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Calgary Flames
File:Calgary Flames logo.png
ConferenceWestern
DivisionNorthwest
Founded1972
HistoryAtlanta Flames
1972–1980
Calgary Flames
1980–present
Home arenaPengrowth Saddledome
CityCalgary, Alberta
Team coloursRed, Gold, Black, and White
MediaRogers Sportsnet West
Fan 960 (960 AM)
Owner(s)Murray Edwards, Harley Hotchkiss, Alvin G. Libin, Allan P. Markin, Jeff McCaig, Clayton H. Riddell, Byron J. Seaman, Daryl Seaman
General managerCanada Darryl Sutter
Head coachCanada Mike Keenan
CaptainCanada Jarome Iginla
Minor league affiliatesQuad City Flames (AHL)
Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
Stanley Cups1988–89
Conference championships1985–86, 1988–89, 2003–04
Division championships1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2005–06

The Calgary Flames are a professional men's 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 (1921–26) and Calgary Cowboys (1975–77).

The Flames arrived in the city of Calgary in 1980 after spending their first eight seasons in Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Flames. The Flames spent their first three seasons playing in the Stampede Corral, during which they lost only 32 games,[1] before moving into their current home arena, the Olympic Saddledome, in 1983. In 1986, the Flames became the first Calgary team since the Tigers in 1924 to compete for the Stanley Cup. In 1989, the Flames captured the Cup for the first time.

Calgary is 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 team are always heated events.[2][3]

Franchise history

Atlanta years (1972–1980)

Main article: Atlanta Flames

The Flames were the result of the NHL's first pre-emptive strike against the upstart World Hockey Association.[4] In December 1971, the NHL hastily granted a team to Long Island — the New York Islanders — in order 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.[5] 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.[6]

File:AtlantaFlamesFlamingA.PNG
Logo of the Atlanta Flames. Calgary uses the Flaming-A logo to identify alternate captains.

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, compiled two of the worst seasons in NHL history during their first two years in the league. This relative success would not translate in the playoffs, however, as the Flames won only two post season games during their time in Atlanta.[7]

Despite the on-ice success, the Atlanta ownership was never on sound financial footing. Part of the reason was that the Flames' home arena, The Omni, was one of the last arenas to be built without revenue-producing luxury boxes. Also, Cousins' initial calculations did not account for the WHA entering the picture.[8] The Flames were also victims of their own early success, which resulted in several low draft picks. At the same time, the Islanders used high draft picks resulting from their first two wretched seasons to put together the core of a team that would win four Stanley Cups in a row in the early 1980s.

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 sold the Flames to a group of Calgary businessmen fronted by Canadian entrepreneur, and former owner of the Oilers, Nelson Skalbania.[6] The price of US$16 million was the highest price paid for an NHL franchise at the time. Skalbania promptly moved the team to Calgary, but kept the Flames name since he figured it would be appropriate for an oil town like Calgary. The flaming "A" logo was replaced by a flaming "C". Skalbania sold his interest in 1981, and the Flames have been locally owned since.[9]

Early years in Calgary (1980–1985)

The Flames moved into the Olympic Saddledome in 1983.

Led by Kent Nilsson's 49-goal, 131-point season, the Flames stormed into the playoffs in their first season in Calgary with a 39-27-4 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.[10] This early success was not soon repeated. After a losing record in 1981–82, General Manager Cliff Fletcher jettisoned several former Atlanta players unused to a higher-pressure hockey environment and rebuilt the roster.[11] Over the next three seasons, he put together a core of players that would remain together through the early 1990s. His 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.[12] 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, but Soviet players were not released to Western teams until 1989.[13] 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.

Growing pains (1985–1988)

File:Calgary Flames logo 1980-1994.png
The original Flames logo, used from 1980–94. A black outline was added in 1995.

