Atlanta Flames facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atlanta Flames
Founded	1972
History	Atlanta Flames 1972–1980 Calgary Flames 1980–present
Home arena	Omni Coliseum
City	Atlanta, Georgia
Colors	Red, yellow and white
Stanley Cups	0
Conference championships	0
Division championships	0

The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team. They were based in Atlanta, Georgia from 1972 to 1980. The team played its home games at the Omni Coliseum. They were part of the National Hockey League (NHL).

The Flames were created in 1971. This happened when the NHL was competing with a new league called the World Hockey Association (WHA). The team had some good times on the ice. They made it to the playoffs in six of their eight seasons. However, they never won a playoff series. They only won two playoff games in total.

The team struggled to attract enough fans. By the 1979–80 season, they averaged only about 10,000 fans per game. Because of this, the team was sold. It then moved to Alberta, Canada. There, it became the Calgary Flames.

Some key players for the Atlanta Flames included Eric Vail. He scored the most goals with 174. Tom Lysiak led the team in total points with 431. Guy Chouinard was the only player to score 50 goals in one season. Goalie Dan Bouchard had the most wins (166) and shutouts (20). Two Flames players won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie: Eric Vail (1974–75) and Willi Plett (1975–76). Bob MacMillan won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1978–79. This award is for the most gentlemanly player. Cliff Fletcher, the team's general manager, is the only person from the Atlanta Flames to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Team History: The Atlanta Flames Era

How the Atlanta Flames Started

Tom Lysiak (left) celebrates with Dave Shand and Harold Phillipoff after a goal against the Colorado Rockies in 1978.

The National Hockey League (NHL) was growing fast. It went from six teams in 1966 to fourteen teams by 1970. The NHL didn't plan to add more teams until 1973. But then, a new hockey league started in 1971. It was called the World Hockey Association (WHA). This new league changed the NHL's plans. Both leagues started competing for players and cities.

The NHL wanted to stop the WHA from getting into new arenas. One such arena was the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, New York. The NHL also decided to add a team in the Southern United States. So, on November 9, 1971, the NHL announced it would expand to Long Island and Atlanta.

The Atlanta team was given to Tom Cousins. He also owned the Atlanta Hawks, a basketball team. The new hockey team would play in the Omni Coliseum, a brand new arena. Cousins paid $6 million for the team. He named the team the Flames. This was to honor the burning of Atlanta during the American Civil War. This event was led by General William Tecumseh Sherman.

The Flames hired Cliff Fletcher as their general manager. He used to work for the St. Louis Blues. Bernie Geoffrion, a former player for the Montreal Canadiens, became the head coach. The team built its roster through a special draft on June 6, 1972. This was called an expansion draft. Fletcher chose goalies Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard. He picked many young players. Two days later, the Flames picked Jacques Richard second overall in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft.

Early Seasons: 1972–1975

The Atlanta Flames played their first NHL game on October 7, 1972. They played against their expansion partners, the New York Islanders, in Long Island. The Flames won 3–2. Morris Stefaniw scored the first goal in Flames history. The team played its first home game on October 14. They tied the Buffalo Sabres 1–1 in front of a full crowd.

The team played well for much of their first season. Goalies Bouchard and Myre were strong. By mid-January, their record was 20 wins, 19 losses, and 8 ties. But they only won five more games that season. They finished with 25 wins, 38 losses, and 15 ties. Atlanta finished seventh in their division and missed the playoffs. The team did well with fans, selling almost 7,000 season tickets. They averaged over 12,500 fans per game.

Tom Lysiak joined the Flames for the 1973–74 season. He was picked second overall in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. Lysiak quickly became a key player. He led the Flames in scoring with 64 points. He was also second in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie. The Flames improved their record to 30 wins, 34 losses, and 14 ties. They finished fourth in their division. This allowed them to qualify for the 1974 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Their first playoff game was on April 9, 1974, against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers won 4–1. Philadelphia then beat the Flames in four straight games. Coach Geoffrion was praised for his work. He finished second in voting for the Jack Adams Award for best coach.

The NHL added 18 teams in the 1974–75 season. This led to a new division setup. The Flames were placed in the Patrick Division. Lysiak was again the top scorer with 77 points. Eric Vail, in his first full season, led the team with 39 goals. Vail's goal total was the most among all rookies. He won the Calder Trophy for this.

