Atlanta Flames

Lore & Background

The NHL announced on November 9, 1971, that it was expanding to Long Island and Atlanta. The Atlanta franchise was awarded to Atlanta real estate developer Tom Cousins, who also owned the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and would play out of the newly built Omni Coliseum. The team cost $6 million. Cousins named the franchise the Flames in homage to the burning of Atlanta by United States Army General William Sherman during the American Civil War. The Flames hired Cliff Fletcher, formerly of the St. Louis Blues, to serve as the team's general manager. Former Montreal Canadiens player Bernie Geoffrion was hired as the team's head coach. The team stocked its roster via an expansion draft held on June 6, 1972. Fletcher focused on goaltending, choosing Phil Myre with his first selection and rookie Dan Bouchard with his second. Two days later, the Flames selected Jacques Richard as the second overall pick in the 1972 NHL amateur draft.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Omni Coliseum hung heavy, a stark contrast to the frozen surface below. A player tightened his laces, the red and yellow jersey feeling warm against the chill of the ice. He looked up at the boards, seeing the familiar logo of the Flames, knowing this was the last season in Georgia. The crowd roared, a mix of nostalgia and anticipation for the future. As he dropped his stick on the ice, he knew the fire would travel north, but the heat of Atlanta would remain in his memory.

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. The team's best record was 41–31–8 in 1978–79. They never won a division title; they finished third in the Patrick Division for three consecutive seasons (1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78) and never won a playoff series.

Did You Know?

• The Flames made their NHL debut on October 7, 1972, against the New York Islanders, winning 3–2; Morris Stefaniw scored the first goal in franchise history.
• Tom Lysiak finished second to Denis Potvin in Calder Trophy voting in 1973–74.
• The Flames' goaltending tandem of Dan Bouchard and Phil Myre began to feud by 1977–78, leading to Myre's trade.
• In March 1979, Fletcher completed an eight-player trade that sent Tom Lysiak to the Chicago Black Hawks.
• The Flames peaked at an average of 14,161 fans per game in 1973–74, but attendance fell to 10,500 by 1977–78.