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230-857: The Las Vegas Wranglers were a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas Valley . The Wranglers were members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League). The Wranglers were founded as an expansion franchise in 2003 following the ECHL's takeover of the West Coast Hockey League . In May 2014, the team suspended operations for
460-419: A centre and two wingers : a left wing and a right wing . Forwards often play together as units or lines , with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A substitution of an entire unit at once
690-677: A Canadian Football League franchise (the Calgary Stampeders ), and an American Hockey League franchise (the Calgary Wranglers ). Through the Flames Foundation, the team has donated over CA$ 32 million to charity throughout southern Alberta since the franchise arrived. The Flames were the result of the NHL's first pre-emptive strike against the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA). In December 1971,
920-401: A penalty shootout . If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to sudden death . Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout,
1150-462: A vulcanized rubber hockey puck into the other team's net. Each goal is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of playing time is declared the winner; ties are broken in overtime or a shootout . In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, including a goaltender . It is a full contact game and one of the more physically demanding team sports. The modern sport of ice hockey
1380-544: A Flames uniform that season. Also among those traded were Nikita Zadorov , Chris Tanev , and Noah Hanifin . Markstrom was also expected to be sent to the Devils, but the deal fell through. They however did acquire Nikita Okhotiuk from the Sharks in return for a 2024 fourth-round pick. The Flames hung around in the race for a while, winning six out of seven games from February 19 to March 7, pulling them within six points of
1610-463: A brawl that would involve nine players. During the melee, Peter Ferraro received a game misconduct penalty for spearing , as did Las Vegas' Tim Spencer for kicking. In the aftermath, the Aces were given a five-minute 5-on-3 power play in which they scored three times before the teams were at even strength. A few days after the game, the ECHL suspended Peter Ferraro for the rest of the regular season and
1840-597: A career season, scoring 87 points in 71 games for the Avalanche including 28 goals. The Flames also retained forward Andrew Mangiapane , signing a 3-year, $ 17 million contract after a career season in Calgary scoring 35 goals and 20 assists. Huberdeau and Gaudreau both recorded 115 points during the 2021–22 NHL season , tied for second place in NHL scoring behind Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid . Huberdeau agreed to an eight-year, $ 84 million contract extension with
2070-405: A chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes. Ice hockey skates are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect
2300-512: A contender almost immediately, while Leeman scored only 11 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
2530-628: A deciding seventh game. Calgary won Game 7 at home, 2–1, advancing into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time. The Flames proved to be no match for the Montreal Canadiens , losing the championship series in five games. Montreal rookie goaltender Patrick Roy was nearly unbeatable in the last two games, allowing only four goals en route to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy . The Flames followed up their run to
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#17327803062042760-527: A deep playoff run, largely because they could not get the better of their provincial rivals , the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers . The Oilers and Flames usually finished at or near the top of the Campbell Conference and were usually among the best teams in the entire league during this time. However, the NHL's playoff structure of the time made it very likely the Flames would meet the Oilers in either
2990-541: A first-round and a conditional fourth-round picks in the 2024 NHL entry draft on January 31, 2024. Lindholm was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Both Lindholm and Kuzmenko were considered to be having "down years", especially Kuzmenko, who scored 39 goals for the Canucks the year before. At the time of the trade, he had scored 21 points in 43 games that season. Kuzmenko bounced back in Calgary, finishing with 14 goals and 25 points in 29 games in
3220-405: A first-round pick in 2013 ( Morgan Klimchuk ), leaving the team without a captain for the first time. The Flames missed the playoffs once again in 2012–13, selecting Sean Monahan sixth overall at the 2013 NHL entry draft after the season. Prior to the beginning of the 2013–14 season , Mark Giordano was named as the new captain of the Flames. Aided from a 22-goal rookie effort from Monahan,
3450-537: A forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the fourth line as a forward. A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. If
3680-549: A game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format. In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby
3910-412: A goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards") is penalized either by
4140-546: A hockey weekend. The rivalry has known to become quite violent as the case of a game in March 2009. During the second period of Aces-Wranglers game on March 25, 2009, in Las Vegas, when Alaska's Matt Stefanishion collided with Las Vegas' Chris Ferraro , breaking Ferraro's leg and effectively ending his season and career. Ferraro's twin brother, Peter became enraged and started a brawl that would involve nine players. During
4370-563: A home game in regulation until a 1–0 loss to the San Diego Gulls on December 27, 2003, going 13–1–1 at home over the stretch. The Wranglers finished their first season with a record of 43–22–7 (93 points), second in the Western Conference's Pacific Division (15 points behind Brabham Cup winner San Diego). The Wranglers faced the Idaho Steelheads in the best-of-five Pacific Division Semifinals and despite overtaking Idaho in
4600-528: A larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well. Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. Lace bite , an irritation felt on
4830-458: A minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards. Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both
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#17327803062045060-595: A multiple skirmishes after each incident. The Las Vegas Wranglers had many other significant rivalries which include those with the Bakersfield Condors , Fresno Falcons , Idaho Steelheads , Long Beach Ice Dogs , Ontario Reign , Phoenix RoadRunners , San Diego Gulls , Stockton Thunder , Toledo Storm . and Utah Grizzlies . The rivalries with the Condors and the Thunder started off very softly during
5290-436: A neck protector. Goaltenders use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove,
5520-555: A new collective 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 and Vezina Trophies as
5750-539: A penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the two-line offside pass . Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than
5980-719: A planned merger between the WCHL and the East Coast Hockey League was announced that would have the WCHL's six active franchises and three expansion franchises (including the Wranglers) join the ECHL for the 2003–04 season. On May 29, 2003, in place of owner Charles Davenport, IV, actor Ricky Schroder introduced former Fresno Falcons player/coach Glen Gulutzan as the franchise's first head coach and general manager. Within four months, Gulutzan came to terms with Calgary Flames general manager Darryl Sutter to make
6210-409: A player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties. A penalty shot is awarded to a player when
6440-490: A seven-year deal to join the Columbus Blue Jackets in unrestricted free agency. Gaudreau explained that the move was for personal reasons, particularly after his father who lives in the eastern United States suffered a heart attack in 2018. Shortly thereafter, Tkachuk – who was a restricted free agent – said he did not want to sign a long-term deal in Calgary. After filing for club elected salary arbitration,
6670-404: A shield with a goalie mask over his face. The cowboy hat is black and gray, with the mask white and gray and the shield in two shades of red and outlined in black. Beneath the cowboy is a red eight-pointed star, and on either side of him is a white "LV" and "NV," representing the city and state's abbreviation. The Wranglers' final colors were black, red, white and silver and could be seen on both
6900-415: A shot or pass play. Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game). In
7130-478: A solid 96-point season, it was only good enough for eighth place in a Western Conference, where seven teams cracked the 100-point barrier. 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 Franzen . Franzen scored
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7360-492: A team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by
