Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary , Alberta , Canada . They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The club is the third major - professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary , following the Calgary Tigers ( 1921 – 26 ) and Calgary Cowboys ( 1975 – 77 ) . The Flames arrived in the city of Calgary in 1980 after spending their first eight seasons in Atlanta , Georgia , as the Atlanta Flames . The Flames spent their first three seasons playing in the Stampede Corral before moving into their current home arena , the Olympic Saddledome ( now Pengrowth Saddledome ) , in 1983 . The Calgary Flames have an agreement to manage the Olympic Saddledome until July 2014 . In 1986 , the Flames became the first Calgary team since the Tigers in 1924 to compete for the Stanley Cup . In 1989 , the Flames captured the Cup for the first time . Calgary is one of two NHL franchises in Alberta , with the other being the Edmonton Oilers . The cities ' proximity has led to a famous rivalry , known as the Battle of Alberta . Games between the teams are often heated events . Franchise history . Atlanta . The Flames were the result of the NHL ' s first pre - emptive strike against the upstart World Hockey Association . In December 1971 , the NHL hastily granted a team to Long Island — the New York Islanders — to keep the WHA ' s New York Raiders out of the brand new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum . This came less than a year after the Vancouver Canucks and Buffalo Sabres joined the league . Needing another team to balance the schedule , the NHL awarded a team to an Atlanta - based group that owned the National Basketball Association ' s Atlanta Hawks , headed by prominent local real estate developer Tom Cousins . Cousins named the team the " Flames " after the fire resulting from the March to the Sea in the American Civil War by General William Tecumseh Sherman , in which Atlanta was nearly destroyed . They played home games in the Omni Coliseum in downtown Atlanta . The Flames were relatively successful early on . Under head coaches Bernie “ Boom Boom ” Geoffrion , Fred Creighton and Al MacNeil , the Flames made the playoffs in six of eight seasons in Atlanta . In marked contrast , their expansion cousins , the Islanders , won only 31 games during their first two years in the league combined . This relative success would not translate in the playoffs , however , as the Flames won only two post - season games during their time in Atlanta . Despite the on - ice success , the Atlanta ownership was never on sound financial footing . Fletcher said years later that Cousins ' initial financial projections for an NHL team did not account for the WHA entering the picture . The Flames were also a poor draw , and failed to sign a major television contract . In 1980 , Cousins was in considerable financial difficulty and was forced to sell the Flames to stave off bankruptcy . With few serious offers from local groups , he was very receptive to an offer from a group of Calgary businessmen fronted by Canadian entrepreneur ( and former Oilers owner ) Nelson Skalbania . A last - ditch effort to keep the team in Atlanta fell short , and Cousins sold the team to Skalbania for $ 16 million . a record sale price for an NHL team at the time . On May 21 , 1980 , Skalbania announced that the team would move to Calgary . He chose to retain the Flames name , feeling it would be a good fit for an oil town like Calgary , while the flaming " A " logo was replaced by a flaming " C " . Skalbania sold his interest in 1981 , and the Flames have been locally owned since . 1980 – 1985 . Unlike the WHA ' s Calgary Cowboys , who folded three years previous , the Flames were immediately embraced by the city of Calgary . While the Cowboys could manage to sell only 2 , 000 season tickets in their final campaign of 1976 – 77 , the Flames sold 10 , 000 full - and half - season ticket packages in the 7 , 000 seat Stampede Corral . Led by Kent Nilsson ' s 49 - goal , 131 - point season , the Flames qualified for the playoffs in their first season in Calgary with a 39 – 27 – 4 record , good for third in the Patrick Division . The team found much greater playoff success in Calgary than it did in Atlanta , winning their first two playoff series over the Chicago Black Hawks and Philadelphia Flyers before bowing out to the Minnesota North Stars in the semi - finals . This early success was not soon repeated . After a losing record in 1981 – 82 , General Manager Cliff Fletcher jettisoned several former Atlanta players who couldn ' t adjust to the higher - pressure hockey environment and rebuilt the roster . Over the next three seasons , he put together a core of players that would remain together through the early 1990s . Fletcher ' s efforts to match the Oilers led him to draw talent from areas previously neglected by the NHL . The Flames were among the earliest teams