Calgary Flames

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Calgary Flames
Conference	Western
Division	Northwest
Founded	1972
History	Atlanta Flames 1972 - 1980 Calgary Flames 1980 - present
Arena	Pengrowth Saddledome
City	Calgary, Alberta
Local Media Affiliates	Rogers Sportsnet West Fan 960 (960 AM)
Team Colours	Red, Gold, Black, and White
Owner	Murray Edwards, Harley Hotchkiss, Alvin G. Libin, Allan P. Markin, Jeff McCaig, Clayton H. Riddell, Tony Sabelli, Byron J. Seaman, Daryl Seaman
General Manager	Darryl Sutter
Head Coach	Jim Playfair
Captain	Jarome Iginla
Minor League Affiliates	Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (AHL) Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL)
Stanley Cups	1988-89
Conference Championships	1985-86, 1988-89, 2003-04
Division Championships	1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90, 1993-94, 1994-95, 2005-06

The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL) in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.

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 are the only NHL club to relocate from the United States to Canada. The Flames spent their first three seasons playing in the Stampede Corral, during which they lost only 32 games,^[1] before moving into the Olympic Saddledome in 1983.

Calgary's top rival are their Alberta cousins, the Edmonton Oilers. The two teams have often feuded in what is known as the Battle of Alberta, an always feisty, and often memorable matchup eagerly anticipated by fans of both teams.^[2][3]

Contents 1 Franchise history 1.1 Atlanta years (1972-80) 1.2 Early Years in Calgary (1980-84) 1.3 Glory years (1984-92) 1.4 Decline (1992-2003) 1.5 2004 playoff run 1.6 Post lockout (2006-present) 2 Noteworthy Events 2.1 The "Red Mile" 2.2 The "C" (Sea) of Red 2.3 Calgary Flames Red Hot Video 3 Franchise Statistics 3.1 Career Leaders (1972-current) 4 Season-by-season record 5 Notable players 5.1 Current Roster 5.2 Honoured Members 5.3 Team captains 5.4 Retired numbers 5.5 1st Round Draft Picks 5.6 Franchise scoring leaders 6 NHL awards and trophies 7 Season individual records 8 Trivia 9 See also 10 External links 11 References 11.1 Footnotes

[edit] Franchise history

[edit] Atlanta years (1972-80)

The Flames were the result of the NHL's first preemptive strike against the upstart World Hockey Association. 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.^[4] 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.^[5]

The Flames were very successful early on, at least by the standards of expansion teams. 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.

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 calcuations did not account for the WHA entering the picture.^[6] 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 a group of Calgary businessmen fronted by Canadian entrepreneur, and former owner of the Oilers, Nelson Skalbania.^[5] 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" (the "A" was later brought back as the "A" on the alternate captains' jerseys). Skalbania sold his interest in 1982, and the Flames have been locally owned since then.

[edit] Early Years in Calgary (1980-84)

In their first year in Alberta,led by Kent Nilsson's 49-goal, 82-assist season, the Flames won their first two playoff series in their current location (a sweep over the Chicago Black Hawks in the first round and a seven-game victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round) 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, GM Cliff Fletcher jettisoned several former Atlanta players unused to a 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. His efforts to match the gifted Oilers, though not wholly successful, led him to draw talent from areas previously neglected by the NHL. The Flames were one of the first 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, but Soviet players were not released to Western teams until 1989. Still, the team was sufficiently improved to challenge the great Wayne Gretzky himself and his Oilers, who required the maximum seven games to defeat the Flames en route to their 1984 Stanley Cup Championship.

[edit] Glory years (1984-92)

Fletcher's roster moves in 1982 allowed the Flames to become one of the NHL's best 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. They beat the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, beat the Oilers in the second round on Steve Smith's fluke goal into his own net in the seventh game, and also won in seven games over the St. Louis Blues, shaking off the famous "Monday Night Miracle" at The Arena (where Doug Wickenheiser scored in overtime to cap off a comeback from 5-1 down with 10 minutes to play) to win the decider at home. They were, however, no match for the Montreal Canadiens in the finals, losing in five games. Montreal rookie goaltender Patrick Roy, was nearly unstoppable in the last two games, allowing only four goals. It is no coincidence that the Flames made it to the Finals despite finishing with less than 90 points for the only time between 1984 and 1992, since this was the only time during this period that they defeated the Oilers in the playoffs.