The Flames improved to become one of the NHL's top teams during the mid-1980s and early 1990s. They failed to earn 90 points in the regular season only once from 1984 to 1991, but were usually unable to transfer that success into a deep playoff run. 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 the conference finals. Many observers thought that during the mid-1980s, the Oilers and Flames were far and away the two best teams in the Campbell Conference, and possibly the two best teams in the league. For example, the Flames had their first 100-point season in 1987–88, earning the Presidents' Trophy for having the league's best record, and ended the Oilers' six-year reign atop the Smythe Division in the process. However, they were swept by the Oilers in the second round of the playoffs. The two teams' bitter rivalry mirrored the longstanding rivalry between their two cities.

By 1986 the Flames had landed forwards Doug Risebrough, Lanny McDonald, Dan Quinn, defenceman Al MacInnis, and goalie Mike Vernon. After sweeping the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, the Flames went on to upset the Oilers in the second round in seven games. The series-winning goal came 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.[14] The goal remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history.[15][16][17]

From there, the Flames went on to defeat 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. Doug Wickenheiser scored in overtime to cap off a comeback from 5-2 down with 10 minutes to play in the third period in game six, forcing the Flames to a seventh game.[18] Calgary would win game seven at home, 2–1, sending the Flames into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. In the finals, the Flames proved to be no match for the Montreal Canadiens, losing in five games. Montreal rookie goaltender Patrick Roy, was nearly unstoppable 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 seasons in team history. Calgary's 46-31-3 record in 1986–87 was good for third overall in the NHL.[19] Calgary was unable to duplicate its playoff success however, losing its first round match-up to the Jets in six games. The season was also difficult off the ice, as 1986 first round draft pick George Pelewa was killed in a car accident prior to the season's start.[20] Back on the ice, the Flames improved again in 1987–88, finishing atop the league standings with a 48-23-9 record, capturing the franchise's first Presidents' Trophy.[21] Joe Nieuwendyk became the second rookie in league history to score 50 goals in his freshman season, earning him the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year.[22] 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. The Flames playoff frustration would continue, however, as after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in five games, Calgary was swept out of the playoffs in four straight by the Oilers.

Stanley Cup (1988–1989)

Calgary's 1988–89 Championship banner hangs alongside Lanny McDonald's retired jersey.

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 2nd place Kings in the Smythe Division.[23] 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 Canucks, relying on several key 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.[24]

After defeating the Canucks, the Flames made short work of the Kings, sweeping Los Angeles in four straight before defeating the Chicago Black Hawks in five 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 win in Montreal. This victory 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.[25] Long-time captain Lanny McDonald retired at the end of the season.

In 1989, thanks in part to Cliff Fletcher's diplomatic efforts, the Soviets finally 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 numbers of Russian players who entered the NHL beginning in 1989–90.[13] 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 consideration.[26]

Decline (1990–2003)

File:Calgary Flames horse head logo.png
Calgary's alternate logo 1999–2007

In 1991, Fletcher left the Flames to become the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs after 18 years at the head of the organization.[27] He was succeeded 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.[28] The trade transformed both clubs. The formerly inept Leafs turned into a contender almost immediately, while the deal is widely believed to have been the beginning of the Flames' long decline.[29] 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 for the franchise.

Jarome Iginla was one of the team's few bright spots during its seven-year playoff drought

Calgary rebounded to make the playoffs for the next three seasons, including two consecutive division titles. However, they failed move past the first round of the playoffs each time. In 1997, a year after winning their second consecutive division title, the Flames missed the playoffs and would not return for seven years.

During this time, the Flames found it increasingly difficult to hold onto their best players as salaries escalated in the 90s, while the Canadian Dollar lost value against the American Dollar.[30] The NHL's small market, Canadian teams found it increasingly difficult to compete in the new environment.[31] In 2000, the Flames owners launched their "Flames Forever" campaign. The owners argued that if the trend of declining interest in the team was not reversed, the team could join its departed counterparts from Winnipeg and Quebec City in relocating to the United States.[32] The campaign, aimed at increasing season ticket sales from a franchise low of 8,700 to 14,000, proved successful.[33] The increased sales did not halt the Flames' financial losses, however, as the team estimated it lost $14.5 million between 2001 and 2003.[30]