to sign large numbers of U . S . college players , including Joel Otto , Gary Suter and Colin Patterson . Fletcher also stepped up the search for European hockey talent , acquiring Hakan Loob and other key players . He was among the first to draft players from the Soviet Union , including HC CSKA Moscow star Sergei Makarov in 1983 , but Soviet players were not released to Western teams until 1989 . Still , the team was sufficiently improved to challenge the Oilers , who required the maximum seven games to defeat the Flames en route to their 1984 Stanley Cup Championship . In 1983 , the Flames moved into their new home , the Olympic Saddledome ( now known as the Pengrowth Saddledome ) . Located on the grounds of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede , the Saddledome was built as a venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics . In three seasons in the Corral , the Flames lost only 32 home games . In 1985 , the Flames hosted the 37th NHL All - Star Game , a 6 – 4 victory by the Wales Conference . 1985 – 1990 . The players acquired by Fletcher matured into one of the strongest teams in the league during the mid - 1980s and early 1990s . From 1984 - 85 to 1990 - 91 , the Flames tallied 90 points in every season but one . However , they were usually unable to transfer that success into a deep playoff run , largely because they were unable to get the better of their provincial rivals , the powerhouse Oilers . The NHL ' s playoff structure of the time made it very likely that the Flames would meet the Oilers in either the first or second round , rather than in the conference finals . From 1983 until 1990 , either the Oilers or the Flames represented the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals . By 1986 the Flames had landed forwards Doug Risebrough , Lanny McDonald , and Dan Quinn , defenceman Al MacInnis , and goaltender Mike Vernon . Finishing second in the Smythe with a 40 – 31 – 6 record ( the only season from 1984 to 1991 in which they did not finish with 90 or more points ) , the Flames swept the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs , setting up a showdown with the Oilers . Edmonton finished 30 points ahead of Calgary during the season , and was heavily favoured to win a third Cup in a row . However , the Flames upset the Oilers in seven games , with the series - winning goal coming at the hands of Oilers ' rookie Steve Smith as he accidentally shot the puck off of goaltender Grant Fuhr ' s leg and into his own net . The goal remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history . From there , the Flames went on to defeat the St . Louis Blues in another seven game series . This time , Calgary had to survive a scare of its own , shaking off the Monday Night Miracle at the St . Louis Arena . Doug Wickenheiser scored in overtime to cap off a comeback from 5 – 2 down with 10 minutes to play in the third period in game six , forcing the Flames to a seventh game . Calgary would win game seven at home , 2 – 1 , advancing into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time . In the Cup Finals , the Flames proved to be no match for the Montreal Canadiens , losing in five games . Montreal rookie goaltender Patrick Roy was nearly unstoppable in the last two games , allowing only four goals en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy . The Flames followed up their run to the Finals with their best regular seasons in team history . Calgary ' s 46 – 31 – 3 record in 1986 – 87 was good for third overall in the NHL . However , the Flames were unable to duplicate their playoff success of a year prior , losing their first round match - up with the Jets in six games . The season was also difficult off the ice , as 1986 first round draft pick George Pelawa was killed in a car accident prior to the season ' s start . The Flames recorded their first 100 - point season in 1987 – 88 , earning the Presidents ' Trophy for having the league ' s best record and ending the Oilers ' six - year reign atop the Smythe Division in the process . However , they were swept by the Oilers in the second round of the playoffs . Joe Nieuwendyk became the second rookie in league history to score 50 + goals , earning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year . Looking to bolster the line - up for a playoff run , the Flames dealt young sniper Brett Hull , along with Steve Bozek , to the Blues for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley on March 7 , 1988 . Their playoff frustrations continued , however , when after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in five games , Calgary was swept out of the playoffs in four straight by the Oilers . In 1988 – 89 , the Flames continued to improve . They captured their second consecutive Presidents ' Trophy with a franchise record 117 points , finishing 26 points better than the second - place Kings in the Smythe Division . Fletcher