The team had a tough December with an eight-game losing streak. They also had injuries to key players. But they still managed their first winning season. Their record was 34 wins, 31 losses, and 15 ties. However, they finished fourth in their division and missed the playoffs. Coach Geoffrion resigned late in the season. He was replaced by Fred Creighton. Creighton had coached the Flames' minor league team.

Later Years and Relocation: 1975–1980

Eric Vail battles for position in front of the net against the Colorado Rockies in 1978.

Under coach Fred Creighton, the Flames became a consistent team. They usually won a few more games than they lost each year. They finished third in the Patrick Division for three seasons in a row. The team made the playoffs all three years. But they lost in the first round each time.

In 1975–76, the Los Angeles Kings beat them two games to none. The Kings also eliminated the Flames in 1976–77. But Atlanta got its first playoff win in team history in the second game of that series. Vail scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory on April 7, 1977. Still, the Flames were eliminated in the third game. Willi Plett, a player picked in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, became a young star. He scored 33 goals in his rookie season (1976–77) and won the Calder Trophy.

General Manager Fletcher wanted to make the team better. He made several trades. Goalies Bouchard and Myre were not getting along. Fletcher made Bouchard the main goalie. He traded Myre to the St. Louis Blues for three players. The Flames made the playoffs again in 1977–78. But they lost to the Detroit Red Wings two games to none. In March 1979, Fletcher made a big trade. He sent top scorer Tom Lysiak and four other players to the Chicago Blackhawks. In return, the Flames got three players, including defenseman Phil Russell. Fletcher hoped Russell would help the team win in the playoffs.

The 1978–79 was the best for the Flames in Atlanta. They had a team record of ten wins in a row in October 1978. They finished with 41 wins, 31 losses, and 8 ties. Bob MacMillan, who came from the Myre trade, led the team in scoring. He and Guy Chouinard were the first Flames players to score 100 points in one season. Chouinard also became the team's first player to score 50 goals. MacMillan won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy that season. In the playoffs, Atlanta lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs two games to none.

Fletcher kept changing the team for the 1979–80. Al MacNeil became the new head coach. The team also got Swedish star Kent Nilsson after the WHA league closed. Nilsson led Atlanta in scoring with 40 goals and 53 assists. In the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, Fletcher picked four players. These players would become important for the Flames: Paul Reinhart, Jim Peplinski, Pat Riggin, and Tim Hunter. The Flames made the playoffs again in 1980. But they lost in the first round to the New York Rangers three games to one.

The Move to Calgary

The Calgary Flames use the "Flaming A" logo to show alternate captains, like on Dion Phaneuf's jersey. This honors their time in Atlanta.

While the team played, the number of fans attending games went down. Attendance peaked at over 14,000 fans per game in 1973–74. But it dropped to about 10,500 by 1977–78. People worried the team might move. Politicians and players even bought tickets to help. In 1980, the Flames tried to get more fans. They signed Jim Craig, the goalie for the U.S. Olympic team. This team had won the gold medal in the "Miracle on Ice" at the 1980 Olympics. But it didn't work. Attendance fell to just over 10,000 fans per game.

The Omni Coliseum also caused financial problems. It was one of the last major arenas built without special luxury suites. These suites bring in a lot of money. General Manager Fletcher said the arena was "out-of-date when it opened."

Tom Cousins announced he wanted to sell the team. This was after the Flames lost their last playoff game on April 12, 1980. He said he had lost a lot of money on the team. Low TV viewership also made it hard to get a TV contract. The Flames were thought to have lost $12 million in eight years. For months, there were rumors that the team would move to Calgary. Dallas and Houston were also considered. Dallas later got an NHL team in 1993.

The Seaman brothers, Daryl and Byron, offered $14 million for the team. The City of Calgary was also ready to build a new arena. Canadian businessman Nelson Skalbania also wanted to buy the team. He then joined the Calgary group. The group agreed to buy the Flames for $16 million. This was the highest price ever paid for an NHL team at the time. The sale was announced on May 21, 1980. The team moved to Canada and became the Calgary Flames. The Calgary Flames still use the Atlanta logo for their alternate captains.

The last Atlanta Flames player to play in the NHL was Kent Nilsson. He played his final game in 1995. After their careers, several former players returned to Atlanta. Tom Lysiak ran a horse farm. Eric Vail opened a nightclub. Willi Plett ran a sports theme park and golf course.