7590-409: A tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime , in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in
7820-532: 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 30s, became the fifth Flame to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year. The selection proved controversial, prompting the NHL to amend the rules to exclude any player over age 26 from future consideration. That season,
8050-483: A variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998 . Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy , hurling , and shinty . The North American sport of lacrosse , derived from tribal Native American games,
8280-462: Is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, athletic cup (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally)
8510-410: Is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game. One of the most important strategies for a team is their forecheck . Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of
8740-459: Is called a line change . Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when short-handed or on a power play . The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the crease in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it
8970-418: Is called changing on the fly . An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop
9200-528: Is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an empty net goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in
9430-533: Is in white with silver accents. Prior to the WCHL-ECHL merger, the Wranglers logo was an outline of a cowboy's face streaking to the left with a black cowboy hat and red and yellow outlines. A script underneath the logo featured "Las Vegas" in black above "Wranglers" in yellow with a red outline. On July 5, 2012, the Wranglers unveiled their new identity package; the primary logo featured a cowboy's head inside
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9660-403: Is the left wing lock , which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for
9890-457: The dump and chase strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: 2–1–2 , 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures
10120-542: The 1995–96 season , Joe Nieuwendyk was traded to the Dallas Stars in a deal that acquired Jarome Iginla . Iginla made his Flames debut in the 1996 playoffs during which the Flames again lost in the first round, a four-game sweep by the Blackhawks. In 1997 , only two years after winning their second consecutive division title, the Flames missed the playoffs and did not return for seven years. The low point came in
10350-517: The 1997–98 season , in which the Flames finished with only 67 points, the second-lowest point total in franchise history (behind only the 1972–73 Atlanta Flames ). During this time, the Flames found it increasingly difficult to retain their best players as salaries escalated while the Canadian dollar lost value against the American dollar . Calgary has always been one of the smallest markets in
10580-540: The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals gave rise to the Red Mile , and in 2011, the team hosted and won the second Heritage Classic outdoor game. The Flames have won two Presidents' Trophies as the NHL's top regular season team, and have claimed eight division championships. Individually, Jarome Iginla is the franchise leader in games played, goals and points, and is a two-time winner of the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as
10810-655: The 2004–05 NHL lock-out , the Flames heavily marketed the Hitmen, and as a result, the team led all professional or junior hockey teams in North America in attendance, averaging over 10,000 fans per game. In April 2006, the Flames announced that they would be opening a hybrid restaurant, bar and entertainment facility in downtown Calgary on Stephen Avenue . In announcing the venture, Flames' President and CEO Ken King stated: "While hockey remains our core competency, we are constantly seeking new opportunities in which to grow
11040-419: The 2004–05 season was wiped out by a labour dispute . During the lock-out, team owner and chairman of the board Harley Hotchkiss attempted to save the season by engaging in discussions with National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) president Trevor Linden . While their discussions failed to save the season, Hotchkiss was credited with easing tensions that allowed for a successful negotiation of
11270-466: The 2010–11 NHL season , falling to 14th place in the conference at the Christmas break. Consequently, the organization asked Darryl Sutter to step aside as general manager. The team named assistant Jay Feaster the interim general manager in his place, making it permanent following the season. The team pulled itself back into playoff contention following the change but once again failed to qualify for
11500-492: The 2011–12 ECHL season . In December 2013, The Orleans Hotel and Casino notified the team that it would not renew their lease for the following season. This prompted the franchise to search for a new venue in the Las Vegas area. The team announced plans to move to a newly built 3,500-seat facility at the Plaza Hotel & Casino in downtown Las Vegas. However, on May 7, 2014, the team announced that they would not move to
11730-530: The 2012 NHL lockout forced the NHL Winter Classic to be cancelled that year, the Wranglers held an "Indoor Winter Classic", that even gave a trophy with a chain and a padlock. The Wranglers' first logo featured a cowboy riding a bull and holding a hockey stick with Las Vegas Wranglers script below the bull. The cowboy and bull are both black and white and are outlined in silver. The script consists of "Las Vegas" in silver cursive, while "Wranglers"
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#173278030620411960-489: The 2014–15 ECHL season , allowing it time to secure a new home arena. In 2015, the team withdrew from the ECHL after being unable to find a home arena for the 2015-16 season. The Wranglers won many accolades over their time in the league. They have the highest winning percentage in ECHL history and hold six other ECHL records. The Wranglers made two appearances in the Kelly Cup Finals, in 2008 and 2012 and won
12190-551: The 2015–16 season , the Flames faced heightened expectations after their surprising 2014–15 year. These expectations were bolstered after the unexpected acquisition of Dougie Hamilton from the Boston Bruins for a first-round pick and two second-round picks at the 2015 NHL entry draft . However, along with the other six Canadian teams, the Flames failed to qualify for the playoffs. As a result, in May 2016, head coach Bob Hartley
12420-778: The Atlanta Flames before relocating to Calgary in 1980 . The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral before moving into the Scotiabank Saddledome (originally the Olympic Saddledome) in 1983 . In 1985–86 , the Flames became the first Calgary team since the 1923–24 Tigers to compete for the Stanley Cup . In 1988–89 , the Flames won their first and only Stanley Cup title. The Flames' unexpected run to
12650-622: The Brabham Cup once and the Pacific Division title twice. Former Wranglers who have reached the National Hockey League (NHL) include Brent Krahn , Adam Pardy , Dany Sabourin , Tyson Strachan , and Tyler Sloan . From 2003 to 2014, the Wranglers played their home games on the west side of the city at the Orleans Arena . The team's lease with Orleans Arena ended after the 2013–14 season . The Wranglers had been
12880-608: The Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. Looking to bolster the line-up for a playoff run, the Flames traded young sniper Brett Hull (along with Steve Bozek ) to the Blues in exchange for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley on March 7, 1988. However, their playoff frustrations continued after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in five games, as Calgary was swept out of the playoffs in four straight by
13110-688: The Las Vegas Thunder and the Utah Grizzlies in the International Hockey League and came to its highest point during 1996 IHL Western Conference Finals. The rivalry with Long Beach, Phoenix and San Diego also came when the cities had members in the IHL and made numerous playoff appearances against each other. The Wranglers had numerous songs that represent the team during pre-game introductions. Songs that represented
13340-470: The Las Vegas Thunder of the International Hockey League folding following the 1998–99 IHL season, the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL) announced its intentions to keep ice hockey in the Las Vegas Valley when they granted expansion rights to the city in 1999, with plans for the team to start competing in the 2000–01 WCHL season. The Wranglers team name and logo were announced shortly before what
13570-491: 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 in exchange for former 50-goal scorer Gary Leeman and four others. The trade transformed both clubs. The formerly inept Leafs turned into
13800-742: The Vegas Golden Knights . They then lost 13 out of their final 20 games. The Flames ended the 2023–24 season with 38–39–5 record, finishing fifth in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs by 17 points. In 1994, the Flames approached the Saddledome Foundation with a proposal to renovate the Olympic Saddledome , rename it the Canadian Airlines Saddledome and take over management of the facility. The board agreed to this proposal, and