On March 7, 1988, the Flames traded away young future superstar Brett Hull along with Steve Bozek to the Blues for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley. Nonetheless, the Flames dominated the 1988-89 season, taking full advantage of the Oilers' trade of Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings to win their second straight division title in a runaway. While they were stretched to seven games in the first round by the Canucks (and won due to a controversial goal), they got an unexpected gift when the Kings defeated the Oilers in seven games. However, the Flames made short work of the Kings (a four-game sweep) and Blackhawks (five games) en route to a rematch of the 1986 finals with the Canadiens. 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 second time that an opposing team won the Stanley Cup on Montreal Forum ice (the first being the New York Rangers in 1928, against the Montreal Maroons), and the first time against the storied Habs. Longtime 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 Priakin, a forward who joined the Flames in time for their 1989 playoff run. Although Priakin 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. Sergei Makarov joined the Flames that season and, though already in his thirties, won the Calder Memorial Trophy: Rookie of the Year. It was Fletcher's last great contribution to NHL hockey and to the Flames. In 1991, he left the team to become general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

[edit] Decline (1992-2003)

Fletcher was succeeded by Doug Risebrough, who soon traded Doug Gilmour and four other Flames to his former boss for five inferior Toronto players. The trade, arguably one of the most one-sided in NHL history, quickly backfired. Despite the blossoming of Theoren Fleury (also a rookie in the Stanley Cup championship year) 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--for only the third time in franchise history and the first time since 1975, while they were still in Atlanta.

They rebounded to make the playoffs for the next three seasons in a row, including two consecutive division titles. However, they failed to get out of the first round in either year. More importantly, the Flames found it increasingly difficult to hold onto their best players as salaries escalated in the 90s. Most of the NHL's Canadian teams (aside from Montreal, Toronto and to a lesser extent, Vancouver) found it difficult to compete in the new environment. As a result, the collapse was sudden, swift and total. In 1997, a year after winning their second consecutive division title, the Flames missed the playoffs and would not return for seven years.

As an example of the difficulties the once-proud franchise faced during this time, they had to trade Fleury midway through 1998-99 rather than lose him to free agency--only a few days after he became the franchise's all-time leading scorer. The team also seriously considered moving to an American city due to declining ticket sales; during their glory years, Flames tickets were among the toughest in the NHL. One of the few bright spots in this stretch was Jarome Iginla. For example, Iginla won the Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies in 2001-02 with 52 goals and 44 assists — 96 points, his greatest point total to date. By a surprising coincidence, he took 35 goals and 32 assists the next year. He would also score those exact totals in 2005-06. He tied for the Rocket Richard Trophy with 41 goals in 2003-04 with Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash. Another 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 and a midseason collision with Iginla.

The Blues sent longtime Oilers net minder Grant Fuhr to Calgary for 1999-2000, but "The Fury" never found his groove and announced his retirement at season's end.

[edit] 2004 playoff run

After seven consecutive seasons out of the playoffs, the Flames returned to the playoffs in 2004, stunning 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.^[7] The Flames' first victim was the Northwest Division winners, the 1994 finalist Vancouver Canucks, in seven games. It was the Flames' first playoff series win since they won the 1989 final.^[8]

Then, they shocked the Detroit Red Wings, who had garnered the league's best record that season, in six games. After eliminating the Pacific Division champs, the San Jose Sharks, in six games in the Western Conference finals, the Flames earned a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. flew the Flames flag beside the Maple Leaf,^[9] as did San Jose's city hall (after the Sharks lost the series, the Mayor of San Jose [as the losing side in a personal bet with Calgary's mayor] declared his city hall the world headquarters of Flames fans).

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 ruled it a non-goal, and later replays were ruled inconclusive. The Lightning would go on to win in double overtime,^[10] before winning game seven at home to capture the Stanley Cup. Interestingly, all of Calgary's series-winning goals during the playoffs were scored by Gelinas, including two in overtime.

Despite the loss, 30,000 fans packed into Olympic Plaza to celebrate the Flames run.^[11] 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.