continued to tinker with the roster , acquiring Doug Gilmour as part of a six player deal at the trade deadline . In the playoffs , the Flames were stretched to seven games in the first round by the Canucks , relying on several saves by goaltender Mike Vernon , including a famous glove save off a Stan Smyl breakaway in overtime . The save remains a defining moment in Flames history . Joel Otto would score the winning goal . The Flames then made short work of the Kings , defeating them in four straight , before eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks in five games to set up a rematch of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals against Montreal . This time , the Flames won in six games , the last being a 4 – 2 victory in Montreal on May 25 , 1989 . The clinching win was especially significant in that it marked the only time that an opposing team defeated the Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup on Montreal Forum ice . Al MacInnis captured the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs most valuable player , while long - time captain Lanny McDonald announced his retirement . The 1989 Stanley Cup win gave Flames co - owner , Sonia Scurfield , the distinction of being the first ( and only ) Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the Stanley Cup . In 1989 , thanks in part to Cliff Fletcher ' s diplomatic efforts , the Soviets finally gave permission for a select group of Soviet hockey players to sign with NHL teams . The first of these players was Sergei Pryakhin . Although Pryakhin never became an NHL regular , his arrival blazed a trail for the large number of Russian players who entered the NHL beginning in 1989 – 90 . Sergei Makarov joined the Flames that season and , though already in his thirties , became the fifth Flame to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league ' s Rookie of the Year . The selection would prove controversial , prompting the league to amend the rules to exclude any player over the age of 26 from future consideration . 1991 – 2003 . In 1991 , Fletcher left the Flames to become the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs . He had been the team ' s general manager since its inception in 1972 . He was succeeded in Calgary by Doug Risebrough , and the two quickly completed a ten player mega - trade that saw disgruntled forward Doug Gilmour dealt to Toronto with four other players for former 50 goal scorer Gary Leeman and four others . The trade transformed both clubs . The formerly inept Leafs turned into a contender almost immediately , while Leeman scored only eleven goals in a Flames uniform . Despite the blossoming of Theoren Fleury into an NHL star , the Flames missed the playoffs entirely in 1992 , only a year after finishing with their third 100 - point season in franchise history . It was the first time the Flames had missed the playoffs since 1975 , when they were still in Atlanta . It was also only the third time out of the playoffs in the franchise ' s 20 - year history . Calgary rebounded to make the playoffs for the next four seasons , including two consecutive division titles . However , they failed move past the first round of the playoffs each time . The 1994 and 1995 Division titles led to Game 7 home defeats in the opening round to the Canucks , and then the San Jose Sharks , both lost in Double overtime . In the 1995 - 96 Season , Nieuwendyk would hold out and was later traded to the Dallas Stars in a deal that acquired Jarome Iginla . Iginla would make his Flames debut in the 1996 postseason , but the Flames again were beaten in the opening round again , this time in a four game sweep by the Chicago Blackhawks . In 1997 , only two years after winning their second consecutive division title , the Flames missed the playoffs and would not return for seven years . The low point came in the 1997 - 98 season , in which the Flames finished with only 67 points - - the second - lowest point total in franchise history ( and only two points below the 1972 - 73 Atlanta Flames ) . During this time , the Flames found it increasingly difficult to hold onto their best players , as salaries escalated while the Canadian Dollar lost value against the American Dollar . The NHL ' s small - market Canadian teams found it increasingly difficult to compete in the new environment . In 1999 , for example , the Flames traded Fleury to the Colorado Avalanche midway through the season . The trade came shortly after Fleury became the franchise ' s all - time leading scorer ( a rank he still held as of the beginning of the 2007 - 08 season . Jarome Iginla passed this mark on March 10 , 2008 in a game against the St . Louis Blues ) . Fleury was due to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season , and the Flames didn ' t want to risk losing him without getting anything in return . As the Flames sank in the standings , their attendance also sagged . For