14030-720: The Western Conference , and are the third major professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary Tigers (1921–1927) and Calgary Cowboys (1975–1977). The Flames are one of two NHL franchises based in Alberta, the other being the Edmonton Oilers . The cities' proximity has led to a rivalry known as the " Battle of Alberta ". The team was founded in 1972 in Atlanta as
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#173278030620414260-673: The "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace , in Paris , France, the precursor to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The sport was played for
14490-631: The 'Runners in four games and take on the Idaho Steelheads in the National Conference semifinals. The Wranglers won game one of the series to extend their league record winning streak to 18 games, tying the 1991 Peoria Rivermen of the International Hockey League for the longest winning streak in professional hockey history. The streak ended in game two and Idaho eventually took the series in six games on
14720-665: The 1989 Cup Finals. The Flames then upset the Presidents' Trophy winning Detroit Red Wings in six games. After eliminating the Pacific Division champion San Jose Sharks, also in six games, in the conference finals, the Flames earned a trip to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals to face the Tampa Bay Lightning . Martin Gelinas scored the winning goal in all three series. The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., flew
14950-416: The 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot"
15180-604: The Corral, the Flames lost only 32 home games. The Saddledome hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 1985 , a 6–4 victory by the Wales Conference . The players acquired by Fletcher matured into one of the strongest teams in the NHL 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 transform that success into
15410-600: The Czech former star only lasted 22 games in Calgary, scoring 7 points. The Flames made several changes to their roster before the 2018–19 season including a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Hurricanes at the 2018 NHL entry draft , agreeing to send Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland , and Adam Fox to the Hurricanes in exchange for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm . Flames general manager Brad Treliving
15640-406: The ECHL Board of Governors gave unanimous approval for the transfer of ownership from Fleisig to Wranglers Hockey LLC led by Gary Jacobs, a real estate developer from San Diego who is also managing owner of the Lake Elsinore Storm minor league baseball team. Mougenel announced in late September 2011 that the Wranglers would play as an independent team (i.e., unaffiliated with any NHL/AHL teams) for
15870-471: The ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames since the team's inaugural season in 2003 until 2009 before announcing that they were switching their affiliation to the Phoenix Coyotes for the 2009–10 ECHL season . The Wranglers garnered many accolades from the local media, including the Las Vegas Review-Journal naming the Wranglers "Best Local Sports Team" three times (2005, 2006, 2009) and head coach Glen Gulutzan "Best Local Coach" (2007, 2009). With
16100-458: The ECHL's history were able to do, winning the best-of-seven series after trailing 3–1. The Wranglers faced the Alaska Aces in the West Division finals, ultimately falling in six games. Seeking to improve on a great year, the Wranglers were placed in the National Conference's Pacific Division following a league wide realignment. The Wranglers had their best chance to capture their first banner as they did not have to compete with Alaska or Idaho for
16330-405: The Edmonton Oilers in five games, marking the end of the first playoffs " Battle of Alberta " since 1991. The 2022 off-season was marked by the departures and arrivals of many star players. Both Gaudreau and Tkachuk became free agents in July 2022. The Flames attempted to retain Gaudreau, reportedly offering him an eight-year, $ 84 million contract extension; instead, the 28-year-old forward signed
16560-781: The Family Band and The Pretender by the Foo Fighters as their theme song. For the 2008 Kelly Cup Playoffs , the Wranglers used Give It All by Rise Against . The Wranglers last used Redlight King " Born to Rise " before folding. Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL=Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against These are the top-ten point-scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed ECHL regular season. Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game Many former Wranglers have either played in
16790-520: The Finals with their best regular season to that point. Calgary's 46–31–3 record in 1986–87 was good for third overall in the NHL, behind the Oilers and Philadelphia Flyers . 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
17020-566: The Flames flag beside the Maple Leaf , 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 6 at home. Replays showed Martin Gelinas may have scored what would have been the go-ahead goal late in the third period; however, the referees never signalled a goal, and later replays were ruled inconclusive. The goal would have made Gelinas
17250-532: The Flames have been locally owned since. Unlike the WHA's Calgary Cowboys , who folded three years earlier, 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,
17480-557: The Flames landed forwards Doug Risebrough , Lanny McDonald and Dan Quinn , defenceman Al MacInnis and goaltender Mike Vernon . Finishing second in the Smythe with a 40–31–9 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
17710-505: The Flames might be a more serious Stanley Cup contender in 2022–23. Despite these high expectations, the Flames missed the playoffs, and Treliving subsequently elected to vacate his position as general manager on April 17, 2023. Don Maloney was named the club's director of hockey operations and also replaced Treliving as GM on an interim basis. On May 23, 2023, Craig Conroy was named the club's general manager after nine seasons of being an assistant general manager. On June 12, Ryan Huska
17940-573: The Flames nonetheless endured a poor season, watching 2012–13 co-leading scorers Mike Cammalleri and Lee Stempniak leave in free agency in the summer. However, a bright spot came in the season's final game against the Vancouver Canucks , as 2011 fourth-round draft pick Johnny Gaudreau made his much-anticipated debut after winning the Hobey Baker Award at Boston College the day before. Gaudreau recorded his first NHL goal in
18170-478: The Flames on August 4, 2022, nearly two weeks after being traded by the Panthers, the most lucrative contract in Flames franchise history, surpassing the seven-year, $ 45 million deal Sean Monahan signed with the club in 2016. Despite any NHL team losing two 100-point players for the first time in the NHL salary cap era, the moves made by general manager Brad Treliving were praised, with some commentary suggesting
18400-609: The Flames qualified for the playoffs in their first season in Calgary with a 39–27–14 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
18630-399: The Flames traded Monahan and a conditional first-round pick in 2025 to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations, in a move designed to free up salary cap space. The move made room for the Flames to secure one more high-profile free agent in the summer 2022, Colorado Avalanche star forward Nazem Kadri , who signed a 7-year $ 49 million contract on the same day. Kadri was coming off
18860-494: The Flames traded Tkachuk and a conditional 2025 fourth-round draft pick to the Florida Panthers in exchange for forward Jonathan Huberdeau , defenceman MacKenzie Weegar , prospect Cole Schwindt , and a conditional 2025 first-round selection on July 23, 2022. As part of the trade negotiations Tkachuk signed an eight-year, $ 76 million contract with the Flames before being traded to the Panthers. Then on August 18, 2022,
19090-559: The Flames went on to the Campbell Conference finals, where they defeated 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 . Trailing by a score of 5–2 with ten minutes to play in the third period of Game 6, the Blues mounted a furious comeback to send the contest into overtime, where Doug Wickenheiser scored to force
19320-775: 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 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 (Ralph's widow)
19550-410: The Flames' all-time goalscoring leader on March 10, 2008. Despite another solid season with 94 points, they only garnered the seventh seed in the Western Conference. They fell in the conference quarterfinals to the Pacific Division champion San Jose Sharks in seven games. Iginla continued to set franchise records in 2008–09 , surpassing Fleury's franchise mark of 830 points, and scoring his 400th goal on
19780-404: The Flames, was named captain on September 27, 2023, and also signed a two-year, $ 9 million contract. The 2023–24 season was expected to be a season of experimenting with younger players and starting a rebuild. Conroy shipped off many big pieces during the season, notably Elias Lindholm , who was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko , Hunter Brzustewicz , Joni Jurmo,
