Saddledome (originally known as the Olympic Saddledome), in 1983
1983–84 Calgary Flames season
The 1983–84 Calgary Flames season was the fourth season in Calgary and 12th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League. The Flames finished in second place in the Smythe Division, earning a first round playoff match-up against the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary defeated Vancouver in four...
. In 1985–86
1985–86 Calgary Flames season
The 1985–86 Calgary Flames season was the sixth season in Calgary and 14th for the Flames franchise in the National Hockey League . It was a banner season for the Flames, who overcame a franchise record eleven game losing streak to finish 2nd in the Smythe Division and captured the franchise's...
, the Flames became the first Calgary team since the 1923–24 Tigers to compete for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
. In 1988–89
1989 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...
, the Flames won their first and only championship. The Flames' unexpected run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals
2004 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames...
gave rise to the Red Mile
Red Mile
The Red Mile is the name given to a several-block stretch of 17th Avenue S.W. in Calgary, Alberta, Canada during the Calgary Flames 2004 Stanley Cup playoff run...
, and in 2011 hosted and won the second Heritage Classic
2011 Heritage Classic
The 2011 Heritage Classic was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames. The game was played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on February 20, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens by a score of 4–0 before a crowd of...
outdoor game.
The Flames have won two Presidents' Trophies
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
as the league's top regular season team and recognize five division championships. Individually, Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
is the franchise leader in games played, goals, and points, and is a two-time winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer. Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
has the most wins by a goaltender in a Calgary Flames uniform. Nine people associated with the Flames have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
Off the ice, the Flames own a Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
franchise (the Calgary Hitmen
Calgary Hitmen
The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
) and a National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
franchise (the Calgary Roughnecks
Calgary Roughnecks
The Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in...
). They also lend their name to a bar and entertainment centre called Flames Central on Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
in Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary
Downtown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
. Through the Flames Foundation, the team has donated over $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
32 million to charity throughout southern Alberta since the franchise arrived.
Atlanta
The Flames were the result of the NHL's first pre-emptive strike against the upstart World Hockey AssociationWorld Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA). In December 1971, the NHL hastily granted a team to Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
—the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
—to keep the WHA's New York Raiders out of the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, United States. Home to the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League, the Coliseum is located approximately east of New York City on Long Island...
. Needing another team to balance the schedule, the NHL awarded a team to an Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
-based group that owned the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
, headed by prominent local real estate developer Tom Cousins
Tom Cousins
Thomas Grady Cousins is a prominent real estate developer, sports supporter and philanthropist, primarily based in Atlanta, Georgia.-Commercial career:...
. Cousins named the team the "Flames" after the fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
resulting from the March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
by General William Tecumseh Sherman, in which Atlanta was nearly destroyed. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum
Omni Coliseum
The Omni Coliseum, usually called The Omni, from the Latin for "all," or "every," was an indoor arena, located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Completed in 1972, the arena seated 16,378, for basketball and 15,278, for ice hockey...
in downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta is the first and largest of the three financial districts in the city of Atlanta. Downtown Atlanta is the location of many corporate or regional headquarters, city, county, state and federal government facilities, sporting facilities, and is the central tourist attraction of the city...
.
Bernie Geoffrion
Joseph André Bernard Geoffrion , nicknamed Boom Boom, was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Generally considered as one of the innovators of the slapshot, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 following a 16-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and New York...
, Fred Creighton
Fred Creighton
Fred Creighton is a former Canadian ice hockey centre and coach. Creighton was head coach of the Atlanta Flames from 1975 to 1979 and the Boston Bruins in 1980.-External links:...
and Al MacNeil
Al MacNeil
Allister Wences MacNeil is a former National Hockey League player and coach. He was the first person from the Maritime region of Canada to be a head coach in the NHL....
, the Flames made the playoffs in six of eight seasons in Atlanta. In marked contrast, their expansion cousins, the Islanders, won only 31 games during their first two years in the league combined. This relative success did not carry over to the playoffs, however, as the Flames won only two post-season games during their time in Atlanta.
Despite the on-ice success, the Atlanta ownership was never on sound financial footing. Longtime general manager Cliff Fletcher
Cliff Fletcher
George Clifford Fletcher is a National Hockey League executive and is a former general manager of the Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes . He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs...
said years later that Cousins' initial financial projections for an NHL team did not account for the WHA entering the picture. The Flames were also a poor draw, and never signed a major television contract.
In 1980, Cousins was in considerable financial difficulty and was forced to sell the Flames to stave off bankruptcy. With few serious offers from local groups, he was very receptive to an offer from a group of Calgary businessmen fronted by Canadian entrepreneur (and former Oilers owner) Nelson Skalbania
Nelson Skalbania
Nelson M. Skalbania is a Canadian businessman from Vancouver, British Columbia best known for signing a 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky to the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association....
. A last-ditch effort to keep the team in Atlanta fell short, and Cousins sold the team to Skalbania for US
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
$16 million, a record sale price for an NHL team at the time. On May 21, 1980, Skalbania announced that the team would move to Calgary. He chose to retain the Flames name, feeling it would be a good fit for an oil town like Calgary, while the flaming "A" logo was replaced by a flaming "C". Skalbania sold his interest in 1981, and the Flames have been locally owned since.