The NHL in Atlanta: A Second Try

The NHL came back to Atlanta in 1999. A new team, the Atlanta Thrashers, joined the league. The Flames and Thrashers were in different conferences. This meant the Flames, who were in the Western Conference, played one game in Atlanta each year. This continued until the 2010–11 season.

In 2011, the Thrashers were sold and moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba. They became the second version of the Winnipeg Jets. (The first Jets team moved to Phoenix in 1996 and are now the Arizona Coyotes). With the Thrashers moving, Atlanta became the first city to lose two NHL teams. Both teams moved to Western Canada.

Team Uniforms

During their eight years, the Atlanta Flames wore red and white uniforms. They also had yellow accents. The uniforms usually had stripes with yellow borders on the sleeves, socks, and bottom of the jersey. The white uniforms had a red stripe on the shoulders. When the team moved to Calgary, they kept these uniforms. They just changed the "flaming A" logo to a "flaming C". The "flaming A" is now used by the Calgary Flames to show alternate captains.

The Atlanta Hawks, a basketball team, also changed their colors to red and yellow. This happened shortly after the Flames started. The Hawks kept these colors until 2007, then brought them back in 2020. The Hawks added black as a third color in 1992. The Calgary Flames did the same in 1995. As of 2022, both teams sometimes wear black uniforms.

Season-by-Season Records

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against

Notable People and Awards

Team Captains

• Keith McCreary 1972–1975
• Pat Quinn 1975–1977
• Tom Lysiak 1977–1979
• Jean Pronovost 1979–1980

Award Winners

Three Atlanta Flames players won NHL awards. Eric Vail won the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1974–75. This award is for the best rookie. He scored 39 goals and had 60 points that season. Willi Plett, who was born in Paraguay, won the same award two years later. He scored 33 goals and 23 assists in his first full NHL season. Bob MacMillan won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1978–79. This award is for the most gentlemanly player. He had 104 points and only 14 penalty minutes.

Seven Flames players were chosen for the NHL All-Star Game. Randy Manery was the first in 1973. Others included Al McDonough (1974), Tom Lysiak (1975, 1976, 1977), Curt Bennett (1975, 1976), Eric Vail (1977), Bill Clement (1978), and Kent Nilsson (1980).

Hockey Hall of Fame Members

Three people from the Atlanta Flames organization are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Cliff Fletcher, from Montreal, started as a scout in 1956. He became the first and only general manager of the Atlanta Flames in 1972. Fletcher stayed with the team after it moved to Calgary. He helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1989. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004 for his work as a builder (someone who helps grow the game).

Pat Quinn played for the Flames from 1972 to 1977. He was inducted as a builder for his coaching career. The Flames' first head coach, Bernie Geoffrion, was also inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1972. No former Flames player has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player.

Broadcasters

The Flames' radio and TV broadcasts were often the same. Games were shown on TV channel WTCG 17 and heard on radio station WSB (AM). Jiggs McDonald was the main play-by-play announcer. Skip Caray filled in from 1976 to 1980. Color commentators included Andy Still (1972–73), Bob Neal (1973–74), Ed Thilenius (1974–75, for home and TV games), Bernie Geoffrion (1975–79), and Bobby Harper (1979–80, for home games). Pete Van Wieren also did play-by-play for the team.

Top Scorers for the Atlanta Flames

These are the top ten players who scored the most points for the team while it was in Atlanta.

Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Individual Team Records

Single-Season Records

• Most goals: Guy Chouinard, 50 (1978–79)
• Most assists: Bob MacMillan, 71 (1978–79)
• Most points: Bob MacMillan, 108 (1978–79)
• Most penalty minutes: Willi Plett, 231 (1979–80)
• Most points by a defenseman: Paul Reinhart, 47 (1979–80)
• Most points by a rookie: Tom Lysiak, 64 (1973–74)
• Most wins by a goalie: Dan Bouchard, 32 (1978–79)

Career Records

• Games played: Eric Vail, 469
• Goals: Eric Vail, 174
• Assists: Tom Lysiak, 276
• Points: Tom Lysiak, 431
• Penalty minutes: Willi Plett, 738
• Goalie games played: Dan Bouchard, 384
• Goalie wins: Dan Bouchard, 164
• Shutouts: Dan Bouchard, 20

See Also

• Atlanta Thrashers