20010-600: The Flames, with a goal against the St. Louis Blues on April 1. Iginla also scored his 500th career goal on January 7, 2012, against the Minnesota Wild . He scored the goal against goaltender Niklas Backstrom en route to a 3–1 Flames victory. On March 27, 2013, long-time captain and player Jarome Iginla was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for prospects Kenny Agostino and Ben Hanowski and
20240-527: The Flames. On July 19, 2019, they traded James Neal to the Oilers in exchange for winger Milan Lucic and a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL entry draft . The Flames re-signed Matthew Tkachuk to a new three-year deal, making him the highest paid player on the Flames' roster, as well as re-signing goaltender David Rittich , and wingers Sam Bennett , and Andrew Mangiapane . Following accusations against head coach Bill Peters of racism and physical violence by former Flames' prospect Akim Aliu , Peters
20470-423: The IIHF and the NHL. Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century. Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink . During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on the ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck , into the opponent's goal net at
20700-468: The Kelly Cup finals. The two teams proved formidable opponents as the split the first four games, before Cincinnati stole momentum defeating the Wranglers in Las Vegas in Game 5 and ultimately taking the Kelly Cup in six games. Following their successful 2007–08 campaign, the Wranglers were forced to rebuild again as the team was only able to resign nine players from the previous team. At the beginning of
20930-500: The NHL (it is currently third-smallest, behind only Edmonton and Winnipeg) and 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. Fleury was due to become an unrestricted free agent at
21160-592: The NHL hastily granted a team to Long Island – the New York Islanders – in an attempt to keep the WHA's New York Raiders out of the recently completed Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum . Needing another team to balance the schedule, the NHL awarded a team to the Atlanta -based group that owned the National Basketball Association 's Atlanta Hawks , headed by prominent local real estate developer Tom Cousins . Cousins named
21390-602: The NHL's leading goal scorer. Miikka Kiprusoff has the most wins by a goaltender in a Calgary Flames uniform. Eleven people associated with the Flames have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame . Off the ice, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Flames, also own a Western Hockey League franchise (the Calgary Hitmen ), a National Lacrosse League franchise (the Calgary Roughnecks ),
21620-481: The NHL's top goaltender, while Dion Phaneuf 's 20 goals was the third-highest total for a rookie defenceman in NHL history. The 2006 off-season began with a trade for Alex Tanguay , formerly of the Colorado Avalanche, and with 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
21850-410: The NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck. An additional rule that has never been
22080-580: 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 CSKA Moscow star Sergei Makarov in 1983 , but Soviet players were not released to Western teams until 1989. Still,
22310-583: The National Conference quarterfinals in a series that was tighter than expected. Stockton had played the entire season with most of their players being called up to the Springfield Falcons of the AHL or were reassigned by Stockton's parent club, the Edmonton Oilers , and barely limped into the final playoff spot in the National Conference. At the beginning of the series most of the players that had been called up by Springfield or Edmonton were returned to
22540-553: The National Conference regular season champion Alaska Aces. Exhausted and injured from two straight seven game series, the Wranglers were unable to retain the Bruce Taylor Trophy, being swept by Alaska in four games. Following an unlikely return to the National Conference finals, the first head coach and general manager of the Las Vegas Wranglers, Glen Gulutzan , left the team to become the head coach of
22770-554: The National Conference, to finish in 2nd place in the Pacific Division. Las Vegas would fall to the Utah Grizzlies in the National Conference Quarterfinals in five games, after taking a 2 games to 1 lead, failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs since their inaugural season . In mid-April 2010, Felisig reached an agreement with an unidentified buyer who planned to keep the team in Las Vegas. ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna confirmed that
23000-520: The National Hockey League before or after their careers as Wranglers. These include Adam Cracknell (2006–08), Brent Krahn (2003–04), Chris Ferraro (2007–09), Peter Ferraro (2007–09), Adam Pardy (2005–06), Dany Sabourin (2003–04), Tyler Sloan (2005–06), Billy Tibbetts (2004–05) and Deryk Engelland (2003–05), with Engelland later playing for Las Vegas's NHL franchise . Former Wranglers that would finish their careers with
23230-472: The National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships , the Olympics and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe. Officials are selected by
23460-484: 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
23690-594: The Ontario Reign. The Reign, affiliated with the Los Angeles Kings , who had a significant fan base in Las Vegas, is often considered a part of the Los Angeles sports market. In 2009, Ontario became the first team other than the Wranglers to win the Pacific Division title since Las Vegas returned to the division in 2006. The longest of the rivalries was with the Utah Grizzlies, which started between
23920-476: The Plaza due to the idea of a rooftop arena becoming unfeasible and an alternative, building the arena in the Plaza's parking lot, being too expensive. As a result, the Wranglers requested and received a voluntary suspension of operations from the ECHL for the 2014–15 season. The team planned to seek a new permanent venue and return to play in the 2015–16 season. On January 30, 2015, it was announced via Facebook that
24150-462: The United States. The fans responded by buying enough season tickets to keep the Flames in Calgary for the 1999–2000 season . The Flames issued 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. However, the increased sales did not halt the Flames' financial losses, as
24380-621: The WHA entering the picture. The Flames were also a poor draw, and never signed 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 Canadian entrepreneur (and former Oilers owner) Nelson Skalbania . He was fronting a group of Calgary businessmen that included oil magnates Harley Hotchkiss , Ralph T. Scurfield , Norman Green , Doc and Byron Seaman , and former Calgary Stampeders great Norman Kwong . A last-ditch effort to keep
24610-672: The Wranglers clinched the Brabham Cup title when they defeated the Stockton Thunder 2–1 in the last game of the season, just edging out heated rival, the Alaska Aces by one-point, reminiscent of the Brabham Cup race the two teams had just one year before. The Wranglers finished the 2006–07 regular season with a 46–12–14 record (106 points) and set the league record for fewest road defeats in a single season with five. Wranglers rookie goalie Mike McKenna would finish second in
24840-568: The Wranglers inaugural season but have become more heated since the Wranglers' move into the Pacific Division during the 2006–07 season . The rivalry with Fresno came from the two teams' normal battling for position near the top of the division standings. The Wranglers and the Steelheads had a constant rivalry that has centered around the playoffs. The Wranglers had met the Steelheads in all three of their playoff appearances. The Texas Wildcatters relocated to Ontario, California , and became
25070-563: The Wranglers include Marc "Mags" Magliarditi (2003–07), Jason McBain (2003–05), and Mike McBain (2003–08). Henry Brabham Cup ECHL regular season champion Ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates , usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey . Two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot
25300-445: The Wranglers the ECHL affiliate of the Flames and Lowell Lock Monsters . The first two players that Gulutzan signed were brothers and former NHLers Jason and Mike McBain and added veteran ECHL goaltender Marc Magliarditi shortly thereafter. Before the Wranglers inaugural season, Gulutzan named Jason McBain the franchise's first captain. The Wranglers started off their season going 9–1–3 in their first 13 games and they didn't lose
25530-532: The Wranglers were able to produce a competitive team that finished 34–31–8 (76 points; .521 win %) and mere percentage points behind division champion, Ontario . The Wranglers reached a new level of intensity in their rivalry with the Alaska Aces during the second period of their game on March 25, 2009 in Las Vegas. Alaska's Matt Stefanishion collided with Las Vegas' Chris Ferraro, breaking Ferraro's leg and effectively ending his season and possibly his career. Ferraro's twin brother, Peter became enraged and started