most of their first 16 years in Calgary , Flames tickets were among the toughest in the NHL . However , by 1999 , attendance had fallen off so severely that the owners issued an ultimatum - - buy more season tickets or the team would join its departed counterparts in Winnipeg and Quebec City in leaving for the United States . The fans responded by buying enough season tickets to keep the Flames in Calgary for the 2000 - 01 season . However , the Flames were forced to issue another appeal for more season tickets in the summer of 2000 . The campaign , aimed at increasing season ticket sales from a franchise low of 8 , 700 to 14 , 000 , proved successful . The increased sales did not halt the Flames ' financial losses , however , as the team estimated it lost $ 14 . 5 million between 2001 and 2003 . One of the few bright spots in this stretch was Iginla , who captured the Rocket Richard and Art Ross Trophies in 2001 – 02 as NHL goal - and point - scoring champion after scoring 52 goals and 96 points . Iginla again won the Rocket Richard Trophy , tied with Rick Nash and Ilya Kovalchuk , with 41 goals in 2003 – 04 . Another bright spot for the team during this time was defenceman Robyn Regehr who became the youngest nominee ever for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy , which recognizes perseverance , sportsmanship and dedication to hockey . Regehr had suffered two broken legs in a car accident the summer of 1999 , but recovered in time to play 57 games at the age of 19 . During the 2002 – 03 season , the Flames hired Darryl Sutter as the team ' s head coach , replacing Greg Gilbert , who was fired as the Flames languished in last place in the Western Conference . Sutter also became the team ' s general manager following the season , and is credited with revitalizing the franchise . Among Sutter ' s first moves was to acquire goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff , whom he had previously coached in San Jose , early in the 2003 – 04 season . Kiprusoff responded by setting a modern NHL record for lowest goals against average at 1 . 69 . 2004 – present . After seven consecutive seasons of not making the playoffs , the Flames finally returned to the post - season in 2004 . The Flames became the first team in NHL history to defeat three division champions en route to becoming the first Canadian team in a decade to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals . The Flames ' first victim was the Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks , whom they defeated in seven games . It was the Flames ' first playoff series win since they won the 1989 final . The Flames then upset the Detroit Red Wings , who had garnered the league ' s best record , in six games . After eliminating the Pacific Division champs , the San Jose Sharks , in six games in the Western Conference Final , the Flames earned a trip to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals to face the Tampa Bay Lightning . The Canadian Embassy in Washington , D . C . , flew the Flames flag beside the Flag of Canada , while Prime Minister Paul Martin dubbed the Flames " Canada ' s team " . The final series went to seven games , with the Flames suffering a controversial non - goal in game six at home . Replays showed that Martin Gelinas came close to scoring what would have been the go - ahead goal late in the third period ; however , the referees never signaled a goal , and later replays were ruled inconclusive . The Lightning would go on to win the game in double overtime , before winning game seven at home to capture the Stanley Cup . Despite the loss , 30 , 000 fans packed into Olympic Plaza to celebrate the Flames run . The Flames would not raise their Western Conference championship banner for nearly 15 months , as the 2004 – 05 season was wiped out by a labour dispute . During the lockout , team owner and Chairman of the Board , Harley Hotchkiss , attempted to save the season by engaging in discussions with National Hockey League Players Association president Trevor Linden . While their discussions failed to save the season , Hotchkiss was credited with easing tensions that allowed for a successful negotiation of a new collective bargaining agreement . The Flames played their 25th season in Calgary in 2005 – 06 , finishing with 103 points . It was their best total since the 1989 Cup winning season , and good enough to capture their first division title in 12 years . However , the Flames lost to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games during the first round of the playoffs . Miikka Kiprusoff captured both the William M . Jennings Trophy and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL ' s top goaltender , while defenceman Dion Phaneuf set a franchise record for goals by a rookie blue - liner with 20 . The 2006 off - season began with a trade for Alex Tanguay , formerly of the Colorado Avalanche , and with Darryl Sutter