Calgary Flames

1980/81:The NHL finally came to Canada’s Old Western town of Calgary as the Flames moved into the old Calgary Corral, which once played home for Calgary’s WHA team the Cowboys. The Flames played their first game in Cow-Town on October 9th battling the Quebec Nordiques to a 5-5- deadlock. Already a solid contender in Atlanta the Flames put together a solid 39-27-14 record finishing in third place in the Patrick Division. After failing miserably in the postseason in Atlanta, winning just two games in seven playoff appearances, the Calgary Flames won their first ever playoff series by sweeping the Chicago Black Hawks in three straight games. The Flames stayed red hot in the second round jumping out to a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the Flyers would recover to win the next two games to force a seventh game in Philadelphia. The Flames would recover winning Game 7 by a 4-1 score to reach the semifinals. However, the Flames would run out of gas in the semis as they fell to the Minnesota North Stars in six games.

1981/82:The Flames would attempt stronger their second year in Calgary as they acquired Lanny McDonald from the Colorado Rockies, as the NHL realigned into geographical settings with Flames being placed in the Smythe Division with other Western teams, including the Edmonton Oilers. However, the Flames would struggle finishing in third place with a disappointing record of 29-34-17. The Flames would be extinguished quickly in the playoffs, as they are swept by the Vancouver Canucks in three straight games.

1982/83:Despite 66 goals from Lanny McDonald the Flames continued to play mediocre hockey posting a record of 32-34-1, while playing in a Smythe Division dominated by their provincial rival Edmonton Oilers. In the playoffs the Flames would burn through the Vancouver Canucks in four games setting up a Division Final against the Oilers. However it would be no contest as the Flames were dominated by the Oilers falling in five games while allowing 35 goals.

1983/84:After three years in the old Corral the Flames got a beautiful new homestead as the Olympic Saddledome opened in downtown Calgary, as the city prepare red to host the 1988 Winter Olympics. In their first season at the Saddledome the Flames finished in second place with a 34-32-14 record. Once again, the Flames would make quick work of the Vancouver Canucks winning in four games to set up a Division Final rematch with the Edmonton Oilers. This time the Flames would put up a fight forcing a seventh game after falling behind three games to one. However, in the end the Oilers would prove too powerful as they took Game 7 by a 7-4 score.

1984/85:The Flames would put together a solid season finishing in third place with a record of 41-27-12. However, their hopes of a playoff rematch with the Edmonton Oilers are dashed as they are beaten by the Winnipeg Jets in four games.

1985/86:Rookie defenseman Gary Suter has a terrific season capturing the Calder Trophy with 68 points as the Flames finish in second place with a 40-31-9 record. In the playoffs the Flames would make quick work of the Winnipeg Jets sweeping them in three straight games to set up a Smythe Division Final against the Edmonton Oilers, who were seeking the third straight Stanley Cup. However things will be different this time as the Flames and Oilers alternated wins with the Fames pulling off the upset in seven games with a 3-2 win in Edmonton to move on to the Campbell Conference Finals. The Flames would find themselves in another tough battle in the Conference Finals as the Flames alternated wins with the St. Louis Blues. Game 7 in Calgary was just as tight as the Flames emerged victorious with a 2-1 win setting up the first all Canadian Stanley Cup Final since expansion. The Flames would get off to a fast start in the Finals as they took Game 1 at home 5-2 against the Montreal Canadiens. However, the Habs would rally in Game 2 and win in overtime and would eventually go on to take the series in five games.

1986/87:Coming off their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals the Flames continued to be one of the top teams in the NHL as they finished in second place with a solid 46-31-3 record. However, in the first round of the playoffs they would be stunned by the Winnipeg Jets in six games.

1987/88:Calgary became the center of the sports world in February playing host to the Winter Olympics. The Saddledome would be one of the key venues meaning the Flames were forced to play most of the month on the road. However, it would have no negative effect on the team as they captured their first ever division title while winning the President’s Trophy for the best record in the NHL at 48-23-9. In the playoffs the Flames would have no problem beating the Los Angeles Kings winning in five games while scoring 30 goals. However, the true test would come in the Smythe Finals and the Flames would fail miserably as they are swept by the Edmonton Oilers in four straight games.