25760-626: The Wranglers wore a striped prison-themed jersey with their opponents, the Bakersfield Condors, wearing an orange jumpsuit and referees wearing a blue police guard uniform. The Wranglers' mascot was "The Duke", a 7-foot-3-inch (2.21 m) green bull that was based on the Philly Phanatic and was the team's mascot since its inaugural season in 2003. The Duke kept the crowd excited, signed autographs, and participated in entertainment during intermissions and player introductions at
25990-421: The Wranglers would cease operations after not being able to find a suitable home within a reasonable time frame to submit to the board of governors of the ECHL. In 2016, Las Vegas was awarded a National Hockey League franchise the Vegas Golden Knights . The Wranglers are the only team to hold a game that was played at midnight. The annual "Midnight Roundup" was created so that Las Vegas residents who work during
26220-415: The app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual. Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between man-to-man oriented defensive systems, and zonal oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between
26450-568: The beginning of the game. The Duke is also a regular at other events around the city including races at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and making appearances with players at local elementary schools. The Duke has attended three ECHL All-Star Games as the league's favorite mascot. Possibly the Wranglers' strongest rivalry was with the Alaska Aces . The Aces and Wranglers were the two winningest franchises in ECHL history and
26680-477: The blue and centre ice red line away. The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce
26910-547: The chest and is trimmed with black and red on the sleeves and waist. As of the second half of the 2009–2010 season, the Las Vegas Wranglers again started wearing the Red Alternate and Black Alternate Jerseys at home. In December 2010, the team wore a Christmas-themed Santa Jersey which was featured as the number 22 worst jersey in an article in the Vancouver Sun . The team also held Rod Blagojevich Night where
27140-543: The contest, the lone goal in a 5–1 Flames loss. In the 2014–15 season , the Flames, led by Mark Giordano, Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau, and Jiri Hudler , won one of their final home games against the Los Angeles Kings to clinch their first playoff berth since 2009, eliminating the defending champion Kings from playoff contention in the progress. They eliminated the Vancouver Canucks in six games in
27370-466: The disappointing performance of their sophomore season. The Wranglers started the season on a rocket pace losing only four games in the first three months of the season. This included the Wranglers besting their home mark to start a season, as they did not lose at home in regulation until January 3, 2006, 3–2 to the Reading Royals . Before the loss to Reading, the Wranglers had gone 12–0–2 during
27600-528: The dismissal of Gulutzan as head coach. The Wranglers finished the season a disappointing 31–33–8 (70 points) and seventh place in the West Division, failing to capture a playoff spot for the only time in franchise history. Before the 2005–06 season , Wranglers captain Jason McBain announced his retirement and the team's captaincy was given to his brother Mike as the Wranglers looked to shake off
27830-640: The distinction of being the first (and as of 2013, only) Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the Cup. It also made Kwong one of the few to have his name on both the Stanley Cup and the Grey Cup . In 1989, due in part to Cliff Fletcher's diplomatic efforts, the Soviets 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
28060-442: The division title. The Wranglers had to begin the season without veterans goaltender Marc Magliarditi and Mike McBain but still had a good start, earning points in all of their first eight games, going 3–0–5. The Wranglers relied heavily on new goaltender Mike McKenna and returning stars Shawn Limpright and Marco Peluso for leadership during the time in which the team lost its most veteran players. Magliarditi himself retired in
28290-545: The end of season, club captain Mark Giordano was awarded the James Norris Memorial Trophy after becoming the fifth defenceman in NHL history to record 60 points at the age of 35 or over. For the 2019–20 season , the Flames had some roster turnover with free agent goaltender Mike Smith signing with the Edmonton Oilers , while the Oilers' goaltender Cam Talbot signed a one-year deal with
28520-427: The end of the regular season, they won the division title for the first time since 2006, clinching the top seed in the conference for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs on March 31, 2019. They ultimately finished with 50 wins and 107 points, in both cases the second-most in franchise history behind the 1988–89 Stanley Cup championship team. They went on to lose in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche in five games. At
28750-546: The end of the season, and the Flames did not 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 to get 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
28980-475: The entirety of the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs for his actions during the game which included the spearing incident and was released by the team a week later. Wranglers career scoring leader, Shawn Limpright , was named the captain for the rest of the season. The Wranglers entered the playoffs at the 2nd seed in the Pacific Division and took on the 3rd seed Bakersfield Condors in the best-of-seven Pacific Division semifinals. The Wranglers and Condors traded blows in
29210-452: The event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game. From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus
29440-519: The expansion Texas Stars of the AHL. For the first time in seven years, Wranglers owner Charles Davenport was forced to look for a head coach, but stated that Gulutzan's move to the AHL was "long overdue." Gulutzan had been offered assistant coaching jobs in the AHL for the past few years, but the offer to coach Texas was his first head coaching offer in the AHL. Gulutzan said he would make some recommendations to help Davenport's search. On June 25, 2009, former Stockton Thunder assistant coach, Ryan Mougenel
29670-606: The favor in 2008 National Conference Semifinals by defeating the Aces in five games on way to their appearance in the Kelly Cup Finals. The Aces and Wranglers met for the third time in the playoffs in the 2009 National Conference Finals, with the Aces sweeping the Wranglers in four games. The Aces-Wranglers rivalry quickly become one of the biggest for both teams and for the league itself. Three games were usually played in four days (usually Wednesday, Friday and Saturday), allowing for many Aces fans to come to Las Vegas for
29900-411: The final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If
30130-424: The first four games, before Bakersfield took a three-games-to-two series lead heading back for Games 6 and 7 in Las Vegas. The Wranglers outscored Bakersfield 8–2 in the last two games to take the series in seven games. The Wranglers headed to the Pacific Division finals to face the division's 4th-seed Stockton Thunder , who were coached by Gulutzan's rival Matt Thomas to an upset of division champion Ontario. As with
30360-403: The first or second round, rather than in the Campbell Conference finals. That same structure made it very likely that the other two playoff qualifiers in the Smythe Division would have to get past the Flames or Oilers (or both) in order to make it to the conference finals. From 1983 until 1990, either the Oilers or the Flames represented the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. By 1986,
30590-565: The first round by the Vancouver Canucks . They relied 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. 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,
30820-661: The first round of the playoffs for their first playoff series win since 2004, but were eliminated by the Anaheim Ducks in five games in the second round. Head coach Bob Hartley was named the winner of the Jack Adams Trophy for coach of the year, while Hudler capped off his career-best 76-point season (good for eighth in the NHL) with the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for most gentlemanly player. In
31050-472: The first team in ECHL history to have three consecutive seasons with at least 100 points. The Wranglers finished the season 46–13–12 (106 points), good enough for first place in the Pacific Division and the number one overall seed in the National Conference playoffs. Right Winger Peter Ferraro would set the team's single season goal mark with 36. The Wranglers would take on the Stockton Thunder in
31280-528: The first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Games —today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics . In 1994, ice hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport. While women also played during the game's early formative years, it was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and
31510-440: The first two games, the Steelheads won the remaining three games on their way to their first Kelly Cup championship. Entering the 2004–05 season , Gulutzan and the Wranglers were expected to compete again for the division crown, but instead the team suffered the worst season in franchise history. Due to the 2004-05 NHL Lockout , local media believed that the team would be stronger as many Calgary Flames players decided to play for
