2009 Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames ended the 2008-09 season in 2nd place in the Northwest Division and made it to the playoffs before being knocked out by the Red Wings in the quarterfinals. They’re starting the 2009-10 season determined to go even deeper, as GM Darryl Sutter put it, “It's nice for teams to want to make the playoffs, but there's also some who want to go beyond that, and I'd like to think we're one of them.” To that end, head coach Mike Keenan was fired and replaced by the GM’s brother, Brent Sutter, who is expected to work well with the young players, a particular concern as the team is the youngest it’s been in years. The Flames’ defense is strong, with the newly acquired Jay Bouwmeester joining Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr, making an almost unbeatable power trio, though their offense has some question marks. Sutter is counting on Olli Jokinen to excel in his first full year with the team, but he has big shoes to fill after the loss of Mike Cammalleri. See for yourself how it all works out with tickets to Pengrowth Saddledome to watch the Calgary Flames in action!

The Calgary Flames began life as the Atlanta Flames in 1972, and despite being an expansion team when the World Hockey Association was stealing players from the NHL, the Flames earned playoff berths in six of their first eight seasons. Big money lured the Flames to Calgary in 1980, where the team has continued to have success, including a Stanley Cup victory in 1989.

The club's early stars included right wing Bob MacMillan and centers Curt Bennett and Tom Lysiak. In the 1980-81 season, the Flames' first year in Calgary, center Kent Nilsson collected a franchise-record 131 points, and the club won its first postseason series. The Flames advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals before losing to the Minnesota North Stars.

In 1986, under head coach Bob Johnson, Calgary upset the defending-champion Edmonton Oilers in the division finals, and the Flames went on to make their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Facing the Montreal Canadiens, the Flames won the first game but lost the next four. In 1989, under head coach Terry Crisp, Calgary returned to the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated the Canadiens 4 games to 2. The Flames' lineup featured several NHL All-Star team members, including wings Hakan Loob and Joe Mullen; defensemen Gary Suter, Al MacInnis, and Brad McCrimmon; center Joe Nieuwendyk; and goalie Mike Vernon. That year Vernon ranked first in the league in wins; MacInnis scored a league-high 31 playoff points and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason's most valuable player (MVP).

In the 1990s the Flames earned several division titles and reached the playoffs numerous times, but they failed to advance far in the postseason. In 1995 the team traded Vernon to the Detroit Red Wings. Outstanding Calgary team members of the 1990s included right wing Theoren Fleury, left wing Gary Roberts, and goaltender Trevor Kidd.