1988/89:The landscape of hockey suddenly changed in the off-season as the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. The Flames would take full advantage capturing their second straight President’s Trophy with a solid 54-17-9 record as Lanny McDonald was playing his final season seeking the Stanley Cup that had eluded him though out his stellar 16-year career. In the playoffs the Flames would be tested early as they pushed to a seventh game by the Vancouver Canucks. Game 7 would go into overtime as the Flames dreams of a Stanley Cup stood in peril before Joel Otto scored the game winner to send the Flames on to the Smythe Finals. In the Smythe Division Finals the Flames would find things easier as they swept the Los Angeles Kings in four straight games. Moving on to the Conference Finals the Flames continued to roll, as they need just five games to get past the Chicago Blackhawks and into the Stanley Cup Finals. In the finals the Flames would face the Montreal Canadiens in a rematch of the 1986 final. After spitting the first two games at home the Flames battled the Canadiens into overtime in Game 3 at the historic Montreal Forum. However, the Flames would fall in overtime 4-3. Facing the prospect of falling behind three games to one, the Flames needed a huge effort in Game 4. A huge effort is what they got as they beat the Habs 4-2 to even the series at two games apiece. In Game 5 at the Saddledome the Flames jumped out early as Jim Otto lit the lamp 28 seconds into the game, the Flames would go on to win the game 3-2 surviving a 3rd period flurry by the Canadiens. In Game 6 at Montreal the Flames took a 2-1 lead as Lanny McDonald found the back of the net in the 2nd period. What would turn out to be McDonald’s last goal would turn out to give the Flames the lead for good as Doug Gilmour scored twice in the 3rd period to give the Flames a 4-2 win and their first Stanley Cup. The Flames became the first road team to win the cup at the Forum as Defenseman Al MacInnis would go on to claim the Conn Smythe as an emotional Lanny McDonald embraced the Stanley Cup as he finally captured the ultimate prize.

1989/90:Coming off their Stanley Cup Champions the Flames remained the team to beat in the West finishing with a solid record of 42-23-15 coming just two points shy of another President’s Trophy. Helping to keep the Flames strong was the addition of talent from the Soviet Red Army team as Sergei Makarov a 12-year version of one of the best National team joined the Flames as part of the first wave of Russian born players in the NHL. Makarov would cause some controversy as he won the Calder Trophy at the age of 31, as many argued he should have not been considered a rookie after his long career in Russia. Out to defend the cup the Flames had difficulties from the start as their defense struggled allowed 24 goals in the first 4 games including 12 in Game as the Los Angeles Kings grabbed a 3-1 series lead. The Flames would stay alive with a 5-1 win in Game 5, but the Kings would go on to put the Flames out with a 4-3 win in overtime of Game 6.

1990/91:Theo Fleury has a breakout season with 51 goals and 53 assists as the Flames continue to burn bright in the regular season finishing in second place with a solid 46-26-8 record. However, for the second year in a row the Flames would struggle in the playoffs falling behind the hated Edmonton Oilers three games to one. The Flames would spark back to life forcing a 7th game by winning the next two games including Game 6 in overtime. However, in Game 7 at the Saddledome the Oilers would be the ones who would emerge victorious in overtime.

1991/92:The Flames would struggle defensively all season as their string of 17 straight playoff appearances dating back to their third season in Atlanta comes to a stunning end as the Flames finish in fifth place with a disappointing record of 31-37-12.

1992/93:The Flames would rebound off their disappointing season by finishing in second place with a solid record of 43-30-11, as Gary Roberts scored a team high 53 goals. However, in the playoffs the Flames would disappoint again as they were knocked off by the Los Angeles Kings in six games losing the final three games while allowing nine goals in Game 5 and Game 6.

1993/94:The NHL renames the division into geographical names as the Flames capture the Pacific Division with a solid 42-29-13 record as Robert Reichel, Theo Fleury and Gary Roberts each score more than 40 goals and 40 assists. In the playoffs the Flames would get off to a fast start taking a 3-1 series lead over the Vancouver Canucks. However, the Canucks would come back to stun the Flames with three straight overtime wins including two game winners score by Pavel Bure.

1994/95:Heroes from the 1989 playoffs continue to leave the Flames, as Mike Vernon and Al MacInnis are dealt away in separate deals. Despite the change over the Flames remain atop the Pacific Division with a 24-17-7 record in a season cut in half by a four month lockout, despite injuries limiting Gary Roberts to eight games. However, in the playoffs the Flames would be stunned again losing Game 7 at home in overtime to the San Jose Sharks.

1995/96:Despite struggling to post a 34-37-11 record the Flames are able to sneak into the playoffs as a seventh seed. Along the way Gary Roberts is forced into early retirement with a serve neck injury, playing just 35 games while earning the Bill Masterton trophy. In the playoffs the Flames would make a quick exit, as they were swept in four straight games by the Chicago Blackhawks.

1996/97:Without Gary Roberts the Flames are never a factor in the playoff chase falling to fifth place in the Pacific Division with a record of 32-41-9.

1997/98:Just two years after being forced to retire early, Gary Roberts makes a stunning comeback. However, it is with Carolina Hurricanes, not the Flames. Perhaps the Flames could have used him as they missed the playoffs for the second straight season marking the first time in the entire franchise that they went two straight seasons without the playoffs.

1998/99:The Flames continue to struggle with the economic realities of the Canadian Dollar as they are forced to trade away Flames hero Theo Fleury in the middle of the season knowing they would not be able to resign him following the season. With the trade of Fleury the Flames would miss the playoffs for the third straight season with a record of 30-40-12.