relinquishing his head coaching position to assistant Jim Playfair so he could focus on his duties as general manager . Despite a marked improvement in team offence and a solid 96 - point season , the Flames were pushed into eighth place in the Western Conference , largely because seven teams in the West finished with over 100 points . In the playoffs , Calgary fell in six games to the top seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round . During the series , the Flames were fined by the NHL for several stick - related penalties in the fifth game . Notably , backup goaltender Jamie McLennan was suspended five games for slashing Red Wings forward Johan Franzén . Franzén would score the series clinching goal in the Game 6 defeat in Double Overtime . Prior to the start of the 2007 – 08 season , the Flames demoted Playfair to associate coach , bringing in Mike Keenan as the team ' s third head coach in three years . During the season , Jarome Iginla became the Flames ' all - time leader in games played , passing Al MacInnis ' mark of 803 . Iginla also passed Theoren Fleury ' s mark of 364 goals to become the Flames all - time goal scoring leader on March 10 , 2008 . Despite a solid 94 - point season and 7th place seed in the western conference , they fell in the quarterfinals to the Pacific Division champs , the San Jose Sharks , in 7 games . Community impact . Flames Foundation . The Flames have maintained an active presence in the community since their arrival in Calgary . Through the team ' s non - profit charity , the " Flames Foundation " , the team has donated over $ 29 million to causes throughout southern Alberta . Along with the Rotary Club , the Flames are helping to fund the first children ' s hospice in Alberta , and one of only six in North America . The Flames are also close partners with the Alberta Children ' s Hospital . Among the many activities the Flames participate in , the " Wheelchair Hockey Challenge " with the Townsend Tigers has remained a highly popular tradition for both the players and the children involved . In 2007 , the Tigers defeated the Flames 10 – 9 , to move to a perfect 26 – 0 record since the challenge was first instituted in 1981 . Red Mile . During the Flames ' run to the Stanley Cup Finals of 2004 , the city of Calgary essentially became the host of a " non - stop party " . The 17th Avenue SW entertainment district , which runs west from the Pengrowth Saddledome , saw as many as 35 , 000 fans pack the streets during the first three rounds of the playoffs , and over 60 , 000 in the finals . The Red Mile party received widespread coverage in newspapers across North America , as the parties remained peaceful and incidents were minimal despite the large number of people in a small area . In April 2006 , the Calgary Police Service announced that Red Mile gatherings would not be encouraged , and that measures would be taken to discourage them , including traffic diversions , a zero - tolerance policy on noise and rowdy behaviour , and the presence of plain - clothed officers among the crowd to ticket offenders . After meeting with the Chief of Police , Mayor Dave Bronconnier convinced the Calgary Police Service to relax their ban on the " Red Mile " and encouraged people to make their way to 17th Ave , however the police retained their zero - tolerance policy on public nudity and drunkenness . The " C of Red " . During the Flames ' run to the Stanley Cup Finals of 2004 , most of the Flames fans attending the hockey games at the Saddledome wore a red jersey with Calgary ' s flaming C on it . Sales of the Flames red home jersey , introduced at the start of the 2003 – 04 campaign , were so strong during the playoffs that the team set a league record for sales of a new jersey design . The tradition of the C of Red dates back to the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Oilers . Oiler fans were donning hats promoting " Hat Trick Fever " in their quest for three straight Stanley Cups . Flames fans countered by wearing red . In the 1987 playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets , the Jets responded to the C of Red by encouraging fans to wear white , creating the Winnipeg White Out . Team colours and mascot . Logo . The Flames primary logo is the " Flaming C " design , introduced when the team came to Calgary in 1980 . The design of the logo has remained constant since it was created , though the Flames use a different coloured logo for the home and away jerseys . From 1980 until 2000 , the home logo was red on a white background , while the road logo was white on a red background . In 2003 , the NHL switched to using coloured jerseys for the home team . The home logo became black , with the road logo red on a white background . The original " Flaming A " logo of the Atlanta Flames has been restored for use as a patch denoting the team ' s alternate captains . The flaming horse logo was retired in 2007 with