1980–1985
Calgary Cowboys
The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
, who folded three years earlier, the Flames were immediately embraced by the city of Calgary. While the Cowboys could manage to sell only 2,000 season tickets in their final campaign of 1976–77, the Flames sold 10,000 full- and half-season ticket packages in the 7,000 seat Stampede Corral
Stampede Corral
The Stampede Corral is an ice hockey, rodeo, and Davis Cup tennis arena venue in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million to replace Victoria Arena as the home of the Calgary Stampeders Hockey Club...
.
Led by Kent Nilsson
Kent Nilsson
Kent Åke "Kenta" Nilsson is a retired professional ice hockey centre.During his NHL career he was called "Mr. Magic" and "The Magic Man"...
's 49-goal, 131-point season, the Flames qualified for the playoffs in their first season in Calgary with a 39–27–14 record, good for third in the Patrick Division
Patrick Division
The Patrick Division of the National Hockey League was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division moved to the Prince of Wales Conference in 1981. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honor of Lester Patrick...
. The team found much greater playoff success in Calgary than it did in Atlanta, winning their first two playoff series over the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
before bowing out to the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in the semi-finals. This early success was not soon repeated. After a losing record in 1981–82, Fletcher jettisoned several holdovers from the Atlanta days who could not adjust to the higher-pressure hockey environment and rebuilt the roster. Over the next three seasons, he put together a core of players that would remain together through the early 1990s.
Fletcher's efforts to match the Oilers led him to draw talent from areas previously neglected by the NHL. The Flames were among the earliest teams to sign large numbers of U.S. college players, including Joel Otto
Joel Otto
Joel Stuart Otto is an American former professional ice hockey center and current assistant coach of the Calgary Hitmen of the major junior Western Hockey League...
, Gary Suter
Gary Suter
Gary Lee Suter is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman. He played his junior hockey for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, high school hockey at Culver Military Academy and then moved on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison...
, and Colin Patterson. Fletcher also stepped up the search for European hockey talent, acquiring Hakan Loob
Håkan Loob
Per Håkan Loob is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player who is currently the president of hockey operations of Färjestads BK in the Swedish Elitserien, for whom he played much of his playing career....
and other key players. He was among the first to draft
NHL Entry Draft
The NHL Entry Draft is an annual meeting in which every franchise of the National Hockey League systematically select the rights to available amateur ice hockey players who meet draft eligibility requirements...
players from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, including HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow
HC CSKA Moscow is a Russian ice hockey club that plays in the Kontinental Hockey League. It is referred to in the West as "Central Red Army" or the "Red Army Team" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army, popularly known as the Red Army...
star Sergei Makarov
Sergei Makarov
Sergei Mikhailovich Makarov is a Russian former ice hockey right wing and two-time Olympic gold medalist, regarded as one of the greatest players to play the sport...
in 1983
1983 NHL Entry Draft
The 1983 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec, on June 8, 1983. The NHL Entry Draft is the primary means by which players arrive in the National Hockey League. The St. Louis Blues did not participate in this draft, shortly after the league blocked the franchise's...
, but Soviet players were not released to Western teams until 1989. Still, the team was sufficiently improved to challenge the Oilers, who required the maximum seven games to defeat the Flames en route to their 1984 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Championship.
In 1983, the Flames moved into their new home, the Olympic Saddledome (now known as the Scotiabank Saddledome). Located on the grounds of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, the Saddledome was built as a venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. In three seasons in the Corral, the Flames lost only 32 home games. The Saddledome hosted the 37th NHL All-Star Game in 1985, a 6–4 victory by the Wales Conference.
1985–1990
The players acquired by Fletcher matured into one of the strongest teams in the league during the mid-1980s and early 1990s. From 1984–85 to 1990–91, the Flames tallied 90 points in every season but one. However, they were usually unable to transform that success into a deep playoff run, largely because they could not get the better of their provincial rivals, the powerhouse Oilers. The NHL's playoff structure of the time made it very likely that the Flames would meet the Oilers in either the first or second round, rather than in Campbell Conference finals. That same structure made it very likely that the other two playoff qualifiers in the Smythe Division would have to get past the Flames or Oilers (or both) in order to make it to the conference finals. From 1983 until 1990, either the Oilers or the Flames represented the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.Doug Risebrough
Douglas John Risebrough is a former player, coach, and general manager in the National Hockey League. In his 31 years in the NHL, he has been involved with the Stanley Cup Playoffs 25 times...
, Lanny McDonald
Lanny McDonald
Lanny King McDonald is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He played over 1,100 games during a 16-year NHL career in which he scored 500 goals and over 1,000 points...
, and Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn
Daniel Peter Quinn is a Canadian professional golfer and former professional ice hockey player. Quinn played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, defenceman Al MacInnis
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
, and goaltender Mike Vernon. Finishing second in the Smythe with a 40–31–9 record (the only season from 1984 to 1991 in which they did not finish with 90 or more points), the Flames swept the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs, setting up a showdown with the Oilers. Edmonton finished 30 points ahead of Calgary during the season, and was heavily favoured to win a third Cup in a row. However, the Flames upset the Oilers in seven games, with the series-winning goal coming at the hands of Oilers' rookie Steve Smith
James Stephen Smith
James Stephen Smith , better known as Steve Smith, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and current assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He played in the National Hockey League from 1984–85 to 2000–01...
as he accidentally shot the puck off of goaltender Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
's leg and into his own net. The goal remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history.
