We have reached the dog days of the summer, with little to no news on the NHL front. So why not some fun? In a series of messages in the coming weeks we will compile the best Calgary Flames -Line -up from every decade of their existence. We will create schedules in the 1980s, 1990, 2000 and 2010.
To start us, we first start with the Flames’ First and still their best decade, the 1980s. Also known as the Golden Age of Flames Hockey.
The attackers
This was a busy group to say the least. As expected for the best era of Flames Hockey, there was a lot of star talent to choose from. Here is the forward group we have landed on.
Line 1: Joe Mullen – Kent Nilsson – Lanny McDonald
The upper trio is three of the four highest score of the Flames in the 1980s. In the middle, Nilsson was the highest score player of the Flames of the 1980s with a huge margin. His 562 points in 425 games between 1980-1990 were 133 higher than Hakan Loob, who had most of the decade. His 131 points in 1980–81 remain a franchise record and he has never recorded a single season in Calgary under one point per game.
On the right is the icon, Lanny McDonald. His 66 goals during the 1982–83 season is still a franchise -beste, and nobody is more synonymous with the flames of the 80s than Lanny. He also supplied the Cup-Winning Team 1989.
The trio completes is Joe Mullen, who led the team in scoring during their Cup-winning season 1988-89. His 55 Playoff points were the most among every flames of the 80s.
Line 2: Jim Peplinski – Joe Nieuw Dendyk – Hakan Loob
The second rule emphasizes Joe Nieuwendyk, perhaps the best center in the franchis history. His excellent 92-point Rookie season in 1987-88 remains the only Calder-trophy-winning season in the history of franchise. His back-to-back 51 goals in 1987–88 and 1988–89 are still the only back-to-back 50-goal seasons in franchis history.
At the left wing I have Jim Peplinski. Nobody played games in Calgary in the 1980s than peplinski. His 705 performances like a flame that was decade 213 more than any other attacker. He was also co-captain with McDonald during the cup-winning season.
The completion of the group is Hakan Loob, the second highest scoring flames Vooruit of the 1980s. His 106 points in 1987-188 led the team and is still the fourth highest single season in franchise history.
Line 3: Doug Gilmour – Joel Otto – Guy Chouinard
The third rule is when it starts to get hard. There were a lot of names available here. Eventually I went with the above three. Let’s start with the easy choice, Joel Otto. The fourth highest scoring flames in the mid -80s, Otto was also a fantastic defensive center. He would finish the top 15 twice in Selke in the 1980s.
Doug Gilmour is on the wing. While Gilmour spent only two seasons in Calgary in the 1980s, they were impactful. He would finish third in the team that scored in the regular season and play-offs during the cup-winning season. Without Gilmour’s contributions, the Flames would not have a Stanley Cup.
To complete the third line, I went with Guy Chouinard. Although he is not as well -known as some other names, he was one of the best flames of the early 80s. Chouinard led the team in score in 1981–82 and was the sixth highest scoring flame Vooruit in the 1980s despite the team left in 1983.
Line 4: Tim Hunter – Carey Wilson – Colin Patterson
The fourth rule is a mishmash of enforcers, cup winners and less well -known flames. At the left wing I have one of the tough guys of the flames, Tim Hunter. No player sustained more criminal minutes on the flames in the 1980s than Hunter, who is third for games played in the decade behind only Peplinski and McDonald.
In the middle is the less well -known Carey Wilson. Unfortunately, he left the team the season for their cup run, but was an effective center in Calgary in the 1980s and their fifth highest scoring center in the decade. On the right is Colin Patterterson. Patterson played the sixth most games of all flames Vooruit in the 1980s and was part of the 1989 team.
The defense
Just like with Forward, the Flames have a stacked selection of defenders from the 80s, many of whom are still considered the best in franchise history to this day.
Couples 1: Gary Ster – Al Macinnis
Al Macinnis and Gary Ster. The WHOs who of Flames Defenders of the 1980S, and the backbone of their Cup-winning season 1989. Macinnis is perhaps the biggest defender in the franchise history. No Flames -defender played more games or placed more points in the 80s than Macinnis. In fact, his 459 points in the decade is second in all flames behind only Nilsson.
His Cup-winning play-off run from 1989 is the stuff of legend. His 31 points during the play -offs that year are still a franchise record and led the entire NHL. His elite game helped the Flames to win the cup and earned him the only Conn Smythe trophy in franchise history.
Gary Ster is on the left. Ster placed 308 points in 326 games in the 1980s, with his 0.94 points per match connected to Macinnis for the best rate among Blueliners. His 91 points during the 1987-88 season were the best total of a Flames defender in the 80s, and the second best in the branch history.
Couples 2: Paul Reinhart – Jamie Macoun
The second combination, although not as good as the first, is still a really strong duo. Paul Reinhart was a stud for the flames in the 1980s and placed the second most points among Flames Blueliners in the decade with 445. His 75 points during the 1982-83 season led the Blue Line, just like his 69 points during the 1984-85 season. While he unfortunately left the team for the 1989 season, he still managed the most play -off games of every Flames defender in the 1980s with 76.
Opposite Reinhart is the robust Jamie Macoun. The defensive specialist played the third most matches among Flames Blueliners in the 1980s and tagged on the fourth most points. He also finished 10th in Norris votes during the 1989–90 season.
Couples 3: Pekka Rautakallio – Rob Ramage
The third combination was difficult. After the top four names there are no clear highlights to choose from. Eventually I ended up on Pekka Rautakallio and Rob Ramage. Ramage only spent two seasons with the flames, but was a core of their run from 1989. Ramage is part of the notorious Brett Hull Trade and was brought in to help the Flames win a Stanley Cup, and he did exactly that and placed 12 points in 20 games during the 1989 run.
Rautakallio is now not exactly known in flame circles, but was the fifth highest scoring flame defender of the era. His 141 points in 200 games were less than just Macoun, Ster, Reinhart and Macinnis. His 68 points were most among Flames defenders in 1981-82.
The goalkeepers
Two Flames goalkeepers dominated the playing time in the 1980s, where no one else even came close.
Mike Vernon – Rejean Leman
Mike Vernon was the easy choice as a starter for this team. The only Stanley Cup -target defender of the franchise and the backbone of the 1989 team, Vernon was a staple between the pipes of the Flames in the 1980s. His 220 games played and 128 victories during the 80s are second behind Lemelin, while his 34 Playoff victories are in first place.
Rejean “Reggie” Lemelin may not have existed for the Cup victory, but he was a core part of the team until he left in 1987. His 303 games played and 136 victories are both tops among Flames goalkeepers of the 80s.
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