[edit] Post lockout (2006-present)

The Flames roared through the 2005-06 season, finishing with 103 points - their best total since the 1989 Cup-winning season--and their first division title in 12 years. However, they 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, while rookie defenceman Dion Phaneuf set a franchise record for goals by a rookie blueliner with 20.^[12]

The 2006 Off-Season began with the surprising trade for Alex Tanguay, formerly of the Colorado Avalanche,^[13] and with Darryl Sutter relinquishing his head coaching position to assistant Jim Playfair to focus on his duties as General Manager.^[14]. On 12 December 2006, the Flames broke a new franchise record for the most consecutive home wins, with 10 straight home wins.

[edit] Noteworthy Events

[edit] The "Red Mile"

See 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, flooded with as many as 100,000 red-clad fans after games. Similar celebrations had occurred during Flames celebrations during the successful 1980s and primarily took place along 11th Ave SW, then known as "Electric Avenue".

The "Red Mile" also gained notoriety quickly in 2004 as women would frequently bare their breasts for the crowd atop shoulders or cars. The Red Mile party became world-famous and received worldwide coverage in newspapers. The Red Mile was notable in that incidents were minimal, the crowds were positive, and only one arrest was made after a police officer was injured by a celebrant.

In April 2006, the Calgary Police Service announced that the Red Mile gatherings of 2004 would not be encouraged in 2006, 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 plainclothes 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. The police retained their zero tolerance policy on public nudity and drunkenness. Many, including Mayor Bronconnier, have responded to the police crackdown as "excessive" and "unnecessary", though the crowds only made appearances in large numbers after Flames wins in the opening series. Concerns were expressed after a Flames win on Saturday, April 29, prompted a rowdy gathering of fans and other celebrants, and fireworks were set off illegally.

[edit] The "C" (Sea) 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 the Flames' famous flaming C on it. Many of those who did not have a red jersey wore a red shirt instead. Thus, the "C" of Red became the nickname for the fans at the Saddledome during the Flames' playoff run, and the trend of an attendance dressed almost entirely in red continued throughout the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. The tradition of the Sea/"C" of red dates back to the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Edmonton Oilers. Oiler fans were donning hats promoting Hat Trick Fever in their quest for 3 straight Stanley Cups — "three-peat" —, and 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, which created the Winnipeg White Out.

[edit] Calgary Flames Red Hot Video

The Calgary Flames' 1987 "Red Hot" video is a music video, created to benefit charities, featuring the players from that year's team. It features players like Lanny McDonald, Brett Hull, Gary Roberts, Mike Vernon, Al MacInnis, and Joel Otto, among others, lipsynching and pretending to play instruments. It was released on VHS and the song was released on vinyl back in 1987. It enjoyed popularity then but was forgotten until the video surfaced on the internet in 2005.

[edit] Franchise Statistics

[edit] Career Leaders (1972-current)

• Games: Al MacInnis, 803
• Goals: Theoren Fleury, 364
• Assists: Al MacInnis, 609
• Points: Theoren Fleury, 830
• Penalty Minutes: Tim Hunter, 2405
• Goaltender Games: Mike Vernon, 526
• Goaltender Wins: Mike Vernon, 262
• Shutouts: Miikka Kiprusoff, 21

