Atlanta Flames
Atlanta Flames | |
---|---|
founding | November 1971 |
history |
Atlanta Flames 1972 - 1980 Calgary Flames since 1980 |
Stadion | Omni Coliseum |
Location | Atlanta , Georgia |
Team colors | Red, yellow, white |
Stanley Cups | no |
Conference title | no |
Division title | no |
The Atlanta Flames ( IPA : [ətˈlæntə fleɪms] ) were an American ice hockey team from the National Hockey League , which was founded in 1972. The name came from the great fire of Atlanta in 1864 in the Civil War that destroyed much of the city. In 1980 the team moved to Calgary and has played there as the Calgary Flames ever since .
history
The Atlanta Flames came in 1972 as part of the expansion together with the New York Islanders as a so-called "Expansion Team" in the National Hockey League. Their stadium in Atlanta was called the Omni Coliseum . On October 7, 1972, they completed their first game against the Islanders and emerged as the winner with a final score of 3-2. A week later, the Flames played their first competitive game against the Buffalo Sabers , which ended 1: 1. The franchise ended its first season in seventh place in the Western Division with a record 25-38-15. In the second season, the team reached the playoffs for the first time. There the Flames met the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round , but lost the series against the eventual Stanley Cup winner with 4-0 wins.
The following year the divisions were reallocated and the Atlanta Flames came to the Patrick Division in the Campbell Conference . Therefore, despite their first season with a win rate higher than 50 percent, they finished the conference in last place.
In the 1975/76 season , the Flames reached the playoffs for the second time. It was the beginning of a long streak that the team never missed the finals until the 1991/92 season. In the 1978/79 season , the team managed to surpass the 90-point mark for the first time in its history, but it ended the season as the last of the division. Despite this, the Flames reached the playoffs for the sixth time since their existence, but failed in the first round. The following season was the last of the Atlanta franchise so far . Goalkeeper Jim Craig , who won gold at the Winter Olympics with Team USA six days earlier , made his NHL debut with the Flames. Due to his appearance, the Omni Coliseum was completely sold out one last time. The Atlanta Flames did not manage to reach the second playoff round in this postseason and won only two playoff games during their time in Atlanta despite seven playoff appearances (against the New York Rangers in 1980 and against the Los Angeles Kings in 1977).
Tom Cousins, the owner of the Atlanta Flames saw his empire crumbling and to avert an impending bankruptcy, he had to sell the Flames. Since there was only a small fan base in Atlanta, there were no adequate offers from investors in the region and so the Flames were sold to the Canadian Nelson Skalbania. On May 21, 1980, the team finally moved from the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta to Calgary in the Stampede Corral , a stadium that could hold 8,000 spectators.
Season statistics
Abbreviations: GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, T = draws, OTL = defeats after overtime , SOL = defeats after shootout , Pts = points, GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded, PIM = penalty minutes
season | GP | W. | L. | T | OTL | SOL | Pts | GF | GA | PIM | space | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1972/73 | 78 | 25th | 38 | 15th | - | - | 65 | 191 | 239 | 852 | 7th, west | not qualified |
1973/74 | 78 | 30th | 34 | 14th | - | - | 74 | 214 | 238 | 841 | 4th, west | Conference semi-finals lost, 4-0 ( Philadelphia ) |
1974/75 | 80 | 34 | 31 | 15th | - | - | 83 | 243 | 233 | 915 | 4th, Patrick | not qualified |
1975/76 | 80 | 35 | 33 | 12 | - | - | 82 | 262 | 237 | 928 | 3rd, Patrick | Conference quarterfinals lost, 2-0 ( Los Angeles ) |
1976/77 | 80 | 34 | 34 | 12 | - | - | 80 | 264 | 265 | 889 | 3rd, Patrick | Conference quarterfinals lost, 2-1 ( Los Angeles ) |
1977/78 | 80 | 34 | 27 | 19th | - | - | 87 | 274 | 252 | 984 | 3rd, Patrick | Conference quarterfinals lost, 2-0 ( Detroit ) |
1978/79 | 80 | 41 | 31 | 8th | - | - | 90 | 327 | 280 | 1158 | 4th, Patrick | Conference quarterfinals lost, 2-0 ( Toronto ) |
1979/80 | 80 | 35 | 32 | 13 | - | - | 83 | 282 | 269 | 1048 | 4th, Patrick | Conference quarterfinals lost, 3-1 ( New York ) |
total | 636 | 268 | 260 | 108 | - | - | 644 | 2057 | 2013 | 7615 | 6 playoff appearances 6 series: 0 wins, 6 losses 17 games: 2 wins, 15 losses |
Remembering Atlanta
In memory of the Atlanta Flames, the alternative captains of the Calgary Flames wear the "A" from the Atlanta Flames logo on their chests.
Trainer
Period | Trainer |
---|---|
1972/73 - 1974/75 | Bernie Geoffrion |
1974/75 - 1978/79 | Fred Creighton |
1979/80 - 1981/82 | Al MacNeil |
Players to be mentioned
Team captains
year | Surname |
---|---|
1972-1975 | Keith McCreary |
1975-1977 | Pat Quinn |
1977-1979 | Tom Lysiak |
1979-1980 | Jean Pronovost |
Top 10 draft picks
Surname | year | Draft position |
---|---|---|
Jacques Richard | 1972 | 2. |
Tom Lysiak | 1973 | 2. |
Richard Mulhern | 1975 | 8th. |
David Shand Harold Phillipoff |
1976 | 8. 10. |
Top point collector
Top ten points collectors in the history of the Atlanta Flames in the regular season and playoffs.
Abbreviations: Pos = position, GP = games, G = goals, A = assists, Pts = points, P / G = points per game
Surname | Item | season | GP | G | A. | Pts | P / G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Lysiak | C. | 1973 / 74–1978 / 79 | 445 | 155 | 276 | 431 | 0.97 |
Eric Vail | LW | 1973 / 74–1979 / 80 | 469 | 174 | 209 | 383 | 0.82 |
Guy Chouinard | C. | 1974 / 75-1979 / 80 | 318 | 126 | 168 | 294 | 0.92 |
Curt Bennett | RW | 1972 / 73–1979 / 80 | 405 | 126 | 140 | 266 | 0.66 |
Bob MacMillan | RW | 1977 / 78-1979 / 80 | 208 | 90 | 131 | 221 | 1.06 |
Rey Comeau | C. | 1972 / 73-1977 / 78 | 468 | 88 | 126 | 214 | 0.46 |
Ken Houston | RW | 1975 / 76–1979 / 80 | 350 | 91 | 108 | 199 | 0.57 |
Bill Clement | C. | 1975 / 76–1979 / 80 | 297 | 69 | 107 | 176 | 0.59 |
Willi Plett | RW | 1975 / 76–1979 / 80 | 296 | 91 | 83 | 174 | 0.59 |
Randy Manery | D. | 1972 / 73-1976 / 77 | 377 | 30th | 142 | 172 | 0.46 |
Surname | Item | GP | G | A. | Pts | P / G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eric Vail | LW | 14th | 5 | 6th | 11 | 0.79 |
Guy Chouinard | C. | 13 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 0.77 |
Tom Lysiak | C. | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7th | 0.64 |
Larry Romanchych | RW | 7th | 2 | 2 | 4th | 0.57 |
Willi Plett | RW | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0.33 |
Rey Comeau | C. | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.33 |
Bill Clement | C. | 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.23 |
Bob MacMillan | RW | 8th | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.38 |
Richard Mulhern | D. | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.60 |
Garry Unger | C. | 4th | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.75 |