From there, the Flames went on to the Campbell Conference Finals, where they defeated the St. Louis Blues in another seven-game series. This time, Calgary had to survive a scare of its own, shaking off the Monday Night Miracle
The Monday Night Miracle (ice hockey)
Unfortunately for the Blues, the clock dipped under two minutes remaining in the game as they still searched for the game-tying goal. With only 1:17 remaining in the game, the Blues shot the puck behind Calgary's net from the neutral zone. As Calgary defenseman Jamie Macoun brought the puck from...
at the St. Louis Arena
St. Louis Arena
The St. Louis Arena was an indoor arena located in St. Louis, Missouri, that stood from 1929 to 1999...
. Trailing by a score of 5–2 with 10 minutes to play in the third period of Game 6, the Blues mounted a furious comeback to send the contest into overtime, where Doug Wickenheiser
Doug Wickenheiser
Douglas Peter Wickenheiser was a Canadian ice hockey player. He was drafted first overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.-Career:Wickenheiser was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada...
scored to force a deciding seventh game. Calgary would win Game 7 at home, 2–1, advancing into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. The Flames proved to be no match for the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, losing the championship series in five games. Montreal rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
goaltender Patrick Roy
Patrick Roy
Patrick Edward Armand Roy is a former Canadian ice hockey goaltender. Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his professional career between the Montreal Canadiens, whom he played with for 10 years, and the Colorado Avalanche, whom he played with for 8 years, both of the National Hockey League...
was nearly unbeatable in the last two games, allowing only four goals en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
.
The Flames followed up their run to the Finals with their best regular season to that point. Calgary's 46–31–3 record in 1986–87 was good for third overall in the NHL, behind the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. However, the Flames were unable to duplicate their playoff success of a year prior, losing their first round match-up with the Winnipeg Jets in six games. The season was also difficult off the ice, as 1986
1986 NHL Entry Draft
The 1986 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 21, 1986 at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 252 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1985–86 NHL season and playoff standings...
first round draft pick George Pelawa
George Pelawa
George Dale Pelawa was a high school hockey right winger from Bemidji, Minnesota. He was named Minnesota Mr. Hockey in 1986 as the top high-school player in the state and was selected in the first round, 16th overall, by the Calgary Flames in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft...
was killed in a car accident prior to the season's start.
The Flames recorded their first 100-point season in 1987–88, earning the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
for having the league's best record and ending the Oilers' six-year reign atop the Smythe Division in the process. Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
became the second rookie in league history to score 50+ goals, earning the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as rookie of the year. Looking to bolster the line-up for a playoff run, the Flames dealt young sniper Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, along with Steve Bozek
Steve Bozek
Steven Michael Bozek is a retired professional ice hockey left wing who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with four clubs...
, to the Blues for Rob Ramage
Rob Ramage
George Robert Ramage is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Rockies, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Minnesota North Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers...
and Rick Wamsley
Rick Wamsley
Richard James Wamsley is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs...
on March 7, 1988. Their playoff frustrations continued, however, after defeating the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in five games, Calgary was swept out of the playoffs in four straight by the Oilers.
In 1988–89, the Flames continued to improve. They captured their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy with a franchise record 117 points, finishing 26 points better than the second-place Kings in the Smythe Division. Fletcher continued to tinker with the roster, acquiring Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
as part of a six player deal at the trade deadline. In the playoffs, the Flames were stretched to seven games in the first round by the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. They relied on several saves by goaltender Mike Vernon, including a famous glove save off a Stan Smyl
Stan Smyl
Stanley Philip Smyl is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger. As a junior, he appeared in three consecutive Memorial Cups with the New Westminster Bruins, winning the championship twice in 1977 and 1978...
breakaway in overtime. The save remains a defining moment in Flames history.
The Flames then made short work of the Kings, defeating them in four straight, before eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in five games to set up a rematch of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals
1986 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...
against Montreal. This time, the Flames won in six games, the last being a 4–2 victory in Montreal on May 25, 1989. The clinching win was especially significant in that it marked the only time that an opposing team defeated the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup on Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
ice. Al MacInnis captured the Conn Smythe Trophy
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player judged most valuable to his team during the National Hockey League's Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 46 times to 40 players since the 1964–65 NHL season...
as playoffs most valuable player, while long-time captain Lanny McDonald announced his retirement. The 1989 Stanley Cup win gave Flames co-owner Sonia Scurfield
Sonia Scurfield
Sonia Scurfield, B.A was a co-owner of the Calgary Flames hockey team from 1985 to 1994. She became only the second woman, and the only Canadian woman, to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup when the Calgary Flames won the National Hockey League championship in 1989.- Biography :Sonia...
, the distinction of being the first (and only) Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the Cup. It also made another Flames co-owner, former Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
great Norman Kwong
Norman Kwong
Norman Lim "Normie" Kwong, CM, AOE is a former professional athlete, sports executive, and was the 16th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta...
, one of the few to have his name on both the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
.
In 1989, thanks in part to Cliff Fletcher
Cliff Fletcher
George Clifford Fletcher is a National Hockey League executive and is a former general manager of the Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes . He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs...
's diplomatic efforts, the Soviets gave permission for a select group of Soviet hockey players to sign with NHL teams. The first of these players was Sergei Pryakhin
Sergei Pryakhin
Sergei Vasilievich Pryakhin is a retired Russian ice hockey forward.Sergei was the first Soviet member of their national hockey team that the Soviet government allowed to play in the National Hockey League. Other players had either defected or had not been member of the national team before him...