[edit] Season-by-season record

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	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
1980-81	80	39	27	14	--	92	329	298	1450	5th in Patrick	Won in Preliminary Round, 3-0 (Black Hawks) Won in Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Flyers) Lost in Semifinals, 2-4 (North Stars)
1981-82	80	29	34	17	--	75	334	345	1331	5th in Smythe	Lost in Division Semifinals, 0-3 (Canucks)
1982-83	80	32	34	14	--	78	321	317	1146	2nd in Smythe	Won in Division Semifinals, 3-1 (Canucks) Lost in Division Finals, 1-4 (Oilers)
1983-84	80	34	32	14	--	82	311	314	1390	2nd in Smythe	Won in Division Semifinals, 3-1 (Canucks) Lost in Division Finals, 3-4 (Oilers)
1984-85	80	41	27	12	--	94	363	302	1400	3rd in Smythe	Lost in Division Semifinals, 1-3 (Jets)
1985-86	80	40	31	9	--	89	354	315	2297	2nd in Smythe	Won in Division Semifinals, 3-0 (Jets) Won in Division Finals, 4-3 (Oilers) Won in Conference Finals, 4-3 (Blues) Lost in Finals, 1-4 (Canadiens)
1986-87	80	46	31	3	--	94	318	289	2036	2nd in Smythe	Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-4 (Jets)
1987-88	80	48	23	9	--	105	397	305	2431	1st in Smythe	Won in Division Semifinals, 4-1 (Kings) Lost in Division Finals, 0-4 (Oilers)
1988-89	80	54	17	9	--	117	354	222	2444	1st in Smythe	Won in Division Semifinals, 4-3 (Canucks) Won in Division Finals, 4-0 (Kings) Won in Conference Finals, 4-1 (Blackhawks) Stanley Cup Champions, 4-2 (Canadiens)
1989-90	80	42	23	15	--	99	348	265	1751	1st in Smythe	Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-4 (Kings)
1990-91	80	46	26	8	--	100	344	263	2197	2nd in Smythe	Lost in Division Semifinals, 3-4 (Oilers)
1991-92	80	31	37	12	--	74	296	305	2643	5th in Smythe	Did not qualify
1992-93	84	43	30	11	--	97	322	282	1951	2nd in Smythe	Lost in Division Semifinals, 2-4 (Kings)
1993-94	84	42	29	13	--	97	302	256	1847	1st in Pacific	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Canucks)
1994-951	48	24	17	7	--	55	163	135	1249	1st in Pacific	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Sharks)
1995-96	82	34	37	11	--	79	241	240	1524	2nd in Pacific	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 0-4 (Blackhawks)
1996-97	82	32	41	9	--	73	214	239	1444	5th in Pacific	Did not qualify
1997-98	82	26	41	15	--	67	217	252	1859	5th in Pacific	Did not qualify
1998-99	82	30	40	12	--	72	211	234	1389	3rd in Pacific	Did not qualify
1999-00	82	31	36	10	5	77	211	256	1267	4th in Northwest	Did not qualify
2000-01	82	27	36	15	4	73	197	236	1376	4th in Northwest	Did not qualify
2001-02	82	32	35	12	3	79	201	220	1586	4th in Northwest	Did not qualify
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	Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4-3 (Canucks) Won in Conference Semifinals, 4-2 (Red Wings) Won in Conference Finals, 4-2 (Sharks) Lost in Finals, 3-4 (Lightning)
2004-052	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
2005-06	82	46	25	--	11	103	218	200	1464	1st in Northwest	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3-4 (Mighty Ducks)
2006-07	In progress (see 2006-07 Calgary Flames season)
Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
Grand Totals3	1915	907	768	271	27	2109	6885	6446	41797

¹ Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.

² Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

³ Totals through October 14, 2006.

[edit] Notable players

[edit] Current Roster

As of February 24, 2007 ^[15]

Goaltenders
Number		Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
29		Jamie McLennan	L	2006	Edmonton, Alberta
34		Miikka Kiprusoff	L	2003	Turku, Finland

Defencemen
Number		Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
3		Dion Phaneuf	L	2003	Edmonton, Alberta
4		Roman Hamrlik	L	2005	Zlin, Czechoslovakia
5		Mark Giordano	L	2004	Toronto, Ontario
6		Brad Stuart	L	2007	Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
7		Andrei Zyuzin	L	2006	Ufa, U.S.S.R.
21		David Hale	L	2007	Colorado Springs, Colorado
28		Robyn Regehr - A	L	1999	Recife, Brazil
44		Rhett Warrener - A	R	2003	Shaunavon, Saskatchewan
49		Richie Regehr (IR)	R	2004	Bandung, Indonesia

Forwards
Number		Player	Shoots	Position	Acquired	Place of Birth
10		Tony Amonte	L	RW	2005	Hingham, Massachusetts
11		Stephane Yelle - A	L	C	2002	Ottawa, Ontario
12		Jarome Iginla - C	R	RW	1995	Edmonton, Alberta
15		Byron Ritchie	L	C	2004	Burnaby, British Columbia
16		Jeff Friesen	L	LW	2006	Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan
17		Eric Godard	R	RW	2006	Vernon, British Columbia
18		Matthew Lombardi	L	C	2002	Montreal, Quebec
19		Wayne Primeau	L	C	2007	Scarborough, Ontario
20		Kristian Huselius	L	LW	2005	Österhaninge, Sweden
22		Daymond Langkow	L	C	2004	Edmonton, Alberta
24		Craig Conroy	R	C	2007	Potsdam, New York
25		Darren McCarty (IR)	R	RW	2005	Burnaby, British Columbia
26		Marcus Nilson	R	LW	2004	Balsta, Sweden
40		Alex Tanguay	L	LW	2006	Sainte-Justine, Quebec
58		David Moss	R	RW	2001	Livonia, Michigan

• To see the player pages and bios, click here.