1999/00:The Flames began a new millennium with a young team of new heroes including Jarome Iginla and Valeri Bure who each have solid seasons. However, the Flames would fall short of the playoffs again with a record of 31-47-10-5 as they finished in last place in the Northwest Division.

2000/01:Mike Vernon who backstopped the Flames 1989 Stanley Cup run in goal returns to help a young team make it back to the playoffs. However, Vernon was clearly past his prime as the Flames flickered out again finishing in fourth place with a 27-35-15-4 record.

2001/02:With Jarome Iginla leading the NHL in goals with 50 and scoring with 96 points the Flames get off to a solid start and appear to be set to make a return to the postseason. However despite the spectacular season from Iginla who was a runner up for the Hart Trophy the Flames would fade in the second half missing the playoffs for the sixth straight season with a 32-35-12-3 record.

2002/03:After leading the league in scoring Jarome Iginla suffer through what must be considered a disappointing season as he on scores 35 goals, while putting up a total of 67 points, with a terrible -10 +/- rating. With Iginla struggling the Flames would hardly flicker as they spent all season in last place as Coach Greg Gilbert was fired and eventually replaced Darryl Sutter, while the Flames posted a terrible record of 29-36-13-4.

2003/04:The Flames began the season making history as they named Jarome Iginla team captain making him the first black captain in NHL history. The Flames would get off to a slow start as goalie Roman Turek struggled. On November 16th the Flames who had a 6-8-0-2 acquired goalie Miikka Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks with the hopes of lowering the goals they allowed. Kiprusoff would be just what the Flames needed as he provided an instant fire wall for the Flames who were now able to stringing wins together as Kiprusoff had a league low 1.70 GAA, as the Flames posted a 13-2-3-0 record in Kiprusoff’s first six weeks after the trade. However a groin injury would force him to miss the entire month of January. In his absence the Flames would go 7-10-2-0, a record good enough to keep them alive in the playoff race. When Kipper returned the Flames won their first four games as they began a strong push that landed them in the playoffs for the first time in nine years with a record of 42-30-7-3 as they placed 3rd in the Northwest Division. In their first playoff series since 1995 the Flames were matched up against the Vancouver Canucks. The series started off shaky for the Flames who dropped the opener 5-3. However, they would rebound with a strong 2-1 in Game 2. In the first playoff game in Calgary in nine years the Flames were frustrated again losing 2-1. The Flames would bounce back again in Game 4 as Kiprusoff blanked the Canucks in a 4-0 win. The Flames would finally take control of the series with a 2-1 win in Game 5. However with a chance to close out their first playoff series win since winning the 1989 Stanley Cup the Flames fell behind early in Game 6 at home trailing 4-0 midway through the 2nd period. The Flames would not go down quietly rallying to score 4 goals and force overtime. After two scoreless overtime periods the Canucks would score and would send the series back to Vancouver for a decisive seventh game. In Game 7 the Flames led 2-1 in the closing seconds; however the Canucks would tie the game with six seconds left giving flashbacks to Flames Game 7 failures in the past. However, this time Flames would take advantage of an early overtime power play as Martin Gelinas scored 1:25 into overtime, as the Flames advanced to the second round for the first time since winning the cup in 1989. In the second Round the Flames faced the Detroit Red Wings who had the best record in the NHL all season. In Game 1 Miikka Kiprusoff faced a barrage of Red Wings shots but kept the game tied at 1 at the end of regulation as the Flames had overtime magic again on a Marcus Nilsson goal 2:39 into overtime. After the Wings rebounded to take Game 2 the Flames held on to a 3-2 win as Kiprusoff stopped 12 shots in the 3rd period. After dropping Game 4 at home Kiprusoff stopped all 31 shots in Game 5 as the Flames took a 3-2 series edge with a 1-0 win. Kiprusoff was magical again in Game 6 as he turned away shot after shot 44 in all before the Flames won the game and the series in overtime 1-0 on another overtime winner by Martin Gelinas.