31740-511: The front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury. Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of overuse injuries and injuries caused by early sports specialization by teenagers. According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]." One of
31970-427: The game , too many players on the ice , boarding , illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, hooking , slashing , kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with
32200-411: The game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a faceoff . Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate
32430-416: The game which included the spearing incident. The Aces-Wranglers rivalry continued early in the 2009–10 season. During a three-game series in the second week of the season, Alaska and Las Vegas totaled 93 penalties for 296 penalty minutes, including seven game misconducts. In the final game of the series, an Alaska player plowed through Wranglers goaltender Michael Ouzas on three separate occasions, sparking
32660-422: The game. Several Wranglers set team records during the 2005–06 season, including goaltender Marc Magliarditi for most games played by a goaltender (51) and most wins by a goaltender (34). Centre Matt Dzieduszycki set the team record for most points in a season with 78 and Dan Tudin set team records for highest plus/minus with +38, shots on goal with 256 and shorthanded goals with seven. The Wranglers ended
32890-406: The game. There are typically two linesmen who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and " icing " violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs, and one or two referees , who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations. The restrictions on this practice vary depending on
33120-401: The goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule
33350-402: The goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since
33580-404: The governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers. The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with
33810-465: The head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal. A delayed penalty call occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because
34040-568: The heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children. Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity. Furthermore, if
34270-419: The home and road jerseys, which were adopted prior to the 2007–08 season . The black and white jerseys feature a crest with a poker chip logo on the front. The outer circle of the crest reads "Las Vegas Wranglers", while the middle of the crest leaves room for the player's individual jersey number and the sleeves sport the poker chip hockey puck logo. The team has two alternate jerseys which have been used since
34500-526: The ice. Loafing , also known as cherry-picking , is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance. Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary . The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in
34730-417: The illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a breakaway . A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering
34960-422: The knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or cross-checking . As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for diving , where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when
35190-482: The leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to
35420-492: The league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4. Since men's ice hockey
35650-562: The locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players. Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: offside , icing , and the puck going out of play. Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for
35880-495: The low budget he was given. The team operated with the league's lowest payroll during the 2009–10 season, spending $ 10,300 per week compared to the ECHL's weekly salary cap of $ 11,800. Near the end of 2009, Davenport sold his ownership rights to Fleisig, who assumed full ownership of the team. The team became more consistent following the All-Star break , going 28–18–7 after starting the season 6–12–1 and moving from last place in
36110-429: The melee, Peter Ferraro received a game misconduct penalty for spearing, as did Las Vegas' Tim Spencer for kicking. In the aftermath, the Aces were given a five-minute 5-on-3 power play in which they scored three times before the teams were at even strength. A few days after the game, the ECHL suspended Peter Ferraro for the rest of the regular season and the entirety of the 2009 Kelly Cup Playoffs for his actions during
36340-535: The middle of the season, leaving as the franchise's career leader in minutes played (8517), games played by a goaltender (146), wins (83) and shutouts (7). Despite injuries and being left with only one player from the inaugural 2003–04 franchise, the Wranglers paced themselves to their first ever banner, winning the Pacific Division title on April 4, 2007 with a 4–2 victory on the road against the Long Beach Ice Dogs at Long Beach Arena . Three days later
36570-435: The misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten ). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at
36800-417: The number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance"). In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking . Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to
37030-442: The officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases,
37260-427: The ongoing negotiations with pending restricted free agents Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau. Monahan agreed to a seven-year contract worth $ 44.625 million on August 19, 2016; Gaudreau held out through the pre-season before signing a six-year, $ 40.5 million contract on October 10. Bolstered by the emergence of the "3M Line", composed of Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund and Michael Frolik , the Flames rebounded to make
37490-457: The only player in NHL history to score the winning goal in every playoff series en route to winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Lightning went 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 did not raise their Western Conference championship banner for nearly 15 months, as
37720-442: The opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck. With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass the puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking
37950-540: The other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on
38180-413: The other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with
38410-405: The penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for college level hockey . In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores. A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of
38640-499: The play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a penalty on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. Minor penalties last for two minutes, major penalties last for five minutes, and a double minor penalty is two consecutive penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to
38870-411: The player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game. The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with
39100-461: The players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before
39330-487: The playoffs after failing to qualify in 2020–21. They faced the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs , and won the series in seven games with Johnny Gaudreau sealing the series in overtime. This marked the first time the team had advanced to the second round of the playoffs since 2015, and since 2004 before that. Their 2021–22 season ended after losing the second round best-of-seven series to
39560-600: 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. However, this success did not carry over to the playoffs, as the Flames won only two postseason games during their time in Atlanta. Despite the on-ice success, the Atlanta ownership was never on sound financial footing. Longtime general manager Cliff Fletcher said years later that Cousins' initial financial projections for an NHL team did not account for
39790-502: The playoffs in the 2016–17 season as the conference's first wild card seed, but they were swept by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round. However, during the 2017–18 season , the Flames once again failed to qualify for the playoffs, and Glen Gulutzan was relieved of his coaching duties in mid-April. Bill Peters was hired as head coach on April 23. The 2017–18 season was highlighted by the Flames debut of Jaromir Jagr in October, but
40020-511: The playoffs, the Flames finally returned to the postseason in 2004. They became the first team in the league's history to defeat three division champions en route to becoming the first Canadian team to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals since the Canucks in 1994 . 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