. Although Pryakhin never became an NHL regular, his arrival blazed a trail for the large number of Russian players who entered the NHL beginning in 1989–90. Sergei Makarov joined the Flames that season and, though already in his thirties, became the fifth Flame to win the Calder Memorial Trophy
Calder Memorial Trophy
The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League." The Rookie of the Year trophy has been awarded 79 times since its creation for the 1936–37 NHL season...
as the league's Rookie of the Year. The selection would prove controversial, prompting the league to amend the rules to exclude any player over the age of 26 from future consideration. That season, the team fell two points shy of their third straight Presidents' Trophy with 99 points. Also that season, they won their third straight Smythe Division title. In the playoffs, they were dethroned in six games by the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
. They would not win another playoff series until 2004—one of the longest such droughts in NHL history.
1991–2003
In 1991, Fletcher left the Flames to become the general manager of the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He had been the team's general manager since its inception in 1972. He was succeeded in Calgary by Doug Risebrough, and the two quickly completed a ten player mega-trade that saw disgruntled forward Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
dealt to Toronto with four other players for former 50 goal scorer Gary Leeman
Gary Leeman
Gary Leeman is a former professional ice hockey player in the NHL.-Playing career:He attended Notre Dame College in Wilcox, Saskatchewan and was a standout defenceman for two seasons with the WHL's Regina Pats where he was voted the league's Top Defenceman and a First Team All-Star.Leeman was...
and four others. The trade transformed both clubs. The formerly inept Leafs turned into a contender almost immediately, while Leeman scored only eleven goals in a Flames uniform. Despite the blossoming of Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
into an NHL star, the Flames missed the playoffs entirely in 1992, only a year after finishing with their third 100-point season in franchise history. It was the first time the Flames had missed the playoffs since 1975, when they were still in Atlanta. It was also only the third time out of the playoffs in the franchise's 20-year history.
Calgary rebounded to make the playoffs for the next four seasons, including two consecutive division titles. However, they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs each time. The 1994 and 1995 Division titles led to Game 7 overtime home defeats in the opening round to the Canucks and San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
respectively. In the 1995–96 season, Nieuwendyk was traded to the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
in a deal that acquired Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . A six-time NHL All-Star, he is the Flames' all-time leader in goals, points, and games played, and is second in assists to Al MacInnis...
. Iginla would make his Flames debut in the 1996 postseason during which the Flames again lost in the first round, a four game sweep by the Blackhawks. In 1997, only two years after winning their second consecutive division title, the Flames missed the playoffs and would not return for seven years. The low point came in the 1997–98 season, in which the Flames finished with only 67 points, the second-lowest point total in franchise history (behind only the 1972-73 Atlanta Flames).
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
lost value against the American dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. Calgary has always been one of the smallest markets in the league (it is currently third-smallest, behind only Edmonton and Winnipeg) and the NHL's small-market Canadian teams found it increasingly difficult to compete in the new environment. In 1999, for example, the Flames traded Fleury to the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
midway through the season. The trade came shortly after Fleury became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. Fleury was due to become an unrestricted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
at the end of the season, and the Flames did not want to risk losing him without getting anything in return.
As the Flames sank in the standings, their attendance also sagged. For most of their first 16 years in Calgary, Flames tickets were among the toughest to get in the NHL. However, by 1999, attendance had fallen off so severely that the owners issued an ultimatum: buy more season tickets or the team would join its departed counterparts in Winnipeg and Quebec City
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
in leaving for the United States. The fans responded by buying enough season tickets to keep the Flames in Calgary for the 1999–2000 season. The Flames issued another appeal for more season tickets in the summer of 2000. The campaign, aimed at increasing season ticket sales from a franchise low of 8,700 to 14,000, proved successful. The increased sales did not halt the Flames' financial losses, however, as the team estimated it lost $14.5 million between 2001 and 2003.
One of the few bright spots in this stretch was Iginla, who captured the Rocket Richard and Art Ross
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season. It was presented to the NHL by former player, general manager, and head coach Art Ross. The trophy has been awarded 61 times to 25 players since its inception...
Trophies in 2001–02
2001–02 Calgary Flames season
The 2001–02 Calgary Flames season was the 22nd National Hockey League season in Calgary. It began with wholesale changes, as second year General Manager Craig Button continued to change the look of the team...
as NHL goal- and point-scoring champion after scoring 52 goals and 96 points. Iginla again won the Rocket Richard Trophy, tied with Rick Nash
Rick Nash
Rick Nash is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and captain of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League ....
and Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
, with 41 goals in 2003–04. Another bright spot for the team during this time was defenceman Robyn Regehr
Robyn Regehr
Robyn Regehr is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League . He was a first round draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche, selected 19th overall at the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, but was traded to Calgary while still playing junior hockey for the...
who became the youngest nominee ever for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey. The winner is selected by a poll of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association after each team nominates one...
, which recognizes perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. Regehr had suffered two broken legs in a car accident the summer of 1999, but recovered in time to play 57 games at the age of 19.
During the 2002–03 season
2002–03 Calgary Flames season
The 2002–03 Calgary Flames season was the 23rd National Hockey League season in Calgary. A relatively successful start to the season quickly gave way to disaster as the Flames lost 11 of 12 games in a November stretch dropping the Flames out of contention, ultimately failing to qualify for the...
