4/4/13: Calgary knows they are out of the playoffs. That is what happens when you let a team get old and try to keep everyone around - or at least replace the defectors with high priced free agents. Early in the week, they traded franchise icon Jerome Iginla to Pittsburgh. Iginla apparently preferred the Penguins over the Bruins, and he will have a chance to win the Cup. The Flames also traded their best defense man, Jay Bouwmeester to St. Louis for some high draft picks, including a first rounder in the June draft. The Blues need a left handed D that can score.

3/28/13: The NHL trade deadline is around the corner, so it getting time to identify the buyers and sellers. Calgary, living up to everyone's expectations of nothing, will be a seller this year. The problem is that they really only have one major asset, and that is Jerome Iginla. Iginla has been the captain and face of the franchise for at least a decade now, and it does not seem right to watch him finish his career elsewhere. The rumor mill has it that Boston is the most likely destination, but Pittsburgh, Chicago, and the L.A. Kings also have interest. Iginla may draw a first round pick, a signed top prospect and a secondary prospect.

2/28/13: Calgary is struggling, to the surprise of no one that follows the NHL. The Flames are 7-7-3, good for only 17 points in the hyper competitive Western Conference. Calgary does not seem to have any identity this year. They have several veterans who were core players when they were a stronger team, but have a good deal of youth and retreads as well. The team has played much better over the past few weeks, but needs to develop a consistent way to put the puck in the net if they are to make the playoffs this year.

2/21/13: Calgary is a bit of an enigma. The team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals not too many years ago, and seems to have stopped progressing since then. The talented team aged quickly. Rather than blow up the roster and bring in talented youths (like arch rival Edmonton) , the Flames are trying to patch holes. They admit that they are not a strong defensive team and prefer to simply outscore their opponents. They believe that the fans will come support a losing team as long as they are entertaining. They are probably right about that, but the Flames only have 4 wins this season, making the Alberta winter that much longer.

11/29/12: Calgary is a hockey-mad city, and when there is no Flames hockey, then the fans have to turn to the minors and juniors to get their fix. The Abbsord Heat just completed a 12 game road trip, culminating with overtime for the last three games. In the junior leagues, several Flames prospects are standing out. Among them are defensive prospect Tyler Wotherspoon of the Portland Winterhawks, who has two goals and 17 points in 19 games, and leads the team with a +24 rating. Developing these young players are necessary for the Flames long-term viability, so the lockout is givng exposure to developing players.

11/22/12: Should there be a season, the Calgary Flames are expected to finish middle to lower part of the standings. The team has an aging core and has not done much to acquire and develop prospects. At least on paper. The Flames minor league affiliate, the Abbsford Heat of the AHL, is dominating the league. They are two games up on the Toronto Marlies and recently set the record for the two quickest short-handed goals in history. This all bodes well for the Flames, as maybe their prospects and developmental system are not nearly as bad as many would like to believe.

11/15/12: The Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs both took the unprecedented step of providing financial assistance to Team Alberta and the Toronto Furies, respectively, of the Canadian Womens Hockey League. The Flames commitment includes $20,000 per year for the next four years to assist with travel, equipment, and general costs. Team Alberta will also change their team colors from black and gold to the Flames' red and gold. There will also be a name the team contest, though the squad is unofficially known as the Honeybadgers (Honeybadger don't care!). Finally, the women's teams will benefit from exposure through the NHL franchises, which will hopefully allow the league to expand.

11/8/12: Former Flames Star Joey Mullen had some great things to say about the team and the City, citing that he enjoys his trips back. Today, Mullen is an assistant coach with Philadelphia flyers, but a couple of decades ago he was helping the Flames with the Stanley Cup. He won three Cups in his career and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy twice (both with Calgary). He was a great scorer, tallying 38 points for Calgary in his first 16 game the season he was traded by the Blues. So, while he is no longer in the organization, he still considers himself part of the Flames Family.

11/1/12: Calgary is not known these days for developing prospects and nurturing their talent over a long period of time until they are solid NHL players. The current roster is littered with over-priced veterans and retread players, and most have the Flames finishing fairly low in the standings. But two young prospects from the 2012 draft are beginning to impress the fanbase. Forward Mark Jankowski (first round pick) and goaltender Jon Gillies (third round pack) are starting at Providence College. If both develop properly (a big IF), then they may be in Calgary within a couple of years.

10/18/12: With a roster filled with an aging core, the Flames have consciously avoided rebuilding mode with the hopes that their veterans will be able to turn back the clock and their free agent acquisitions will offer significant contributions. This is in stark contrast to thier cross-providence rivals in Edmonton, who decided a few years ago to gut their roster and start fresh. While the Flames trail the Oilers in young gun depth, they do have a very exciting prospect named Sven Baertschi. Baertschi tallied three goals in five games in the NHL last season and has all the offensive talent in the world. He is considered small at 5'10, but that should not stop him from being a strong contributor once he gets a full time opportunity.

10/4/12: The NHL lockout may affect the Calgary Flames more than any other team. The Flames were already an aging team, and their roster (particularly their defensemen) are beset with outlandish contracts complete with No Trade Clauses. Rather than trying to go young and rebuild, the Flames made the conscious decsion to move forward with their high-priced veterans, even though they have missed the playoffs in recent years. Should the lockout drag on, Calgary will be in the unenviable situation of having an old, expensive team that does not have the talent to compete with a condensed schedule.

