 The Flames felt they needed a quality offensive player and expected Mullen to fulfill that role. As it was the first time in his career he had been traded, Mullen was initially upset at the move. He was awed by the reaction he received from fans in Calgary however; fans greeted him warmly even as his flight landed to arrive in the city. Mullen described the experience as being "almost like ... an instant celebrity". He quickly established himself as a fan favorite, scoring 38 points in 29 games to end the regular season. He then led the league with 12 goals in the 1986 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Flames reached the final for the first time in franchise history, but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Mullen set a personal best of 47 goals in his first full year in Calgary, 1986 – 87, and with only 14 penalty minutes on the season, was voted the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most gentlemanly player.