, the Flames hired Darryl Sutter
Darryl Sutter
Darryl John Sutter is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward and coach, and former general manager of the Calgary Flames in the National Hockey League...
as the team's head coach, replacing Greg Gilbert
Greg Gilbert
Gregory Scott Gilbert is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League before retiring from his playing career to become a coach. Gilbert was the head coach of the Calgary Flames....
, who was fired as the Flames languished in last place in the Western Conference. Sutter also became the team's general manager following the season, and is credited with revitalizing the franchise. Among Sutter's first moves was to acquire goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
, whom he had previously coached in San Jose, early in the 2003-04 season. Kiprusoff responded by setting a modern NHL record for lowest goals against average
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
at 1.69.
2004–2010
After seven consecutive seasons of not making the playoffs, the Flames finally returned to the post-season in 2004. They became the first team in league history to defeat three division champions en route to becoming the first Canadian team to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals since the Canucks in 19941994 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1994 Stanley Cup Final was a best-of-seven playoff series contested between the Eastern Conference champion New York Rangers and Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League...
. The
Flames' first victim was the Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks, whom they defeated in seven games. It was the Flames' first playoff series win since they won the 1989 final.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in six games. After eliminating the Pacific Division champion Sharks, also in six games, in the Western Conference Final, the Flames earned a trip to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals
2004 Stanley Cup Finals
The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames...
to face the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
. Martin Gelinas
Martin Gelinas
Martin Gélinas is a former professional ice hockey forward and the current director of player development with the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:Gelinas made a splash in 1987–88 with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL with a 63-goal, 131-point campaign...
scored the winning goal in all three series. The Canadian Embassy in Washington DC
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, flew the Flames flag beside the Maple Leaf
Flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
, while Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
dubbed the Flames "Canada's team".
The final series went to seven games, with the Flames suffering a controversial non-goal in game six at home. Replays showed that Martin Gelinas may have scored what would have been the go-ahead goal late in the third period; however, the referees never signaled a goal, and later replays were ruled inconclusive. This goal could have made Gelinas the only player in NHL history to score the winning goal in every playoff series en route to winning the Stanley Cup. The Lightning would go on to win the game in double overtime, before winning game seven at home to capture the Stanley Cup. Despite the loss, 30,000 fans packed into Olympic Plaza
Olympic Plaza (Calgary)
The Olympic Plaza is an urban park and gathering place in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Located around Macleod Trail and 7th Avenue S., it was created as the venue for the medal ceremonies at the 1988 Winter Olympic Games...
to celebrate the Flames run.
The Flames would not raise their Western Conference championship banner for nearly 15 months, as the 2004–05 season was wiped out by a labour dispute. During the lockout, team owner and Chairman of the Board
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
, Harley Hotchkiss
Harley Hotchkiss
Harley Norman Hotchkiss, was a Canadian business and community leader who was best known for his contributions to health and sports development in Canada. He was one of the original owners that brought the National Hockey League's Atlanta Flames to Calgary in 1980 and remained a team owner until...
, attempted to save the season by engaging in discussions with National Hockey League Players Association president Trevor Linden
Trevor Linden
Trevor John Linden, C.M., O.B.C. is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played centre and right wing with four different teams: the Vancouver Canucks , New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals...
. While their discussions failed to save the season, Hotchkiss was credited with easing tensions that allowed for a successful negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Flames played their 25th season in Calgary in 2005–06, finishing with 103 points. It was their best total since the 1989 Cup winning season, and good enough to capture their first division title in 12 years. However, the Flames lost to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
in seven games during the first round of the playoffs. Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Kiprusoff
Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff is a Finnish professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He was selected in the fifth round, 116th overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. He has also played for TPS of the Finnish SM-liiga...
captured both the William M. Jennings
William M. Jennings Trophy
The William M. Jennings Trophy is an annual National Hockey League award given to "the goalkeeper having played a minimum of 25 games for the team with the fewest goals scored against it. Winners are selected based on regular-season play." From 1946 until 1981, the Vezina Trophy had been awarded...
and Vezina
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
Trophies as the NHL's top goaltender, while Dion Phaneuf
Dion Phaneuf
Dion Phaneuf is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League...
's 20 goals was the third highest total for a rookie defenceman in league history.
The 2006 off-season began with a trade for Alex Tanguay
Alex Tanguay
Alexandre Tanguay is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger currently with the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He has additionally played with the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL and briefly for HC Lugano in the Swiss National League A in...
, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
, and with Sutter relinquishing his head coaching position to assistant Jim Playfair
Jim Playfair
James Playfair is the associate coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. He is a former NHL ice hockey player and a former head coach of the Calgary Flames.-Playing career:...
so he could focus on his duties as general manager. Despite a marked improvement in team offence and a solid 96-point season, it was only good enough for eighth place in a Western Conference where seven teams cracked the 100-point barrier. In the playoffs, Calgary fell in six games to the top seeded Red Wings in the first round. During the series, the Flames were fined by the NHL for several stick-related penalties in the fifth game. Notably, backup goaltender Jamie McLennan
Jamie McLennan
Jamie McLennan is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He retired from playing in 2008 after spending a season with the Nippon Paper Cranes of Asia League Ice Hockey.-Playing career:...
was suspended five games for slashing Red Wings forward Johan Franzen
Johan Franzen
Johan Franzén is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :Franzén started playing ice hockey in Boro/Vetlanda HC, Landsbro near Vetlanda in Sweden...
. Franzen would score the series clinching goal in the Game 6 defeat in Double Overtime.
Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, the Flames demoted Playfair to associate coach, bringing in Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
as the team's third head coach in three years. During the season, Jarome Iginla became the Flames' all-time leader in games played, passing Al MacInnis' mark of 803. Iginla also passed Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
's mark of 364 goals to become the Flames all-time goal scoring leader on March 10, 2008. Despite another solid season, with 94 points, they only garnered the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They fell in the Western Conference quarterfinals to the Pacific Division champion Sharks in seven games. Iginla continued to set franchise records in 2008–09
2008–09 NHL season
The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the...
, surpassing Fleury's franchise mark of 830 points, and scoring his 400th goal on the same night against the Lightning. The team failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs, resulting in the dismissal of head coach Mike Keenan
Mike Keenan
Michael Edward Keenan is a former head coach in the National Hockey League , most recently with the Calgary Flames, and former General Manager of the Florida Panthers. He is currently working as an analyst for the New York Rangers on MSG Network.Keenan was a player for the St...
after two seasons. Brent Sutter
Brent Sutter
Brent Colin Sutter is a retired National Hockey League player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. Selected by the New York Islanders 17th overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, Sutter played over 1,000 games for the Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks during his 18-year career. He won the...
was named his successor on June 23, 2009, but the Flames failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2009–10 season
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
.
2011–present
The Flames struggled to begin the 2010–11 NHL season2010–11 NHL season
The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech...
, falling to 14th place in the conference at the Christmas break. Consequently, the organization asked Darryl Sutter to step aside as general manager. The team named assistant Jay Feaster
Jay Feaster
Harry Jay Feaster is a National Hockey League executive. He is currently the general manager of the Calgary Flames, appointed on May 16, 2011, after serving as acting general manager since December 28, 2010, following Darryl Sutter's resignation...
the interim general manager in his place, making it permanent following the season. The team pulled itself back into playoff contention following the change, but once again failed to qualify for the post-season.
Calgary hosted the 2011 Heritage Classic
2011 Heritage Classic
The 2011 Heritage Classic was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames. The game was played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on February 20, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens by a score of 4–0 before a crowd of...
, the NHL's second outdoor game of the year, at McMahon Stadium
McMahon Stadium
McMahon Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located in Calgary, Alberta. The stadium is owned by the University of Calgary and operated by the McMahon Stadium Society....
on February 22, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens 4–0 before 41,022 specators. Miikka Kiprusoff became the first goaltender to record a shutout in an NHL outdoor game. Jarome Iginla reached two major milestones late in the season. He became the 10th player in NHL history to score at least 30 goals in ten consecutive seasons, and scored his 1,000th career point, all with the Flames, with a goal against the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
on April 1.
Community impact
Pengrowth Saddledome
The Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of downtown Calgary, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the Stampede Corral as the home of the Calgary Flames of...
, rename it the Canadian Airlines Saddledome and take over management of the facility. The board agreed to this proposal, and was bought out by the Flames for $
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
20 million as the team signed a 20-year agreement to manage the building.
Looking to fill extra dates in the Saddledome, the Flames agreed to a lease deal with the expansion Calgary Hitmen
Calgary Hitmen
The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
of the junior
Junior ice hockey
Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...
Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
who began play in 1995 and were partly owned by Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Wallace "Theo" Fleury is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League , Tappara of Finland's SM-liiga, and the Belfast Giants of the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League...
. Two years later, in 1997, the Flames bought the team for $1.5 million. During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, the Flames heavily marketed the Hitmen, and as a result, the team led all professional or junior hockey teams in North America in attendance, averaging over 10,000 fans per game.
In April 2006, the Flames announced that they would be opening a hybrid restaurant, bar and entertainment facility in downtown Calgary on Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue
Stephen Avenue is a major pedestrian mall in downtown Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The mall is actually the portion of 8 Avenue SW between 4 Street SW and 1 Street SE. It is open to vehicles only from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m....
. In announcing the venture, Flames' President and CEO Ken King stated: "While hockey remains our core competency, we are constantly seeking new opportunities in which to grow the Flames brand and allow our fans greater opportunities to enjoy hockey. We believe establishing a location outside of the Pengrowth Saddledome to share food, fun and hockey will bring our fans even closer to the team." One year later, in April 2007, Flames Central opened to the public.
Flames Foundation
The Flames have maintained an active presence in the community since their arrival in Calgary. Through the team's non-profit charity, the Flames Foundation, the team has donated over $32 million to causes throughout southern Alberta. Along with the Rotary ClubRotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, the Flames are helping to fund the first children's hospice
Children's hospice
A children's hospice is a hospice specifically designed to help children and young people who are not expected to reach adulthood with the emotional and physical challenges they face, and also to provide respite care for their families.-Services:...
in Alberta, and one of only six in North America.
The Flames are also close partners with the Alberta Children's Hospital
Alberta Children's Hospital
Alberta Children's Hospital is the largest public hospital for sick children in the prairie provinces, and is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is operated by Alberta Health Services - Calgary Health Region. The new facility opened on September 27, 2006 and is the first free-standing...
and the Gordon Townsend School housed within. Among the many activities the Flames participate in, the Wheelchair Hockey Challenge with the Townsend Tigers has remained a highly popular tradition for both the players and the children involved. In 2010, the Tigers defeated the Flames to move to a perfect 27–0 record since the challenge was first instituted in 1981.