2003/04:In the Western Conference Finals the Flames who were quickly becoming the darlings of Canada faced the San Jose Sharks as the Coach Darryl Sutter faced the team that fired him in 2003, while Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff faced the team that dealt him away in November. Game 1in San Jose would see the Flames would jump out to a 2-0 lead, only to see the Sharks battle back as the game went to overtime tied at 2. In overtime Steve Montador would knock home the game winner as the Flames took the early advantage. In Game 2 the Flames would take a 2-0 series lead with a solid 4-1 win. However as the series shifted to Calgary before a rowdy Saddledome the Flames continued their home ice struggles losing both games 3-0 and 4-2. However back in San Jose for Game 5 the Flames continued to be road warriors as Kiprusoff earned a shutout in a 3-0 win. Not wanting to chance things the Flames closed out the series with a 3-1 win in Game 6 to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. As the first Canadian team in the finals in a decade the Flames had the entire nation on their side as even when they were on the road, they had fans filling the Saddledome to watch on the big screen. That crowd was more than excited in Game 1 as the Flames beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 in Game 1. After the Lightning recovered with a 4-1 win of their own in Game 2, the series shifted to Calgary where the Saddledome was packed to the rafter with record crowds they stayed loud form beginning to end. In Game 3 that crowd had plenty to cheer about as the Flames won 3-0. In Game 4 the Flames fell behind early on a goal by Brad Richards, it would be the only one Kiprusoff allowed, but the Flames were unable to get on the boards themselves as the Lightning evened the series with a 1-0 win. In Game 5 the Flames were back on the road, where they came up with another big Game 5 win this time in overtime on a goal by Oleg Saprykin. With a chance to bring the cup home to Canada the Flames need just one more goal as the game was tied 2-2 at the end of regulation. However each shot was turned away as the game remained tie through the first 20 minutes of overtime. Then early into the second overtime the Lightning struck as Martin St. Louis the league MVP who was once labeled as too small and released by the Flames scored to force a seventh game. In Game 7 in Tampa the Flames fell behind early, and entered the 3rd period trailing 2-0, midway through the 3rd period they cut the lead to 2-1, as they made a last desperate push for the Stanley Cup. However, they would be turned away as the Lightning held on to a 2-1 victory, ending the Flames magical run, in heartbreaking fashion.

2004/05:Season Cancelled Due to Lock Out

2005/06:After coming within one win of the Stanley Cup before the Lock Out, big things were expected for the Flames after the missed year as they had one of the most talented teams in the NHL, led by one of the premiere goalies Miikka Kiprusoff who seemed to be just coming into his own. The Flames would not start of in a house of fire as they posted a losing record in October, but after an eight game winning streak in November they were right back on track, as Kiprusoff and the Flames defense led by hard hitting rookie Dion Phaneuf were extinguishing much of the new offensive fireworks that was being experienced elsewhere in the NHL, as Flames Coach Darryl Sutter insisted his team remain true to team defense, while this hurt individual numbers of stars like Jarome Iginla it helped the Flames be one of the strongest teams in the NHL all season long, as they won the Northwest Division with a solid record of 46-25-11, while Miikka Kiprusoff won the Vezina Trophy with a league high 42 wins and a GAA of 2.07. In the playoffs the Flames would face the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in a tight seven game series, in which five games were decided by one goal. However, they would come up short losing Game 7 at home 3-0.

2006/07:The Season began with change in Calgary as Darryl Sutter relinquished the coaching reigns to Jim Playfair, to concentrate on his General Manager duties. His new focus would pay off in the pre-season acquisition of Alex Tanguay from the Colorado Avalanche. After struggling early the Flames started to get hot in November as they were unbeatable at home, winning a franchise best 10 straight games at the Saddledome on the way to an NHL best 30-9-2 home record. However, on the road things were quite different as the Flames struggled all season winning just 13 times. However, they would still squeeze into the playoffs with the eighth seed in the Western Conference with an overall record of 43-29-10. Matched up against the Detroit Red Wings, the Flames had visions of reliving the 2004 upset. However, their road woes continued as they were blown out in the first two games in Detroit. In Game 3 the Flames would benefit from the much needed home cooking as they rallied from an early 3rd Period goal to beat the Wings 3-2. The Flames would continue to enjoy the ice at the Saddledome as they evened the series with another 3-2 win in Game 4, powered by two Power Play Goals from Daymond Langkow. However, as the series went back to Detroit in Game 5 the Flames misfired again losing 5-1. With further embarrassment from a slashing incident by backup Goalie Jamie McLennan who hit Johan Franzen in the stomach only 18 seconds after relieving Miikka Kiprusoff. McLennan was abruptly ejected from the game, causing Kiprusoff to return to the net, and suspended five games. Playfair and the Flames organization were also heavily fined, in part because the NHL made actions late in games that were out of hand a point of emphasis. Frazen would get his revenge one game later as he eliminated the Flames 2-1 with a goal in double overtime. Following the season the Flames would make another coaching change hiring Mike Keenan who has the experience of taking teams to the next level.

2007/08:Under new Coach Mike Keenan the Flames struggled early in the season, as they posted a sluggish 10-13-4 record through their first two months. However, in December the Flames began to show some spark, as they posed a perfect 5-0 road trip. While the winning streak enabled the Flames to climb out of an early hole, they still had trouble playing a consistent brand of hockey as January saw a four game losing streak sandwiched by a five game winning streak and a four game winning streak. In February the .500 play continued, as a four game winning streak help salvage what might have been a disastrous month for their playoff hopes. March would be almost a carbon copy as the Flames again posted a 7-6-1 record. It would be just enough as the Flames won two of their last three games in April to nab the seventh seed in the playoffs with a record of 42-30-10. Facing the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs the Flames got off to a great start, taking Game 1 on the road 3-2, led by two goals from Stephane Yelle. After a frustrating 2-0 loss in Game 2, the Flames regained control of the series with a dramatic 4-3 victory at the Saddledome in Game 3, scoring four unanswered goals after Miikka Kiprusoff was removed for allowing three goals in the first 3:33 of the first period. However, the Flames were unable to capitalize on their comeback win as they dropped the next two games, entering Game 6 facing elimination. With the Flames defense clamping down on the Sharks the Flames were able to force a seventh game, as Miikka Kiprusoff stopped all 21 shots in a 2-0 win. However, as the series shifted back to San Jose, the Sharks used a four goal second period to extinguish the Flames with a 5-3 win.