40250-586: The playoffs. Calgary hosted the 2011 Heritage Classic , the NHL's second outdoor game of the year, at McMahon Stadium on February 22, 2011. The Flames defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–0 before 41,022 spectators. Miikka Kiprusoff became the first goaltender to record a shutout in an NHL outdoor game. Jarome Iginla reached two major milestones late in the season—he became the tenth player in NHL history to score at least 30 goals in ten consecutive seasons, and scored his 1,000th career point , all with
40480-425: The previous series with Bakersfield, the first four games were split by the two teams and Las Vegas took a three-games-to-two series lead heading back to Las Vegas. Stockton extended the series to a seventh game by defeating the Wranglers 3–1, but the Wranglers finished off the Thunder in Game 7, 5–1. For the second straight year the Wranglers had reached the National Conference finals, but this time they were to take on
40710-439: The puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy
40940-406: The puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking
41170-514: The puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term skaters typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The forward positions consist of
41400-405: The puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts
41630-413: The puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off the skate are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands. Hockey is an off-side game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before the 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive
41860-409: The puck. A deflection is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A one-timer is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. Headmanning the puck , also known as breaking out , is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down
42090-534: The race for the Reebok Goaltender of the Year award, finishing behind Adam Berkhoel of the Dayton Bombers , and set single season team records in shutouts (five) and lowest goals against average (2.21). The Wranglers also entered the Kelly Cup playoffs on a 13-game winning streak when they took on the 8th-seeded Phoenix RoadRunners in the National Conference quarterfinals. The Wranglers swept
42320-438: The regular season have included: Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy) , Stand Up , Ready Steady Go , ...To Be Loved , Crash . When the team makes the playoffs, the song that was used in the regular season is usually changed. Songs that have represented the playoffs have included: The Hand That Feeds and Lights and Sounds . During the regular season the Wranglers used Ain't Nothing Wrong With That by Robert Randolph and
42550-415: The regular season, which ended after March 11, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic . Based on their regular season points percentage, they qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference and defeated the Winnipeg Jets in four games in the qualifying round. The Flames faced the Dallas Stars in the first round of the playoffs, but lost the series in six games. On March 4, 2021, Ward
42780-418: The right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a 200-foot game . An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick checking , sweep checking , and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The neutral zone trap is designed to isolate
43010-478: The same night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs, being eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in six games, resulting in the dismissal of head coach Mike Keenan after two seasons. Brent Sutter was named his successor on June 23, 2009, but the Flames failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2009–10 season . The Flames struggled to begin
43240-676: The season with their best record at 53–13–6 (112 points), only one point behind the Alaska Aces for the West Division title and the Henry Brabham Cup. The 53 wins in 2005–06 were the most in franchise history and the 20-win turnaround led to head coach Glen Gulutzan being awarded the John Brophy Award as the league's top coach. The Wranglers would take on the Idaho Steelheads in the best-of-seven West Division semifinals. The Wranglers found themselves trailing Idaho three games to one, but pulled off what only one other team in
43470-433: The season, Mike McBain announced his retirement and Peter Ferraro was named as his replacement as captain. Despite having two untested goaltenders and a team that didn't have a single original Wrangler, the team shot out of a cannon during the early part of the season, going 15–2–0 after two months into the season. By mid-season, the Wranglers were comfortably settled into first place in the Pacific Division and coach Gulutzan
43700-432: The season, and was heavily favoured to win a third Cup in a row. However, the Flames upset the Oilers in seven games, the only time the Flames defeated the Oilers in a playoff series in the decade. The series-winning goal came when an errant clearing attempt by Steve Smith ricocheted off goaltender Grant Fuhr 's leg and into his own net. The goal remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history. From there,
43930-540: The season, former Wranglers captain and defenceman Mike McBain was named as the team's assistant coach, filling in for former assistant Brent Bilodeau who left the team after three seasons to become head coach of the Wichita Thunder of the Central Hockey League . The 2008–09 team was crippled by injuries and inexperienced players. Despite this and the sudden folding of division rival Fresno ,
44160-452: The series in five games. With only four wins away from the Kelly Cup finals, Las Vegas took on the cinderella 6th-seed Utah Grizzlies. Utah proved tough for Las Vegas, taking the Wranglers to overtime in games two and three, before falling to the Wranglers in a four-game sweep as Las Vegas won its first Bruce Taylor Trophy as the National Conference playoff champions. The Wranglers would meet 2007–08 Brabham Cup champion Cincinnati Cyclones in
44390-476: 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
44620-544: The skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about 1 ⁄ 8 inch (3.2 mm) thick. Each player other than
44850-451: 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 age 19. During the 2002–03 season , the Flames hired Darryl Sutter as the team's head coach, replacing Greg Gilbert , who
45080-429: 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 Maurice "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
45310-405: The team fell two points shy of their third-straight Presidents' Trophy with 99 points. Also that season, they won their third straight Smythe Division title. In the playoffs, they were dethroned in six games by the Los Angeles Kings. They did not win another playoff series until 2004, one of the longest such droughts in NHL history. In 1991, Fletcher left the Flames to become the general manager of
45540-416: The team in Atlanta fell short, and Cousins sold the team to Skalbania for US$ 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
45770-407: The team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores,
46000-402: 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
46230-442: 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 Scotiabank 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
46460-405: The team with high level experience and pushed the Wranglers to the edge, but Las Vegas was able to recover and take the series in six games. The Wranglers next opponent would be their heated rival, the Alaska Aces in the National Conference semifinals. The Wranglers set the tone for the series, throttling Alaska 8 – 0 in game one of the series. Alaska was unable to recover and the Wranglers would take
46690-415: The team would return for an eighth season in Las Vegas, but couldn't comment further until the transfer of ownership was completed. Mougenel stated that the new owners were "great people" and that "they're real committed to the team." Team president Billy Johnson stated that the team was hoping to make a formal announcement of the transfer by the end of April or the first week of May 2010. In mid-June 2010,
46920-425: The team's affiliate in Lowell, sending multiple top prospects and former NHLers to the team including goaltender Sébastien Centomo . The 2004–05 Wranglers ended up being more remembered for their lack of discipline as forward Adam Huxley set a team record for penalty minutes and Centomo became better known for fighting than stopping the puck. Wranglers fans showed their disdain through chants and signs that called for
47150-455: The team's inaugural season in 2003 . The red alternate jersey, which had been the team's road jersey from 2003–07, has black shoulders and three black stripes, one across each arm and one across the waist and a crest on the front of the jersey that includes "Las Vegas" in white cursive over a poker chip/hockey puck logo. The second alternate is black with red shoulders and five red stripes, one across each elbow, one across each arm and one across
47380-464: The then- Governor of Illinois , where both teams wore inmate-like attire - the Wranglers striped jerseys, the visiting Bakersfield Condors orange jerseys resembling the current Department of Corrections issue - and the referees blue jerseys resembling prison guards . Their 2011/12 home opener was a promotion for "Rapture Day", as this game coincided with the Rapture prediction of Oakland radio host Harold Camping , and on New Years Day, to parody how