Red Mile
During the Flames' run to the Stanley Cup Finals of 2004, the city of Calgary essentially became the host of a "non-stop party". The 17th Avenue SW entertainment district, which runs west from the ScotiaBank Saddledome, saw as many as 35,000 fans pack the streets during the first three rounds of the playoffs, and over 60,000 in the finals. The Red Mile party received coverage in many newspapers across North America, as the parties remained peaceful and incidents were minimal despite the large number of people in a small area.Calgary Police Service
Calgary Police Service, formed in 1885, is the municipal police force for the City of Calgary, Alberta.- Organization :Founded in 1885, the current head of the CPS is Chief Rick Hanson...
announced that Red Mile gatherings would not be encouraged, and that measures would be taken to discourage them, including traffic diversions, a zero-tolerance policy on noise and rowdy behaviour, and the presence of plain-clothed officers among the crowd to ticket offenders. After meeting with the Chief of Police, Mayor Dave Bronconnier
Dave Bronconnier
David 'Dave' Thomas Bronconnier is a Canadian politician, who served as the 35th Mayor of Calgary, Alberta.- Biography :...
convinced the Calgary Police Service to relax their ban on the "Red Mile" and encouraged people to make their way to 17th Ave, however the police retained their zero-tolerance policy on public nudity and drunkenness.
"C of Red"
During the Flames' run to the Stanley Cup Finals of 2004, most of the Flames fans attending the hockey games at the Saddledome wore a red jersey with Calgary's flaming C on it. Sales of the Flames red home jersey, introduced at the start of the 2003–04 campaign, were so strong during the playoffs that manufacturer CCM stopped production on all other team jerseys in order to keep up with demand of Flames uniforms. The team set a league record for sales of a new uniform design. The tradition of the C of Red dates back to the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffsSeason structure of the NHL
The structure of the National Hockey League season is divided into the regular season and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the regular season, teams play 82 games which determine their standings...
against the Oilers. Oiler fans were donning hats promoting "Hat Trick Fever" in their quest for three straight Stanley Cups
Three-peat
Three-peat is a contraction of the words three and repeat, which has been trademarked for commercial use by retired basketball coach Pat Riley; the active trademarks in force are registered under numbers 1552980, 1878690, and 1886018...
. Flames fans countered by wearing red. In the 1987 playoffs against Winnipeg, the Jets responded to the C of Red by encouraging fans to wear white, creating the "Winnipeg White Out".
Logo
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
Edge jerseys.
Jerseys
Flag of Alberta
In 1958, the Alberta Government authorized the design of an official flag. On 1 June 1968, the flag of Alberta, Canada, was adopted .The flag has the proportions 1:2, with the provincial shield of arms in the centre of a royal ultramarine blue background...
and Canada
Flag of Canada
The national flag of Canada, also known as the Maple Leaf, and , is a red flag with a white square in its centre, featuring a stylized 11-pointed red maple leaf. Its adoption in 1965 marked the first time a national flag had been officially adopted in Canada to replace the Union Flag...
as shoulder patches. In celebration of their 30th season in Calgary, the Flames wore their original jersey design for five games in 2009–10
2009–10 NHL season
The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010...
, each against a Canadian opponent.
The Flames changed the design of their home and away socks to match their classic jersey's socks in their 30th season. The Flames wore their alternate throwback jersey 15 times during the 2010-11 season. The jersey fit like the rest of the RbkEdge jerseys and was made of the same materials as their home/away jersey(s). In the same year, the Flames played the Canadiens in the 2011 Heritage Classic
2011 Heritage Classic
The 2011 Heritage Classic was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames. The game was played at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta, Canada on February 20, 2011. The Flames defeated the Canadiens by a score of 4–0 before a crowd of...
, wearing jerseys loosely based on the 1920 Calgary Tigers
Calgary Tigers
The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the Bengals, were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big Four League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were revived in 1932, playing for a short-lived four years in the...
.
Mascot
Harvey the Hound is the Flames' mascot. He was created in 1983 to serve both with the Flames and the Calgary StampedersCalgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Harvey was the first mascot in the NHL. Harvey is famous for an incident in January 2003 where he had his tongue ripped out by Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
head coach Craig MacTavish
Craig MacTavish
Craig "MacT" MacTavish is the current head coach of the American Hockey League Chicago Wolves and a former ice hockey player and coach in the National Hockey League. He played centre for 19 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers and St. Louis...
as he was harassing their bench. The incident made headlines throughout North America and led to much humour, including having many other NHL team mascots arrive at the 2003 All-Star Game
53rd National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 53rd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held during the 2002–03 NHL season, and took place at the Office Depot Center in Sunrise, Florida, the home of the Florida Panthers, on February 2, 2003...
with their tongues hanging out.
Season-by-season record
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Flames. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Calgary Flames seasonsNote: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2006–07 | 82 | 43 | 29 | 10 | 96 | 258 | 226 | 3rd, Northwest | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... ) |
| 2007–08 | 82 | 42 | 30 | 10 | 94 | 229 | 227 | 3rd, Northwest | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Sharks San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... ) |
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 46 | 30 | 6 | 98 | 254 | 248 | 2nd, Northwest | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... ) |
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 40 | 32 | 10 | 90 | 204 | 210 | 3rd, Northwest | Did not qualify |
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 41 | 29 | 12 | 94 | 250 | 237 | 2nd, Northwest | Did not qualify |
Honoured members
Several members of the Flames organization have been honoured by the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
during the team's history in Calgary. Lanny McDonald
Lanny McDonald
Lanny King McDonald is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He played over 1,100 games during a 16-year NHL career in which he scored 500 goals and over 1,000 points...
was the first Flame player inducted, gaining election in 1992. McDonald recorded 215 goals in 492 games for the Flames, including a team record 66 goals in 1982–83. He was joined in 2000 by a fellow member of the 1989 Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship team, Joe Mullen
Joe Mullen
Joseph Patrick Mullen is a retired American professional ice hockey player who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League with the St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Boston Bruins from 1980–1997. He won three Stanley Cups in 1989 with Calgary, and in 1991 and 1992 with...