2008/09:The Flames stumble out of the gate, winning just one of their first five games, including an embarrassing 6-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks to start the season. However, they quickly turned things around by winning their next games, as they sought to regain the top spot in the Northwest Division. The Flames would spend much of the first half of the season in first place, as they held a 30-14-4 record at the end of February. However, thanks to a four game losing streak the year’s shortest month felt like the longest month of the season as the Flames sputtered in February. On March 1st Jarome Iginla scored his 400th goal while becoming the Flames all-time leading scorer with his 830th career point, surpassing Theo Fleury, but the Flames would lose the game 8-6 to the Tampa Lightning, as they suffered through a 6-9 March, losing their grip on first place. The Flames would split their final six games in April and would settle for second place in the division, and fifth overall with a record of 46-30-6. In the playoffs the Flames would face the young Chicago Blackhawks, who were making their first playoff appearance in seven years. However, the Flames were unable to take advantage as they dropped the first two games on the road, including a frustrating 3-2 loss in overtime in Game 1, as Martin Havlat scored just 12 seconds into the extra period. The Flames would recover to win the next two games at home. However, the Flames would go out in the first round for the second straight season as they lost the next two games by a combined score of 9-2 to exit in six games. Following the season Coach Mike Keenan would be fired as General Manager Darryl Sutter, hired his own brother Brent Sutter, who had led the New Jersey Devils to a division title, but chose to be closer to his family in Alberta.

2009/10:With Brent Sutter behind the bench, the Flames got off to a solid start winning their first four games, on the way to a 7-2-1 start. The Flames continued to play well in November, losing just twice in regulation as they stood in first place in the Northwest Division. However, as December arrived the Flames began to struggle, posting a 3-6-2 record during an 11 game stretch. Though they appeared to get back on track with a five game winning streak that carried into the New Year, the Flames problems would continue in January, as they suffered a nine game losing streak. Looking to shake the team up the Flames would trade Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom, and Keith Aulie to the Toronto Maple Leafs on January 31st for Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White. A day later they would send Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers for Christopher Higgins and Ales Kotalik. With the deals the Flames would post a 3-3-1 record in February as they hit the Olympic Break with a record of 30-23-9. Coming out of the break, the Flames played well winning six of their first nine games as they found themselves battling to get back to the playoffs. However, as the season came to an end the Flames would drop their final four games as they missed the playoffs by five points with a record of 40-32-10.

2010/11:After narrowly missing the playoffs the Flames looked to rebound as they welcomed back Alex Tanguay and signed Olli Jokinen and Brendan Morrison as part of a busy off-season. The Flames would struggle to score early in the season, with two shutouts in their first three games. However, they managed a solid first month, posting a record of 6-5-0 in October. Over the next two months the Flames would struggle, as General Manager Darryl Sutter stepped down and was replaced by Jay Feaster. After heading into the New Year with a record of 17-18-3, the Flames finally picked up their play in January, posting a 7-3-3 record. From January 7th to February 20th the Flames would only suffer two regulation losses, posting a record of 13-2-5 to get back into the playoff race. The final game of the stretch was extra special as the Flames hosted the Montreal Canadiens in the Heritage Classic played in McMahon Stadium, with the Flames shutting out the Habs 4-0 in front of 41,022 fans who braved sub-freezing temperatures. In the game Miikka Kiprusoff became the first goaltender to record a shutout in an NHL outdoor game, stopping all 39 shots he faced. After the Heritage Classic the Flames would play mediocre hockey, despite Captain Jarome Iginla getting two major milestones, as became the tenth player in NHL history to score at least 30 goals in ten consecutive seasons and scored his 1,000th career point, all with the Flames, with a goal against the St. Louis Blues on April 1st. The Flames would end up missing the playoffs again, this time by three points despite a respectable record of 41-29-12.

