About the Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames is a NHL hockey team representing now Calgary, Alberta. But the Flames played their first seasons in Atlanta. The team's name was given after the fire from the March to the Sea in the American Civil War by General William Tesumseh Sherman, burning the Atlanta. And then when the team moved to Calgary ithe name wasnt changed because its owner thought that Flames was an appropriate name for the oil town of Calgary.

The Flames', with a roster full of stars, started off rather successfully and reached the playoffs six times during their history in Atlanta though the financial support during this period was quite poor. Then the team then moved to Calgary. It was bought by Nelson Slalbania and a group of Calgary businessmen for $16 million. The first season in Alberta was not bad, they succeed to make the playoffs but lost to the Minnesota North Stars in the semi-finals.

After the promising start a downturn followed. GM Cliff Fletcher tried to improve their playing and acquired a number of college, European and Soviet Union hockey players. As a result the Flames advanced in the mid 1980s and early 1990s. At the same time, despite consistently making the playoffs they didn't move foward to the finals.

From 1992 the period of upturns and downturns began. 1992 season was a complete failure for the Flames because they didn't make the playoffs for the first time in the last 17 years. After that they made the Playoffs for three years in a row. In 1997 the team again flopped and missed the playoffs. That was the starting point of another run of bad luck, which lasted for seven years.

The Flames came back into the playoffs only in 2004. It was a great holiday for the Flames' fans they produced a non-stop-party. The 17th Avenue was full of fans in red jerseys with flaming C on it. It was a real "Red Mile" celebration, which took place during all the finals.

The Flames made great strides and gained the victories they needed to make the Stanley Cup Finals where they faced the Tampa Bay Lightning. The NHL Finals that year consisted of 7 games. Game 6 was a difficult one for the Flames and they won the day only in double overtime. Nevertheless they were defeated in game 7.

Before the next season the Flames traded Gelinas to the Florida Panthers and Craig Controy to the Los Angeles Kings.

The 2006 playoffs for the Calgary Flames were a conspicuous failure, when they lost to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the first round.

Nowadays the team tries to improve its playing and find a way to achieve success, they are looking for new, ambitious players, who will lead the team to the finals and most importantly Stanly Cup victories.