. Mullen spent five seasons with the Flames, recording 388 points and capturing two Lady Byng Trophies. Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr
Grant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
, elected in 2003, became the third former Flames player to enter the Hall. Fuhr played only one season in Calgary; however, he recorded his 400th career win in a Flames uniform, a victory over the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
on October 22, 1999. In 2007, Al MacInnis
Al MacInnis
Allan MacInnis is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman who played 23 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Calgary Flames and St. Louis Blues. A first round selection of the Flames in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, he went on to become a 13-time All-Star...
became the fourth former Flame inducted into the Hall, and the third to earn his Hall of Fame credentials primarily as a Flame. MacInnis was a member of the Flames from 1981 until 1994. He is best remembered for his booming slapshot, as well as for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1989 as playoff MVP. On November 9, 2009, Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
became the fifth player in Calgary Flames history to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hull was drafted 117th in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
by the Flames, and began his NHL career playing two seasons (1986–1988) with Calgary. On June 28, 2011, it was announced that former Flames forwards Doug Gilmour
Doug Gilmour
Douglas Robert Gilmour is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is the current general manager of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League . During his National Hockey League career, Gilmour played for 7 NHL clubs: the St...
and Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joseph Nieuwendyk is the general manager of the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League and a retired Canadian ice hockey player...
would become the sixth and seventh members to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame in the players category.
Former head coach "Badger" Bob Johnson joined McDonald in the class of 1992, gaining election as a builder. Johnson coached five seasons with the Flames from 1982–87, and his 193 wins remain a team record. Cliff Fletcher
Cliff Fletcher
George Clifford Fletcher is a National Hockey League executive and is a former general manager of the Atlanta Flames/Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Phoenix Coyotes . He is currently a Senior Advisor to the Toronto Maple Leafs...
was the Flames general manager from the organization's inception in 1972 until 1991, a span of 19 years. During that time, the Flames qualified for the playoffs sixteen consecutive times between 1976 and 1991. Fletcher was inducted in 2004. In 2006, Harley Hotchkiss
Harley Hotchkiss
Harley Norman Hotchkiss, was a Canadian business and community leader who was best known for his contributions to health and sports development in Canada. He was one of the original owners that brought the National Hockey League's Atlanta Flames to Calgary in 1980 and remained a team owner until...
became the third Flames builder to gain election. Hotchkiss was the team's governor, and was an original member of the ownership group that purchased and brought the Flames to Calgary in 1980. He has served many years as the chairman of the NHL Board of Directors, during which he played a significant role in the resolution of the 2004–05 lockout. Fellow original owner Doc Seaman
Daryl Seaman
Daryl Kenneth "Doc" Seaman, OC, AOE was a Canadian businessman. He was also involved in the sport of ice hockey as the owner of the Calgary Flames and on various ice hockey commissions. Seaman was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2010...
was similarly inducted in 2010.
Flames radio broadcaster Peter Maher
Peter Maher (hockey announcer)
Peter Maher is a Canadian sportscaster. He has been the radio voice of the NHL's Calgary Flames since they moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1980...
was named the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award
Foster Hewitt Memorial Award
The Foster Hewitt Memorial Award is an award named after Foster Hewitt and presented by the Hockey Hall of Fame to members of the radio and television industry who make outstanding contributions to their profession and the game of ice hockey during their broadcasting career...
in 2006 for his years of service as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Calgary Flames. Maher has been the radio voice of the Flames since 1981, the team's second season in Calgary. He has called six All-Star Games and four Stanley Cup Finals. Longtime trainer Bearcat Murray
Bearcat Murray
Jim "Bearcat" Murray is a former athletic trainer for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame by the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers.-Early life:Murray was born in...
was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 by the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society and the Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers.
The Calgary Flames have retired two numbers, and a third was retired league-wide. The Flames retired #9 in honour of Lanny McDonald
Lanny McDonald
Lanny King McDonald is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Rockies and Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . He played over 1,100 games during a 16-year NHL career in which he scored 500 goals and over 1,000 points...
who played right wing for the Flames from 1981 to 1989, winning the Stanley Cup as the Flames' co-captain in his final year. Mike Vernon's #30 is also retired; he was a goaltender with the Flames for fourteen years, from 1982–94 and 2000-02. Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's #99 was retired league-wide in 2000.
Team captains
Risebrough and McDonald were co-captains in 1983-84. Risebrough, McDonald and Peplinski were tri-captains 1984-87. McDonald and Peplinski were co-captains 1987-89.Conroy and Boughner were co-captains for the latter half of 2001-02 after Dave Lowry was stripped of the captaincy.
Franchise scoring leaders
These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season.Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games Played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game; * = current Flames player
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External links
- Calgary Flames official Web Site
- Flames Central sports entertainment centre owned by the Calgary Flames