2011/12:The Flames began the season with high hopes as they looked to return to the playoffs after two disappointing seasons. However, once again they would get off to a slow start, as they were beaten by the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in their season opener at the Saddledome. The Flames continued to flicker in November as they entered December with a record of 10-12-1. This would lead to rumors of trade involving longtime Captain Jarome Iginla. However after starting December with five wins in seven games, the Flames appeared to be turning the corner. After entering 2012 with a record of 18-16-5, the focus came not on trades but milestones for Jarome Iginla, who scored his 500th goal on January 7th as the Flames scorched the Minnesota Wild 3-1. The mark was extra historic as Iginla was the first black man to score 500 goals in the NHL. However, the Flames continued to play sub-par hockey as they hovered around the .500 mark as February began. However, injuries would keep the Flames from ever getting any momentum as they lost Alex Tanguay, Curtis Glencross and Lee Stempniak for long stretches. Hoping to add a spark, the Flames would pick up Michael Cammalleri and Karri Ramo from the Montreal Canadiens for Rene Bourque and Patrick Holland. However, it would not matter, as the Flames missed the playoffs for the third straight season, as they finished with a record of 37-29-16. Following the season Coach Brent Sutter, would be replaced by Bob Hartley.

2012/13:Change was in the air in Calgary as Bob Hartley took over as the Flames new coach. When the season finally began in January after a lockout the question was how long would stars like Jarome Iginla remain with the team as it was clear that the Flames were ready to begin a fire sale and a period of rebuilding. The Flames would get off to a slow start, winning just one first five games. The Flames would play better in February, but could not get over .500 as Jarome Iginla struggled. This led to criticism for the Flames all-time leading scorer and Captain that he was over the hill and more worried about his contract than helping the Flames win. The Flames would run hot and cold in March, as they won six of seven games at the Saddledome, but lost all seven on the road, a part of a larger 12 game losing streak away from home. As the trade deadline approached the inevitable became a reality as Iginla was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 27th, in return the Flames received for prospects Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski and a first-round pick in 2013 (Morgan Klimchuk) in return. In his final home game three days earlier, Jarome Iginla scored the game winning goal as the Flames beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Iginla served as captain of the Flames for a decade and is the franchise leader in games played (1,219), goals (525), points (1,095), multi-goal games (95) and game-winning goals (83). Without Jarome Iginla the Flames would finish the season with a record of 19-25-4, missing the playoff for the fourth season in a row. Following the season another longtime Flame would depart as Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff announced his retirement.

2013/14:With the departure of long time Flames fan favorites Jarome Iginla and the retirement of Goalie Miikka Kiprusoff it was clear that there was going to be a period of rebuilding in Calgary. However, they did not expect it to include the Scotiabank Saddledome which was heavily damaged during the Alberta Floods in June of 2013. Damage was widespread throughout the city as the Elbow and Bow Rivers overflowed their banks. Much of the Flames locker room and equipment was destroyed. Crews worked around the clock to have the Saddledome ready for the hockey season, as Brian Burke was named President with Jay Feaster serving as General Manager in charge of building the team on the ice. After splitting their first two games on the road, the Flames lost a 5-4 heartbreaker to the Vancouver Canucks in overtime in their return to the Saddledome on October 6th. Despite low expectations, the Flames were competitive in October, finishing the month with a record of 5-5-2. However, in November the Flames were victimized by the injury bug as newly minted Captain Mark Giordano, Lee Stempniak and Curtis Glencross all missed several weeks. The Flames would suffer a six game losing streak during November in their absence and went into the New Year sputtering with a record of 14-20-6. The Flames continued to slump in January, as Coach Bob Hartley was involved in a bizarre incident with Canucks Coach John Tortorella. Tortorella was not happy the Hartley started a January 18th game in Vancouver with the Flames enforcers on the ice, during intermission he attempted to charge into the Flames locker room, earning a 15 day suspension. While the Flames lost the game to Vancouver in a 3-2 shootout, the Flames would show signs of life by winning five straight games as January turned into February. The Flames would go into the Olympic Break with a record of 22-30-7. Despite dealing Lee Stempniak to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the trade deadline, the Flames finished the season strong, posting winning records in March and April as they avoided the feared last place finish and posted a record of 35-40-7 ten points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and sixth in the Pacific Division. Jiri Hudler would finish the season as the team’s leading scorer with 54 points, highlighted by 37 assists, while Michael Cammalleri led the Flames with 26 goals. Kari Ramo and Reto Berra split most of the season in goal, neither fully distinguishing themselves before Berra was shipped to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline. Following the season picking up a new Goalie became a priority for the Flames as they signed Free Agent Jonas Hiller from the Anaheim Ducks to a two year deal worth $9 million.

