Calgary Flames

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 before moving into their current home arena, the Olympic Saddledome (now Pengrowth 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, with 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.


Franchise history

Atlanta
The Flames were the result of the NHL's first pre-emptive strike against the upstart World Hockey Association. 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.

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 would not translate in 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, partially because Cousins' initial calculations did not account for the WHA entering the picture.

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 for US$16 million. Skalbania promptly moved the team to 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.

1980–1985
Unlike the WHA's Calgary Cowboys, who folded three years previous, 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 39–27–4 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. This early success was not soon repeated. After a losing record in 1981–82, General Manager Cliff Fletcher jettisoned several former Atlanta players 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. Located on the grounds of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, the Saddledome was built as a host venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics. In three seasons in the Corral, the Flames lost only 32 home games. In 1985, the Flames hosted the 37th NHL All-Star Game, a 6–4 victory by the Wales Conference.

1985–1990
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 between 1984 and 1991, but were often 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 powerhouse Oilers in either the first or second round, rather than in the conference finals. From 1983 until 1990, either the Oilers or the Flames represented the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

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 40–31–6 record, the Flames swept the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs, setting up a matchup with the Oilers. Although Edmonton finished 30 points ahead of Calgary during the season, the Flames upset the heavily favoured Oilers 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. The goal remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history.

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. Calgary would win game seven at home, 2–1, advancing 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. Calgary was unable to duplicate its playoff success, however, losing its first round match-up with the 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, ending 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. 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. The Flames playoff frustration would continue, 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 Canucks, relying 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. 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.

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 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.

1991–2003
In 1991, after 18 years at the head of the organization, Fletcher left the Flames to become the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs . 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 nine 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 for the franchise.

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 while the Canadian Dollar lost value against the American Dollar. The NHL's small-market Canadian teams found it increasingly difficult to compete in the new environment. In 1999, the Flames traded franchise leading scorer Theoren Fleury rather than lose him to free agency. 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. 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 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. 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.

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.

2004–present
After seven consecutive seasons of not making the playoffs, the Flames finally returned to the post-season in 2004. The Flames became the first team in NHL history to defeat three division champions en route to becoming the first Canadian team in a decade to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. 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 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, 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 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, 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 Trophy and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender, while defenceman Dion Phaneuf set a franchise record for goals by a rookie blue-liner with 20.

The 2006 off-season began with a trade for Alex Tanguay, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche, and with Darryl 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, the Flames managed only an eighth 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 incidents of violence. Notably, backup goaltender Jamie McLennan was suspended five games for slashing Red Wings forward Johan Franzen.

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.

**WIKIPEDIA.ORG