It was pure coincidence that I happened to be at the Saddledome on that chilly February night in 2012. As I walked through the concourse, they were handing out special commemorative pins honouring Al MacInnis, who was apparently the first ever inductee of the brand new Forever a Flame initiative. I was completely unaware the
Calgary Flames
Often times, NHL teams who find themselves near the top of the standings find themselves there in part due to a breakout season by one or multiple players. Having players — especially ones on cheap deals — be able to branch out and have a positive impact on games is huge for teams in the
I know, I know. Even asking the statement seems ludicrous, almost blasphemous for many of the Calgary Flames faithful. The stalwart defenseman is only a year removed from winning the Norris Trophy and is seen by many as the heart and soul of this team. The guy bleeds red! Well, yes, technically I guess we
As we wait for the news that the 2020-21 season will hopefully start on Jan. 1, analysts will soon be asked to predict how far their NHL team will go. Every writer knows that their predictions will be the egg they wipe off their face at the end of the season. There are no sure
In 2005, the NHL made the decision to establish a salary cap. Before that, teams could spend whatever they wanted on players. Of course, this was a huge disadvantage for small-market or unappealing franchises as they had an extremely tough time luring free agents or convincing their players to sign extensions. The disparity led to
Two of the Calgary Flames’ biggest stars, Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, struggled statistically during the 2019-20 season. However, a bounce-back could launch the Flames back into the race for the Pacific, assuming they end up staying in their division rather than joining a Canadian division for the coming season. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames (Amy Irvin
In today’s NHL rumors, the Toronto Maple Leafs have brought back a somewhat unpopular goaltender. Why? In Calgary, the Flames are not done making moves this offseason. What are they targeting next? Oliver Ekman-Larsson speaks about the trade rumors surrounding him this offseason and finally, in respect to free agency, Mike Hoffman’s agent has spoken
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is buzz surrounding a new contract for Vancouver Canucks coach Travis Green. That said, there could be a slight holdup in getting a deal done. One scribe wonders if the Boston Bruins be cooking up a trade with the Calgary Flames? Don’t expect Corey Perry to return to the
The Calgary Flames management staff, led by general manager Brad Treliving, has done a good job this offseason. They had one of the best drafts of any NHL team and followed that up by signing the biggest goaltender on the market, Jacob Markstrom. They added a big-name player in Chris Tanev, and recently signed Dominik
The Calgary Flames have begun a trend of bringing in players from their enemy to the west after signing two former Vancouver Canucks on Friday. Defenceman Christopher Tanev agreed to a four-year contract, earning $4.5 million per season, and the deal came just several hours after the Flames also added Tanev’s teammate, goalie Jacob Markstrom.
After another disappointing playoff exit for the Calgary Flames this year, both fans and media have jumped on players, coaches, and team management. Of course, this is nothing new, especially for Canadian hockey markets, as they have some of the most passionate fans in all of sports. There are many Flames critics out there who
In today’s NHL rumor rundown, there is news on the Edmonton Oilers and their blue line situation. In Calgary, it appears the team is ready to trade for a goaltender and give up a solid defender in the process. One recent pending unrestricted free agent notes he’d like to become a Philadelphia Flyers forward and
When the Calgary Flames traded James Neal to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for veteran forward Milan Lucic, many wondered why the Flames didn’t give Neal another chance. The deal showed no upside for Calgary until Lucic found a fit on the third line in early December. His Stanley Cup championship experience and his ability
The Calgary Flames announced on Monday that Geoff Ward would be losing his interim label, and the team would be replacing his title with something a little more fitting – “head coach of the Calgary Flames.” Geoff Ward, Calgary Flames (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers) Now of course, for Ward and the Flames, the
Welcome to the fourth part of our Columbus Blue Jackets Trading Partners mini-series. So far we’ve explored three interesting Canadian teams where there could be a potential match. In case you missed those, you can read about Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg. Today we stay in Canada but continue to head west and visit the great
Playing in the National Hockey League can be difficult, grueling, and enervating in the best of circumstances, and playing hockey in the revolving doghouse of huffy fans and unappeasable sports-talkers is certainly not the best of circumstances. Dividing hockey players up into types inside said revolving doghouse is easy – you have your standard pigeons