the introduction of the new Rbk Edge jerseys . Jerseys . The Flames ' original jerseys used red and orange striping . In 1994 , the Flames added black to the team ' s colour scheme , while also adding a diagonal stripe from the base of the jersey to below the logo . In 1998 , to celebrate the " Year of the Cowboy " , the Flames introduced their third jersey design , the " flaming horse " logo on a black background . Two years later , the jersey became the Flames road jersey , while the home jersey was updated to incorporate the same V - style striping on the arms and waist of the jersey . This jersey was once again relegated to third jersey status in 2003 when the NHL adopted the coloured jerseys for the home team . In 2007 , with the introduction of the Rbk Edge jersey , the Flames updated their look once again , replacing the horizontal striping with vertical striping down the sides . To honour the team ' s heritage , the Flames added the flags of Alberta and Canada as shoulder patches . Mascot . " Harvey the Hound " is the Flames ' mascot . He was created in 1983 to serve both with the Flames and the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League . Harvey was the first mascot in the NHL . Harvey is famous for an incident in January 2003 where he had his tongue ripped out by Edmonton Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish as he was harassing their bench . The incident made headlines throughout North America and led to much humour , including having many other NHL team mascots arrive at the 2003 All - Star Game with their tongues hanging out . Season - by - season record . " This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Flames . For the full season - by - season history , see Calgary Flames seasons " " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , T = Ties , OTL = Overtime losses , Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against , PIM = Penalties in minutes " Players . Honoured members . Several members of the Flames organization have been honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame during the team ' s 27 - year history in Calgary . Lanny McDonald was the first Flame player inducted , gaining election in 1992 . McDonald recorded 215 goals in 492 games for the Flames , including a team record 66 goals in 1982 – 83 . He was joined in 2000 by a fellow member of the 1989 Stanley Cup championship team , Joe Mullen . Mullen spent five seasons with the Flames , recording 388 points and capturing two Lady Byng Trophies . Grant Fuhr , elected in 2003 , became the third former Flames player to enter the Hall . Fuhr played only one season in Calgary ; however , he recorded his 400th career win in a Flames uniform , a victory over the Florida Panthers on October 22 , 1999 . In 2007 , Al MacInnis became the fourth former Flame inducted into the Hall . MacInnis was a member of the Flames from 1981 until 1994 . He is best remembered for his booming slapshot , as well as for winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1989 as playoff MVP . Former head coach " Badger " Bob Johnson joined McDonald in the class of 1992 , gaining election as a builder . Johnson coached five seasons with the Flames from 1982 – 87 , and his 193 wins remain a team record . Cliff Fletcher was the Flames general manager from the organizations inception in 1972 until 1991 – a span of 19 years . During that time , the Flames qualified for the playoffs sixteen consecutive times between 1976 and 1991 . Fletcher was inducted in 2004 . In 2006 , Harley Hotchkiss became the third Flames builder to gain election . Hotchkiss is an original member of the ownership group that purchased and brought the Flames to Calgary in 1980 . He has served many years as the chairman of the NHL Board of Directors , during which he played a significant role in the resolution of the 2004 – 05 lockout . Flames radio broadcaster Peter Maher was named the recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award in 2006 for his years of service as the radio play - by - play announcer for the Calgary Flames . During his career , Maher has called Flames games since 1981 , six All - Star Games , and four Stanley Cup Finals . The Calgary Flames have retired two numbers , and a third one was retired league - wide . The Flames have retired Lanny McDonald ' s # 9 , who played right wing for the Flames from 1981 to 1989 , and captaining the Flames in 1989 , who won the Stanley Cup . Mike Vernon ' s # 30 is also retired ; he was their goaltender for fourteen years , from 1982 – 94 and 2000 – 02 . Wayne Gretzky ' s # 99 was retired league - wide in 2000 . Franchise scoring leaders . These are the top - ten point - scorers in the history of the Flames ( both Atlanta and Calgary ) . Figures are complete to the middle of the 2009 - 10 NHL season . " Note : GP = Games Played , G = Goals , A = Assists , Pts = Points , P / G = Points Per Game , * = Active Player "