Time to let go of some stress Calgary, the Flames are currently sitting in a playoff spot. But, with only about 7 more weeks to go until the end of the regular season, anything can still happen. Our boys have to be on their toes 24/7 and we’re fully expecting the playoff race to get very heated. Obviously, this means they need a little help from true Flames fans.
Now, you may be a Flames fan, but you aren’t a TRUE Flames fan unless you have a little knowledge about the team! A few of us could use a quick brush-up of some key Calgary Flames facts. In celebration of the Flames 40th season, here’s a quick recap of some major milestones over the last few decades.
The 80s
Let’s start with a trip back in time to the 80s when the Flames and the NHL first came to Calgary. In 1983 the Flames first stepped foot in their new home, the Olympic Saddledome. In the 1984-85 season, Kent Nilsson finished with 99 points and the team qualified for the playoffs in their first season in Calgary.
Things just kept getting better and in 1986, the Flames faced the Habs for the Stanley Cup, but ended up losing the championship series in five games. In the next season, the Flames stepped up their game and recorded their first 100 point season and were awarded their first Presidents’ Trophy. It was only uphill from there when the Flames won their first Stanley Cup on May 25th, 1989 against the Habs!
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The 90s
The 90s were a little rocky for the Flames, but there were also some key moments during these years that helped form the Flames legacy as we know it. In the 1989-90 season, the Flames won their first Smythe Division Title and Al Maclnnis was named an NHL All-Star. In 1993, the team captured their first Pacific Division title and won the title for the second time in the 1994 season.
Theo Fleury was also a huge part of the Flames in the 90s, consistently being one of the world’s top players on a team that wasn’t winning.
Then, in 1996 came the biggest moment of the Flames’ decade. If you can’t guess why, here’s a hint: IGGY!! Jarome Iginla played his first NHL season with the Calgary Flames in 1996 and he led all NHL rookies in scoring with 50 points. It was the start of a legendary career for Iginla, who is oft-considered the greatest Flame of all time.
The 2000s
In 2000-01, Iggy took off strong and led the Flames with 71 points! With all his success and having earned multiple awards such as the Art Ross & “Rocket” Richard trophies, we’re not surprised that to this day, Iggy is a legendary NHL superstar. Let’s also not forget about our one and only Miikka Kiprusoff, who joined the team in 2003 and was voted an All-Star in 2006-07 along with Phaneuf.
Ah, and of course there is the 2004 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether or not you believe Martin Gelinas scored in Game 6 to give the Flames the Cup doesn’t matter too much at this point, just know that it’s still a thorn in Calgary’s side.
The 2010s
The most recent decade marks some pretty big wins for the Flames. Starting with the 2010-11 season, the Flames hit their 40 win mark for the 7th consecutive season, and the following year Iginla scored his 500th goal and Kipper picked up his 300th career win.
In 2012, we said goodbye to our legend Kipper and hello to Sean Monahan. In 2013, Iggy took off to Pittsburgh to chase that elusive cup win. In 2014, we began the Johnny Hockey era and advanced to the conference semifinals. The Flames raised the bar high by setting a franchise record for the longest home game winning streak at 11 games in 2015 and added the gritty Matthew Tkachuk in 2016.
In 2018-19, the team switched things up a little and made several changes to their roster. The Calgary Flames set a franchise record for the most road wins and had their second-highest win and point totals in franchise history! Unfortunately, the regular-season success didn’t carry over into the playoffs and the Flames lost in the first round. On a high note, however, captain Mark Giordano won his first Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman.
Now, we’re in the 2019-20 season and watching the Flames fight night after night for a playoff berth. With less than 20 games left, we expect plenty of excitement to come. As we mentioned earlier, anything can happen at this point in the season!
Now that you’ve had a chance to refresh your memory and learn about the history of the Calgary Flames, you are considered a TRUE Flames fan. It’s time to get your tickets, munch on a pocket dawg, and get ready to heat things up this playoff season!
GO FLAMES GO!