In 1999, the Flames traded Fleury rather than lose him to free agency. The deal occurred only a few days after he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. One of the few bright spots in this stretch was Jarome Iginla. Iginla, who made his NHL debut in the Flames last playoff games in 1996, 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.[34] 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, in his rookie year, despite suffering two broken legs in a car accident the previous summer.[35]

2004 playoff run

Main article: 2003-04 Calgary Flames season

After seven consecutive seasons out of the playoffs, the Flames finally returned to the post-season in 2004. The Flames stunned the hockey world by defeating the three Western Conference division champions to become the first Canadian team in a decade to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.[36] 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.[37]

The Flames then upset the Detroit Red Wings, who had garnered the league's best record, in six games. After eliminating the Pacific Division champs, the San Jose Sharks, 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. The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. flew the Flames flag beside the Maple Leaf,[38] while Prime Minister Paul Martin dubbed the Flames "Canada's team."[39]

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 came close to scoring 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. The Lightning would go on to win the game in double overtime,[40] 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.[41] 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.

Post lockout (2006–present)

Calgary's Daymond Langkow moves in on Mike Weaver of the Los Angeles Kings, December 21, 2005

The Flames roared through the 2005–06 season, 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. Star goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff captured both the Vezina Trophy and the William M. Jennings Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, while rookie defenceman Dion Phaneuf set a franchise record for goals by a rookie blue liner with 20.[42]

The 2006 off-season began with the surprising trade for Alex Tanguay, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche,[43] and with Darryl Sutter relinquishing his head coaching position to assistant Jim Playfair to focus on his duties as General Manager.[44] Despite the changes, and a marked improvement in team offence, the Flames managed only an 8th-place finish in the Western Conference with 96 points. In the playoffs, Calgary fell in six games to the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round. During the series, the Flames were fined by the NHL for a few incidents of violence. Notably, backup goaltender Jamie McLennan was suspended five games for slashing Red Wings forward Johan Franzen.[45]

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.[46] During the season, Jarome Iginla became the Flames' all time leader in games played, passing Al MacInnis' mark of 803.[47]

Community impact

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 $29 million to causes throughout southern Alberta.[48] Along with the Rotary Club, the Flames are helping to fund the first children's hospice in Alberta, and one of only six in North America.[49]

The Flames are also close partners with the Alberta Children's Hospital. 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 2007, the Tigers defeated the Flames 10–9, to move to a perfect 26-0 record since the challenge was first instituted in 1981.[50]

Red Mile

Main article: 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 Pengrowth Saddledome, saw as many as 35,000 fans pack the streets during the first three rounds of the playoffs,[30] and over 60,000 in the finals.[51] Similar celebrations had occurred during Flames playoff runs in the 1980s, primarily taking place along 11th Ave SW, then known as "Electric Avenue".

The Red Mile party received widespread coverage in newspapers across North America.[52] The Red Mile was notable in that despite the large amount of people in a small area, the parties remained peaceful and incidents were minimal.[53]

The C of Red

In April 2006, the Calgary Police Service announced that the Red Mile gatherings of 2004 would not be encouraged, and that measures would be taken to discourage it, 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.[54] 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. The police retained their zero tolerance policy on public nudity and drunkenness.[53]

The "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.[30] Sales of the Flames red home jersey, introduced at the start of the 2003–04 campaign, were so strong during the playoffs that the team set a league record for sales of a new jersey design.[55] The tradition of the C of Red dates back to the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs 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 the Winnipeg Jets, the Jets responded to the C of Red by encouraging fans to wear white, creating the Winnipeg White Out.[56]

Team colours and mascot

Original jerseys, used 1980–1994

The Flames primary logo is the "Flaming C" design, introduced when the team came to Calgary in 1980. 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. Since 2003, at the same time the NHL switched to using coloured jerseys for the home team, the home logo has been 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 assistant captains. The flaming horse logo was retired in 2007 with the introduction of the new Rbk Edge jerseys.[57]

Jerseys

Second design, used 1994–2000

The Flames original jerseys used red and orange 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.[58] 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.[59] 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.[57]

