The History of the Calgary Flames

So how exactly did Calgary come about getting an NHL team?  What have they gone through since they started in NHL to where they are now?  I'm going to answer these questions for you.  The Calgary Flames were originally the Atlanta Flames.  Due to a lack of hockey poised market in Atlanta, they were forced to relocate.  The thriving Calgary market seemed the perfect place for an NHL team, and so that's where they ended up.  The relocation occurred in 1979 and the Calgary Flames participated in their first NHL season in 1980.

In 1986, the Flames made it to their first Stanley Cup final appearance but lost the best of seven series to the Montreal Canadiens.  Three years later, the Flames bested the same team to win their first and only Stanley Cup so far.  That season the Flames had also finished as the top team in the NHL with 117 points in 80 games.  The cup-winning team was captained by the famous Lanny McDonald, who retired during the following off season.  The team was backstopped by Mike Vernon, the only goalie to have his number retired in the rafters in Calgary.

The Flames would not reach the Stanley Cup finals again until 2004.  By this time, the new face of the franchise was their captain, number 12, Jarome Iginla.  Iginla was a draft pick of the Dallas Stars which was traded to Calgary in a deal which sent former captain Joe Nieuwendyk the opposite way.  The 2003-2004 season was the first year Iginla sported a "C" on his jersey and it led to great success for the team.  After an inspirational run to the cup, the Flames fell one goal short, losing game seven of the finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 2-1.

The Flames were able to carry their success forwards for the following four seasons, making it to the playoffs in each of them.  As of recent, they have not been as lucky, as it seems they are about to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive time.

The Flames have become one of the NHL's most popular teams.  They are right behind the Vancouver Canucks for most consecutive games sold out.  Regardless of the success or failure in Calgary, they have a large and loyal fan base.