Flames Nation

Lore & Background

The team enjoyed modest success on the ice, qualifying for the playoffs in six of its eight seasons, but failed to win a playoff series and won only two post-season games total. The franchise was eventually sold after the 1979–80 season and relocated to Calgary, Alberta after owner and real estate developer Tom Cousins suffered massive financial losses due to the struggling 1970s economy.

Reader's Guide

Eric Vail was the Flames' top goal scorer with 174 while Tom Lysiak led with 431 points. Guy Chouinard was the lone player to score 50 goals in one season. Goaltender Dan Bouchard led the team in wins (166) and shutouts (20). Two Flames players won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's top rookie: Vail in 1974–75 and Willi Plett in 1975–76. Bob MacMillan won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy as the most gentlemanly player in 1978–79. General manager Cliff Fletcher is the lone member of the Atlanta team to be named to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• The Flames' first playoff victory was on April 7, 1977, when Eric Vail scored the game-winning goal in a 3–2 win over the Los Angeles Kings.
• Guy Chouinard was the only Atlanta Flame to score 50 goals in a single season.

Origins Amidst League Rivalry

The Atlanta Flames emerged from a strategic maneuver by the National Hockey League to counteract the aggressive expansion of its rival, the World Hockey Association. Cousins, who already owned the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, invested six million dollars to establish the team at the newly constructed Omni Coliseum. The franchise name was a deliberate historical homage to General William Sherman's burning of Atlanta during the Civil War. To build the roster, general manager Cliff Fletcher and head coach Bernie Geoffrion utilized an expansion draft in June 1972. Fletcher prioritized goaltending, securing Phil Myre and rookie Dan Bouchard early on, while also selecting Jacques Richard as the second overall pick in the amateur draft. This foundational period set the stage for a young, inexperienced squad tasked with bringing professional hockey to the American South.

On-Ice Performance and Playoff Struggles

Despite qualifying for the postseason in six of their eight seasons, the Flames never managed to win a playoff series or secure more than two post-season victories throughout their entire existence. Their inaugural season ended without a playoff berth, though they showed promise with strong goaltending from Bouchard and Myre. However, they were eliminated in the preliminary rounds each time, often falling to the Los Angeles Kings.

Individual Excellence and Award Winners

While team success was elusive, several players achieved significant individual honors during their tenure in Atlanta. Guy Chouinard remains the only player to ever reach the fifty-goal mark in a single season for the club.

Financial Collapse and Relocation

The Atlanta Flames' tenure ended not due to on-ice failure alone, but because of severe economic pressures facing owner Tom Cousins. The struggling economy of the late 1970s caused massive financial losses for the real estate developer, making it impossible to sustain the franchise in Georgia. This move transformed the franchise into the Calgary Flames, leaving behind a legacy defined by modest regular-season success but ultimate financial unsustainability. Among the staff and players from the Atlanta era, only general manager Cliff Fletcher achieved posthumous recognition at the highest level, becoming the sole member of that original organization inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.