File:Calgary-flames-07-jerseys.jpg
Current jerseys, introduced in 2007

Mascot

Harvey the Hound is the Flames mascot. Created in 1983, to serve both with the Flames and the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, Harvey was the first mascot in the NHL.[60] Harvey is most 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 the Oilers bench.[61] The incident made headlines throughout North America, and led to many jokes, including having many other NHL team mascots arrive at the 2003 All-Star Game with their tongues hanging out.[62]

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 Calgary Flames seasons

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Season GP W L T1 OTL Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoffs
2002–03 82 29 36 13 4 75 186 228 1391 5th in Northwest Did not qualify
2003–04 82 42 30 7 3 94 200 176 1428 3rd in Northwest Lost in Stanley Cup Finals, 3–4 (Lightning)
2004–05 Season cancelled due to 2004-05 NHL Lockout
2005–06 82 46 25 -- 11 103 218 200 1464 1st in Northwest Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4 (Mighty Ducks)
2006–07 82 43 29 -- 10 96 258 226 -- 3rd in Northwest Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4 (Red Wings)
2007–08 Season in progress - see 2007-08 Calgary Flames season
1 As of the 2005-06 NHL season, all games will have a winner; the OTL column includes SOL (Shootout losses).

Players

Current roster

As of December 20, 2007 [63]

Goaltenders
Number Player Catches Acquired Place of Birth
31 Canada Curtis McElhinney L 2002 London, Ontario
34 Finland Miikka Kiprusoff L 2003 Turku, Finland
Defencemen
Number Player Shoots Acquired Place of Birth
3 Canada Dion Phaneuf L 2003 Edmonton, Alberta
6 Canada Cory Sarich R 2007 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
8 Sweden Anders Eriksson L 2007 Bollnäs, Sweden
21 United States David Hale L 2007 Colorado Springs, Colorado
28 Canada Robyn Regehr – A L 1999 Recife, Brazil
33 Canada Adrian Aucoin R 2007 Ottawa, Ontario
44 Canada Rhett Warrener – A (Injured) R 2003 Shaunavon, Saskatchewan
Forwards
Number Player Shoots Position Acquired Place of Birth
7 Canada Stephane Yelle – A L C 2002 Ottawa, Ontario
11 Canada Owen Nolan – A R RW 2007 Belfast, United Kingdom
12 Canada Jarome Iginla – C R RW 1995 Edmonton, Alberta
16 Canada Mark Smith L C 2007 Edmonton, Alberta
17 Canada Eric Godard R RW 2006 Vernon, British Columbia
18 Canada Matthew Lombardi L C 2002 Montreal, Quebec
19 Canada Wayne Primeau L C 2007 Scarborough, Ontario
20 Sweden Kristian Huselius L LW 2005 Österhaninge, Sweden
22 Canada Daymond Langkow L C 2004 Edmonton, Alberta
23 United States Eric Nystrom L LW 2002 Syosset, New York
24 United States Craig Conroy R C 2007 Potsdam, New York
25 United States David Moss (Injured) R RW 2001 Livonia, Michigan
26 Sweden Marcus Nilson R LW 2004 Bålsta, Sweden
40 Canada Alex Tanguay L LW 2006 Sainte-Justine, Quebec
41 Canada Dustin Boyd L C 2005 Winnipeg, Manitoba

Honoured members

See also: Calgary Flames notable players and award winners

Hall of Famers:Several members of the Flames organization have been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame during the team's 27 year 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 became the third former Flames player to enter the Hall, having been elected in 2003. Fuhr played only one season in Calgary, however he recorded his 400th career win in a Flames uniform with a victory over the Florida Panthers on October 22, 1999.[64] Al MacInnis became the fourth former Flame inducted into the Hall in 2007. MacInnis was a member of the Flames from 1981 until 1994. He is best remembered for his booming slapshot, and for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1989 as playoff MVP.[65]

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 remains a team record. Cliff Fletcher was the Flames general manager from the organizations 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. Harley Hotchkiss became the third builder to gain election in 2006. Hotchkiss is 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.[64]

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. During his career, Maher has called Flames games since 1981, six All-Star Games, and four Stanley Cup Finals.[64]

Retired Numbers: The Flames have retired numbers 9 for Lanny McDonald (RW, 1981–89) and 30 for Mike Vernon (G, 1982–94 & 2000–02). Number 99 for Wayne Gretzky was retired league-wide in 2000.