[edit] Honoured Members

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 Bing 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.^[16]

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.^[16]

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.^[16]

[edit] Team captains

Fourteen players have permanently worn the captain's C since the team arrived in Calgary:^[17]

Note: This list does not include Atlanta Flames captains

[edit] Retired numbers

• 9 Lanny McDonald, RW, 1981-89
• 30 Mike Vernon, G, 1982-94 & 2000-02

[edit] 1st Round Draft Picks

[edit] Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Flames (both Atlanta and Calgary). Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular 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	759	315	326	641	.84
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

[edit] NHL awards and trophies

[edit] Season individual records

• Most Goals: Lanny McDonald, 66 (1982-83)
• Most Assists: Kent Nilsson, 82 (1980-81)
• Most Points: Kent Nilsson, 131 (1980-81)
• Most Points, rookie: Joe Nieuwendyk, 92 (1987-88)
• Most Points, defenceman: Al MacInnis, 103 (1990-91)
• Most Shorthanded goals: Kent Nilsson, 9 (1983-84)
• Most Penalty Minutes: Tim Hunter, 375 (1988-89)
• Most Wins: Miikka Kiprusoff, 42 (2005-06)
• Most Shutouts: Miikka Kiprusoff, 10 (2005-06)
• Longest Shutout streak: Miikka Kiprusoff, 161 min 11 seconds (2005-06)
• Highest save percentage (SVP): Miikka Kiprusoff, 0.933 (2003-04)
• Lowest goals against average (GAA): Miikka Kiprusoff, 1.69 (2003-04)

[edit] Trivia

• Harvey the Hound, created in 1983, was the first mascot in the NHL.^[18]
• The Calgary Flames' alternate captains wear the Atlanta Flames' logo, the stylized "A", on their jerseys. This makes them one of only three NHL teams who wear an old logo on their current jersey (the others being the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks).

[edit] See also

• List of Calgary Flames players
• Head Coaches of the Calgary Flames
• List of NHL players
• List of Stanley Cup champions
• National Hockey League rivalries
• List of ice hockey teams in Alberta
• Ice hockey in Calgary

[edit] External links

• Calgary Flames official Web Site

[edit] References

[edit] Footnotes

Preceded by Edmonton Oilers

Stanley Cup Champions 1988-89

Succeeded by Edmonton Oilers

Calgary Flames Head Coaches
MacNeil • Johnson • Crisp • Risebrough • Charron • King • Pagé • B.  Sutter • Hay • Gilbert • D. Sutter • Playfair

v • d • e National Hockey League 1917 to present
Current teams	Anaheim • Atlanta • Boston • Buffalo • Calgary • Carolina • Chicago • Colorado • Columbus • Dallas • Detroit • Edmonton • Florida • Los Angeles • Minnesota • Montreal • Nashville • New Jersey • NY Islanders • NY Rangers • Ottawa • Philadelphia • Phoenix • Pittsburgh • San Jose • St. Louis • Tampa Bay • Toronto • Vancouver • Washington
Trophies and awards	Stanley Cup • Prince of Wales • Clarence S. Campbell • Presidents' Trophy • Adams • Art Ross • Calder • Conn Smythe • Crozier • Hart • Jennings • King Clancy • Lady Byng • Masterton • Messier • Norris • Patrick • Pearson • Plus/Minus • Rocket Richard • Selke • Vezina
Defunct and relocated teams	Atlanta Flames • California/Oakland (Golden) Seals • Cleveland Barons • Colorado Rockies • Hamilton Tigers • Kansas City Scouts • Minnesota North Stars • Montreal Maroons • Montreal Wanderers • New England/Hartford Whalers • New York/Brooklyn Americans • Ottawa Senators (original) • Philadelphia Quakers • Pittsburgh Pirates • Quebec Bulldogs • Quebec Nordiques • St. Louis Eagles • Winnipeg Jets