47610-407: 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 were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs each time. The 1994 and 1995 Division titles led to Game 7 overtime home defeats in the opening round to the Canucks and San Jose Sharks respectively. In
47840-535: The time. Along with the 14-game unbeaten streak at home to start the season, the Wranglers also tied the league record for most consecutive road wins with ten from November 22, 2005 to December 31, 2005. One of the most memorable moments during the 2005–06 season came during the Wranglers' 5–2 win on November 8 as head coach Glen Gulutzan challenged Fresno's head coach Matt Thomas to a fight because Fresno goons Brad Both and Fraser Clair instigated fights with Wranglers rookies Tim Hambly and Lee Green with 11 seconds left in
48070-404: The trio are also the owners of the Whitby Fury of the Ontario Junior Hockey League . The 2009–10 season was a roller coaster for the Wranglers. Many veteran players left the team as co-owners Charles Davenport and Jonathan Fleisig cut payrolls in order to save during the recession. Mougenel in turn went with a very youthful team, most of which had little to no professional experience, due to
48300-415: The two had combined for six division titles, two Brabham Cups and three Kelly Cup Finals appearances. The Alaska Aces rivalry began during the 2005–06 season in which the Wranglers fell one point behind the Aces for the West Division and Brabham Cup titles. The Aces would also eliminate the Wranglers in six games in the 2006 West Division Finals on way to their first Kelly Cup . The Wranglers would return
48530-399: The two. Defensive skills involve pass interception , shot blocking , and stick checking (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on
48760-414: The usual game times (e.g. employees of the gaming industry), could watch a game. Other Wranglers promotions included the traditional mullet hat night and even a give away of orange vests that said "Don't Shoot...I'm Human!" during a game on March 17, 2006, a joke on the Dick Cheney hunting incident . In January 2009, the team held the " Rod Blagojevich Prison Uniform Night" parodying the impeachment of
48990-498: The victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing short-handed while the opposing team is on a power play . A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as tripping , elbowing , roughing , high-sticking , delay of
49220-431: The waist. The jersey also features red die along the bottom of the jersey and between the red stripes on each arm. The jersey's crest includes script that says "VEGAS" with each letter in an individual circle in front of a red hockey stick with the poker chip/hockey puck logo on the blade of the stick. The Wranglers' previous home jersey, which was used from 2003–07, was white with a previously unreleased Wranglers logo on
49450-566: The way to their second Kelly Cup title in four years. As the Wranglers were set to begin their fifth season in the ECHL many changes had come around the team. After coming out of nowhere to fill in for Wranglers legend Marc Magliarditi, Mike McKenna left Las Vegas, signing with the Portland Pirates of the AHL and Mike McBain was not expected to play much of the season before he retired. In turn, Gulutzan signed rookie goaltenders Daniel Manzato and Kevin Lalande , as well as signing twins and former NHLers Chris and Peter Ferraro . Two games into
49680-440: Was also active in free agency, signing scoring winger James Neal from Vegas on a five-year contract, utility centre Derek Ryan from Carolina on a three-year contract, high-scoring AHL winger Austin Czarnik from the Boston Bruins on a two-year contract, and depth forward Alan Quine from the New York Islanders on a one-year contract. During the 2018–19 season, the Flames retired Jarome Iginla's No. 12 jersey on March 2, 2019. At
49910-434: Was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into a new organized game with codified rules which today is ice hockey. While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The two most important codes are those of
50140-431: Was bought out by the Flames for CA$ 20 million as the team signed a 20-year agreement to manage the building. Looking to fill extra dates in the Saddledome, the Flames agreed to a lease deal with the expansion Calgary Hitmen of the junior Western Hockey League who began play in 1995 and were partly owned by Theoren Fleury . Two years later, in 1997, the Flames bought the team for $ 1.5 million. During
50370-435: Was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal , where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup , emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as
50600-412: Was fired and former head coach and general manager Darryl Sutter was re-hired as head coach of the Flames. The team missed the playoffs. Giordano's tenure as captain ended when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL expansion draft . The team did not name a captain for the 2021–22 season, but recorded 50 wins and 111 points to secure first place in the Pacific Division and return to
50830-491: 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 (GAA) at 1.69. After seven consecutive seasons of not making
51060-437: Was forced to take a leave of absence on November 26, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Assistant coach Geoff Ward was named the acting head coach during the investigation. Peters resigned on November 29 and Ward was named the interim head coach. After Peters' resignation, interim head coach Ward broke a franchise record by starting his coaching tenure with seven straight wins. The Flames only played 70 games in
51290-410: Was killed in a car accident prior to the season's start. Under new head coach Terry Crisp , the Flames recorded their first 100-point season in 1987–88 , earning the Presidents' Trophy for having the NHL's best record and ending the Oilers' six-year reign atop the Smythe Division in the process. Joe Nieuwendyk became the second rookie in NHL history to score at least 50 goals in a season, earning
51520-411: Was named head coach of the National Conference All-Stars for the third straight year, tying the league record for most appearances at the ECHL All-Star Game by a coach. The Wranglers clinched their second straight Pacific Division crown and National Conference regular season championship on March 26, 2008 with a 3 – 2 overtime victory on the road against the Utah Grizzlies. The win also made the Wranglers
51750-399: Was named the new head coach of the team after Darryl Sutter's firing. Conroy's first trade was trading off leading goal-scorer, Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round draft choice on June 27. The following day, Sharangovich signed a two-year, $ 6.2 million extension with the club. Mikael Backlund , the longest-serving player of
51980-451: Was named the second head coach in franchise history. On July 15, 2009 the Wranglers announced that they had hired former NHL All-Star Keith Primeau to take over as the team's director of player development as well as being a special assistant to the General Manager. Primeau, who played in fifteen NHL seasons, runs the Durham Hockey Institute in Toronto with Wranglers head coach and general manager Ryan Mougenel and Keith's brother Wayne and
52210-417: Was not soon repeated. After a losing record in 1981–82 , Fletcher jettisoned several holdovers from the Atlanta days who could not adjust to the higher-pressure hockey environment and rebuilt the roster. Over the next three seasons, he put together a core of players that remained together through the early 1990s. Fletcher's efforts to match the Oilers led him to draw talent from areas previously neglected by
52440-418: Was relieved of his duties. He was replaced by former Vancouver Canucks assistant coach Glen Gulutzan . Aided by their poor finish, the Flames were able to select Matthew Tkachuk with the sixth selection at the 2016 NHL entry draft . The Flames acquired veterans Troy Brouwer , Kris Versteeg , Alex Chiasson , Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson in the 2016 off-season, but overshadowing these additions were
52670-495: Was supposed to be the franchise's inaugural season in 2000, but the team had to suspend its entrance into the WCHL for three seasons due to the lack of a suitable arena for the team to play in. Deciding to not miss out on another season, the Wranglers announced in October 2002 that they planned to play at the proposed Las Vegas Events Center in Downtown Las Vegas and share the arena with the Community College of Southern Nevada's men's and women's basketball teams. The Events Center
52900-429: Was to be paid for and operated by a non-profit organization that was supported by Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman . With no progress on the proposed Events Center, the franchise announced in September 2002 that it was moving to the Orleans Arena that was under construction at The Orleans Hotel and Casino . The Orleans Arena became the home of the Wranglers beginning with the 2003–04 WCHL season. Later in September 2002,
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