Franchise scoring leaders

Further information: Calgary Flames records

These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Flames (both Atlanta and Calgary).[66] Figures are complete to the end of the 2006-07 NHL season.

Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, P/G = Points Per Game, * = Active Player

Player POS GP G A Pts P/G
Theoren Fleury RW 791 364 466 830 1.05
Al MacInnis D 803 213 609 822 1.02
*Jarome Iginla RW 778 324 340 664 .85
Joe Nieuwendyk C 577 314 302 616 1.07
Gary Suter D 617 128 437 565 .92
Kent Nilsson C 425 229 333 562 1.32
Guy Chouinard C 514 193 336 529 1.03
Gary Roberts LW 585 257 248 505 .86
Eric Vail LW 539 206 246 452 .84
Paul Reinhart D 517 109 336 445 .86

See also

References

  • "Calgary Flames season statistics". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved 2006-09-01.
  • 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide
  • 2007–08 Calgary Flames Media Guide

Footnotes

  1. ^ 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames. pp. pg. 4. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  2. ^ Francis, Eric (2003-09-17). "The uncivil war...Edmonton...April 23, 1988...Oilers 4 Flames 2". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  3. ^ Francis, Eric (2003-09-21). "The uncivil war...Calgary...January 20, 2003...Flames 3 Oilers 2". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  4. ^ Boer, Peter (2006). The Calgary Flames. Overtime Books. p. 12. ISBN 1-897277-07-5.
  5. ^ "History of the New York Islanders". Sports E-Cyclopedia. Tank Productions. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
  6. ^ a b "History of the Atlanta Flames". Sports E-Cyclopedia. Tank Productions. Retrieved 2006-11-27.
  7. ^ 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide, pg. 219
  8. ^ McGourty, John (2004-11-03). "Building a franchise is Flether's forte". nhl.com. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  9. ^ "Nelson Skalbania". Edmonton Oilers Heritage. Retrieved 2007-06-18.
  10. ^ 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide, pg. 131
  11. ^ Boer, pg. 51
  12. ^ "Calgary Flames Team Biography". Couchpotatohockey. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  13. ^ a b Dolezar, John A. (2002-09-27). "Sweeping changes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  14. ^ "Dynasty Players: Steve Smith". Edmonton Oilers Heritage. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  15. ^ Swift, E.M. "SI Flashback: Stanley Cup 1986". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  16. ^ "Top 10: Game 7's". cbc.ca. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  17. ^ "Biggest Stanley Cup playoff chokes". ESPN. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  18. ^ Goold, Derrick (2004-1-20). "Birth of the Blues". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved 2007-12-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide, pg 125
  20. ^ Ulmer, Mike (2003-10-08). "Heat is on". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  21. ^ 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide, pg. 124
  22. ^ "Joe Nieuwendyk player profile". legendsofhockey.net. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  23. ^ 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide, pg. 123
  24. ^ Sportak, Randy (2004-04-16). "Smyl doesn't lose sleep over big save". Calgary Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  25. ^ "Lanny, Stanley into the sunset". NHL.com. 2001-05-23. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  26. ^ "New Rules for Rookies". New York Times. 1990-06-20. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  27. ^ "One on One with Cliff Fletcher". legendsofhockey.net. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
  28. ^ Dolezar, John A (2001-08-08). "Say it aint so: Calgary Flames". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
  29. ^ "Gilmour begins again with Leafs in Calgary". CBC Sports. 2003-04-13. Retrieved 2007-05-14.
  30. ^ a b c d Gardiner, Andy (2004-05-24). "Flames: Bright spot for Canada". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  31. ^ Cox, Damien (2007-11-07). "What is Ottawa's success worth to Canadians, NHL? A lot". EPSN. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
  32. ^ "Flames aim to save team by end of June". CBC Sports. 2000-05-18. Retrieved 2007-12-06.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Calgary Flames.
Preceded by Stanley Cup Champions
1988–89 		Succeeded by
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