8/16/12: Its an unofficial event to be sure, but for all Blue Jackets fans in Columbus this weekend comes Cannonfest. The third installment of this fan organized gala hopes to life the spirit of Columbus supports who have just witnessed the departure of the best player in franchise history, a season in which they were easily the worst team in the league, and the ongoing contentious bickering of the new CBA negotiations which threatens to stop professional hockey in the coming season. Cannonfest will also be doing some good deeds, raising money for the Blue Jackets Foundation which supports childrens inititiaves.

8/2/12: Mark Jankowski elected to attend Providence College this fall, rather than spending a year in the United States Hockey League with the Debuque Fighting States. Jankowski is the answer to the trivia question of "who was the first scholastic player selected in the NHL draft in 2012?", and has years of development ahead of him before being ready for the NHL. some may consider the Flames a longshot to retain his rights over the next few years, especially how Anaheim lost the rights to Justin Schultz. Providence plays in the ultra-competitive Hockey East league, but has not made the playoffs since 2001.

7/26/12: The stockpiling of defensemen in Calgary may be hitting the Flames soon. Calgary now has eight blueliners on the roster, but all are one-way contracts, which can be restrictive to demoting to the minors. Additionally, most of the players would have to pass through waivers before an assignment to the minors, and teams are always looking for good defensemen. A trade may be in order in the near future, with Jay Baumeester, Anton Babchuk, and Derick Smith all as possible pieces. The Flames seem to have painted themselves into a corner, and now need to figure out how to deal with their defensive surplus.

5/22/12: Fans always hold their breaths when a key member of their organization goes to the arch-enemy, and so it may be with Calgary and former head coach Brent Sutter. The Edmonton Oilers opted to not renew the contract of head coach Tom Renny, and there is much speculation that Sutter will be offered and accept that job. Edmonton is primed to jump to the next level after years of drafting (and playing) high talented players, and they have the #1 overall pick in this year's draft too. Flames fans must feel some apprehension here, knowing they may have to watch their former coach achieve greatness that has eluded them for several seasons.

5/16/12: Much of Calgary's core is homegrown talent and that core enjoyed a lot of success over the years. However, that core is aging and contracts are expiring, making it tough for a small market team (particularly one in western Canada) to retain their key personnel. talent development choices and economic realities are hitting the Flames, therefore not everyone will be back. In time, Calgary will replenish itself, but will continue to struggle for some time. The Flames first need to hire a new coach to replace Brent Sutter, but they may be waiting for the playoffs to finish to pursue some high-profile assistants.

5/11/12: The Flames are likely to start a massive rebuilding project in the coming season, adding frustration to fans who have watched the team miss the playoffs for the past three seasons. As they say, its always darkest before the dawn. The Flames were hamstrung with bloated contracts and no-trade clauses last season, and could not make many moves last offseason. So they went to battle with an aging and underperforming team. The good news is that many of those contracts have expired and cap-space is getting free. This will allow Calgary to bring in some youth and redevelop itself back into a winner.

5/3/12: Calgary fans are in the curious position are watching former Flames Coach Darryl Sutter lead the L.A. Kings to the second round of the playoffs, while simultanously saying goodbye to brother Brent Sutter as head coach. Darryl Sutter will always be remembered in Calgary, as he took the team to Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals (losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning). Jerome Iginla, the long-time face of the franchise and future Hall-of-Famer, enters a contract year next season. Iginla has professed his desire to stay with the team, and now it is Calgary's turn to ensure he finishes his career with the Flames.

4/25/12: Improving offensively should be the Flames number one goal going into the offseason. The team finished 24 out of 30 in goals, scoring only 2.4 per game. Calgary officially parted ways with coach Brent Sutter. A replacement has not been named but expect someone with an offensive background to fill the position. Jerome Ignila, long the face of the franchise, struggled in 2011-12 with only 32 goals and 67 points, leading the team in both categories. Krys Kolonos may provide some help next season. He was named AHL Player of the Month for March and spent some time with the Flames late in the season.

4/18/12: Brent Sutter was hired as coach prior to the 2009-10 season, joining brothers Brian, Darryl, and Duane in the coaching ranks. Coincidentally, The Flames have not qualified for the playoffs since the 2008-09 season, despite accumulating at least 90 points each season. The Flames and Brent Sutter "mutally agreed" to relieve Sutter of his coaching duties this past week, and are also allowing Assistant Coach Dave Lowry's contract to expire without renewal. Replacement possibilities include Dallas Eakins, Rangers assistant Mike Sullivan, and former Flames captain Bob Boughner. Sutter, meanwhile, is currently working on Team Canada roster for the World Championships in Sweeden next month.

Calgary Flames Tickets -Team History

Calgary Flames tickets allow fans the opportunity to see one of the rising franchises in the NHL's Western Conference. Established in 1972, the Calgary Flames were originally based in Atlanta, Georgia before making the move to Canada in 1980. The Flames play their games at Scotiabank Saddledome and have called the venue home since 1983. Watch as the Flames continue to build their legacy and work to bring a second Stanley Cup to Calgary!

Calgary Flames Tickets -Season Info

The Calgary Flames are a franchise perennially in a position to win the Stanley Cup. The Flames have made it to the Western Conference Quarterfinals four of the past five years and are always well positioned for success. With stars like Jay Bouwmeester, Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames have all the makings of a playoff contender.

Calgary Flames Tickets -Ticket Information

Calgary Flames tickets ensure that fans see the Flames playing top contenders throughout the entire NHL season. The Flames have a great shot at winning the Northwest Division in 2011. With matchups against great teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche and non-divisional meetings with Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flames are sure to be tested all season long. Grab your Flames tickets now and don't miss the action!

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