2014/15:Entering Bob Hartley’s second season behind the bench it was clear to see that the Calgary Flames were vastly improved. Rookie Johnny Gaudreau gave the team a new energy on the ice, while Goalie Jonas Hiller signed as a free agent from the Anaheim Ducks, gave the Flames a steady goalie they had been lacking since Miikka Kiprusoff retired. Gaudreau in his first full season of professional hockey after winning the NCAA’s top honor as the Hobey Backer Award in 2014, started slowly, registering just one point in his first six games. However, Johnny Hockey soon heated up amassing 12 goals and 30 points through 37 games. Despite playing well early the Flames hit a wall in December, losing eight straight after a solid 17-8-2. On December 22nd it appeared the Flames were heading toward yet another loss as they trailed the Los Angeles Kings 3-0. However, Johnny Gaudreau netted his first career hat trick as the Flames rallied to win the game in overtime 4-3. The Flames would head into the New Year with a record of 21-15-3 and looked to be a true playoff contender as the season reached its midpoint. Gaudreau and Mark Giordano would both be named to the NHL All-Star roster. Johnny Gaudreau dazzled during All-Star weekend, showing himself to be one of the league’s most dynamic talents during the shootout challenge. Johnny Gaudreau would finish tied with the Mark Stone of the Ottawa Senators to lead all rookies in scoring with 64 points. However, despite being a finalist for the Calder Trophy Johnny Hockey would not be able to swipe the NHL’s honor for the top rookie. Gaudreau ended the season ranked only behind Jiri Hudler for the Flames lead in scoring. Hudler who had a team high 76 points, shared the honors of the top goal scorer in Calgary with Sean Monahan with 31 goals. As March began the Flames faced a major test, with a seven game road trip, while the Saddledome hosted the Canadian National Curling Championships. The Flames not only survived the road trip, they thrived, winning four games. The Flames would only secure their playoff positioning in March, ending a five year playoff drought by posting a record 45-30-7. While Johnny Gaudreau did not win the Rookie of the Year, Bob Hartley became the first Flame to be named coach of the year as he won the Jack Adams Award. In addition Jiri Hudler won the Lady Byng Award for gentlemanly play.

2015 Playoffs:In the playoffs the Flames would face the Vancouver Canucks. Game 1 was a tight defensive game, as Kris Russell’s goal with 29.6 seconds left was the difference in a 2-1 win on the road. The Canucks would rebound with a 4-1 win in Game 2, as tempers began to overflow leading to a fight with 1:17 left that resulted in 132 penalty minutes being handed out. As the series shifted to Calgary, the Flames got two strong games from Jonas Hiller, winning Game 3 by a score of 4-2, and 3-1 in Game 4. Hiller was strong again in Game 5, stopping 41 of 43 shots as the Flames looked to close the series out at Rogers Arena. However, the Flames offense struggled after David Jones gave them an early lead, losing the game 2-1. Returning to the Saddledome for Game 6, Jonas Hiller struggled allowing two goals on the Canucks first three shots, before Bob Hartley replaced him with Kari Ramo. The Flames would battle back in the second period tying the game 3-3. The Canucks would answer back with a goal by Luca Sbisa and held a 4-3 lead entering the final period. After Jiri Hudler evened the score with a power play goal early in the third period, Matt Stajan gave the Flames the lead with 4:17 left. The Flames would add two empty net goals to win the game 7-4 and advanced to the second round for the first time since 2004. The Flames would find a much tougher opponent in the Anaheim Ducks in the second round. The Ducks had the best record in the Western Conference and were considered the team to beat on the road to the Stanley Cup. After the first two games in Anaheim the Flames would be hard pressed to argue, losing the opener 6-1, while suffering a 3-0 shutout loss in Game 2. Things looked bleak in Game 3 at the Saddledome as well, as the Flames were flickering down 3-2 late in the third period. However, Johnny Gaudreau scored with 19.1 seconds left to force overtime, as the Flames won the game 4-3 on a goal by Mikael Backlund. Despite the overtime loss, the Ducks remained relentless, winning 4-2 to take a 3-1

2015/16:After getting into the second round of the playoffs with the youngest roster in the NHL, expectations were sky high for the Calgary Flames. Looking to strengthen the blue line, the Flames acquired Defenseman Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins in a draft day deal. Injuries would play a big role early in the season for the Flames, as T.J. Brodie broke his hand in a pre-season game. The Flames also saw Lance Bouma]and Michael Ferland go down with lower body injuries in October as Calgary posted a 3-8-1 record in the first month of the season. The Flames struggled on the power play and penalty kill over the first two months resulting in them, falling into last place with a record of 8-14-2 at the end of November. The Flames would catch fire in December, winning seven straight games, as they benefited from a prolonged home stand. January would bring more frustration for Calgary as they posted a record of 4-6-1. On January 27th during a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators Dennis Wideman found himself in a controversial situation when he hit linesman Don Henderson after being dazed from a cross check. Wideman would be suspended 20 games, but the NHLPA fought, and the suspension was reduced to ten games, though he would miss 19 games recovering the concussion that led to his hit on Henderson. The Dennis Wideman suspension would be symbolic of the Flames season long struggles as they finished 35-40-7 and missed the playoffs. Johnny Gaudreau continued his development, leading the Flames in scoring with 78 points and team high 30 goals. Gaudreau would make the All-Star roster along with Mark Giordano, while Coach Bob Hartley paid the price for the team not making the playoffs and was dismissed following the season.

2016/17:Following a disappointing season, the Calgary Flames looked to bounce back under new coach Glen Gulutzan. The biggest change, however, was the acquisition of goalie Brian Elliott from the St. Louis Blues. In 2016, the Flames had the worst goalie statistics in the league. The early returns were not good for Calgary as they held a 5-10-1 record through their first 16 games. As December began, the Flames began to play much better hockey, as they had a six-game winning streak, which helped them go into the New Year with a record of 20-17-2. The Flames scuffled through January, but after the All-Star break became the hottest team in the NHL as they posted a 20-6-1 record over a two-month stretch to leap into playoff contention. This included a franchise record ten-game winning streak from February 21st to March 13th. The Flames stretch would enable them to get the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with a record of 45-33-4. Johnny Gaudreau, who would win the Lady Byng Award, was the Flames leading scorer with 61 points, while Sean Monahan had a team-best 27 goals. In between the pipes, the Flames were greatly improved as Brian Elliott had a solid 2.55 GAA while posting a save percentage of .910 while winning 26 games. Chad Johnson also was strong in goal for Calgary, with 18 wins had a 2.29 GAA, and a .910 save percentage.

2017 Playoffs:The good news was the Calgary Flames were in the playoffs, the bad news was they had to take on the Anaheim Ducks, a team that has given them fit over the last decade a streak that had reached 25 games. The Flames came into the series, having not won at the Honda Center in over a decade. A trend, which continued as they lost the opener 3-2. The Ducks also recorded a 3-2 win in Game 2, on a late goal by Ryan Getzlaf. The Saddledome was a sea of red, for Game 3 as the Flames looked to be on their way to making it a series, with a 4-1 lead in the second period. The Ducks would hover claw their way back and tied the game with 4:21 left on a goal by Shea Theodore. In overtime, Anaheim just needed 90 seconds to douse the Flames hopes, as Corey Perry scored to give the Ducks a 5-4 win. The Ducks would go on to complete the sweep, winning 3-1 in Game 4.

2017/18:After their quick playoff exit, the Calgary Flames looked to make a big step forward. However, they could never put together any consistency. Mike Smith was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes to play goal and earned his 200th career win on October 24th. The Flames started November playing a strong brand of hockey, as they won six-of-eight games. Though a mediocre December, had them chasing a playoff spot again holding a record of 19-16-4 as December came to an end. The Flames started the New Year strong, winning their first six games. They would lose the next four in overtime. After the All-Star Break, the Flames went back to skating at .500, as their playoff hopes were on thin ice. When it came time to make a last-minute push, the Flames sputter again, losing seven straight games. The Flames would finish the season with a disappointing record of 37-35-10, which spelled the end of coach Glenn Gulutzan, who was fired after two seasons behind the Flames’ bench. Johnny Gaudreau was Calgary’s leading scorer with 84 points, while Sean Monahan had a team-best 31 goals.

2018/19:Bill Peters took over as the new coach of the Calgary Flames. The Flames showed early promise, winning four of their first six games. Peters looked to get Calgary to improve their defense, as they had talented forwards, with Johnny Gaudreau again leading the way with 99 points. Johnny Hockey also led the team in goals, with 36 goals, while Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk each netted 34 goals. As November began, David Rittich started to rest away the starting goaltender duties from Mike Smith. Rittich, in his first full season in the NHL, showed he could be the answer in Calgary for years to come, with a 2.61 GAA and .911 save percentage, as he won 27 games, including his first career shutout, a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Kings on November 10th. In December, the Flames became one of the hottest teams in the NHL winning nine games, as they went into the New Year with a record of 24-12-4. The Flames continued their momentum into January, as they posted a record of 9-1-1. It was once again a great time to be a fan of the Calgary Flames as they spent most of the season in first place in the Pacific Division. The Flames would eventually win their first division title since 2006. They also had the best record in the Western Conference for the first time since 1990 at 50-25-7. A big part of their success was attributed to their success on the blue line, as Mark Giordano became the first member of the Flames to win the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the NHL. Giordano finished the year with 17 goals and a team-best 57 assists, in addition to having a +39.

2019 Playoffs:Despite the great season from David Rittich, Bill Peters decided to go with the veteran Mike Smith in goal for the playoffs as the Calgary Flames faced the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Ritich had struggled down the stretch, causing concern for Calgary. Smith was stellar in Game 1, stopping all 26 shots as the Flames won 4-0. Smith played well in Game 2, but the Flams suffered a disappointing 3-2 loss in overtime. Game 3, in Colorado, was ugly from start to finish as the Flames were buried by the Avalanche 6-2. Looking to rebound in Game 4, the Flames held a 2-0 in the third period. However, the Avalanche rallied and won the game in overtime with Mikko Rantanen scoring the tying goal and the game-winner as Colorado left the ice with a 3-2 win. The Flames would go home for Game 5, but could not get back in the series as they suffered a 5-1 loss, and were out of the playoff after just five games.