CAL Flames

The Flames were the result of the NHL's first initiative to compete against the upstart World Hockey Association (WHA), which was seeking locations for hockey franchises. In December 1971, 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 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.

Under head coaches Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, Fred Creighton and Al MacNeil, the Flames made the playoffs in six of eight seasons in Atlanta but only won two postseason games during that same time period. The Atlanta ownership was not financially stable; general manager Cliff Fletcher said years later that Cousins's initial financial projections for an NHL team did not account for the WHA. The Flames struggled to draw audiences and never signed a major television contract.

In 1980, Cousins was in considerable financial difficulty and was forced to sell the Flames to prevent bankruptcy. With few serious offers from local groups, he was receptive to an offer from Canadian entrepreneur Nelson Skalbania. He was fronting a group of Calgary businessmen that included oil magnates Harley Hotchkiss, Ralph T. Scurfield, Norman Green, Daryl Seaman, Byron Seaman, and Norman Kwong. Cousins sold the team for US$16 million, a record sale price for an NHL team at the time. Skalbania 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 the Flames have been locally owned since.

The Flames were immediately embraced by the city of Calgary and the Flames sold 10,000 full- and half-season ticket packages in the 7,000 seat Stampede Corral. 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 won their first two playoff series over the Chicago Black Hawks and Philadelphia Flyers before losing to the Minnesota North Stars in the semifinals. This early success was not soon repeated. After a losing record in 1981–82, Fletcher traded or did not renew several contracts of holdovers from the Atlanta team and rebuilt the roster.

Fletcher drew talent from areas previously neglected by the NHL and were among the earliest teams to sign large numbers of U.S. college players, including Joel Otto, Gary Suter and Colin Patterson. Fletcher also searched for European hockey talent, acquiring Hakan Loob and was among the first to draft players from the Soviet Union, including CSKA Moscow star Sergei Makarov in 1983. The team 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 the Olympic Saddledome, a venue originally for the 1988 Winter Olympics.

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 a deep playoff run, largely because 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 among the best teams in the entire league during this time. However, the NHL's playoff structure of the time made it likelier the Flames would meet the Oilers in either the first or second round. From 1983 until 1990, either the Oilers or the Flames represented the Campbell Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.

By 1986, 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. The Flames upset the Oilers in seven games. 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, the Flames went on to the Campbell Conference finals, where they defeated the St. Louis Blues in another seven-game series. Game six, dubbed the Monday Night Miracle, involved a three-goal comeback by the Blues in the third period to force overtime. Doug Wickenheiser scored for St. Louis to force a seventh game. Calgary won game seven at home, 2–1, advancing into the Stanley Cup Final for the first time. The Flames lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

The Flames followed up their run to the Stanley Cup Final with their best regular season. 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 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. Joe Nieuwendyk became the second rookie in NHL history to score at least 50 goals in a season, earning the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year. Looking to bolster the line-up for a playoff run, the Flames traded Brett Hull (along with Steve Bozek) to the Blues in exchange for Rob Ramage and Rick Wamsley. However, their playoff frustrations continued against the Oilers as they were swept in four game in the second round.

In 1988–89, the Flames continued to improve. They captured their second consecutive Presidents' Trophy with a franchise record 117 points. 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 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 Flames then defeated the Kings in a four-game sweep before eliminating the Chicago Blackhawks in five games to set up a rematch of the 1986 Stanley Cup Final against Montreal. In the 1989 Stanley Cup Final, the Flames won in six games. 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) the distinction of being the first Canadian woman to have her name engraved on the 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 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, the team fell two points shy of their third-straight Presidents' Trophy with 99 points. In the playoffs, they were dethroned in six games by the Los Angeles Kings. They did not win another playoff series until 2004.

In 1991, Fletcher left the Flames to become the general manager of 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, who completed a ten-player mega-trade that saw forward Doug Gilmour dealt to Toronto with four other players in exchange for former 50-goal scorer Gary Leeman and four others. However, the trade backfired on the Flames as Leeman scored only 11 goals in a Flames uniform, while Gilmour became a franchise player for the Maple Leafs. Despite the blossoming of Theoren Fleury into an NHL star, the Flames missed the playoffs in 1992, a year after finishing with their third 100-point season in franchise history. It was the first time since their relocation, they had missed the playoffs.

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 [[1994–95 Calgary Flames season|1995] seasons were both seventh game overtime home defeats to the Canucks and San Jose Sharks respectively. In the 1995–96 season, Joe Nieuwendyk was traded to the Dallas Stars for 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, the Flames missed the playoffs and did not return for seven years. The low point came in the 1997–98 season, in which the Flames finished with only 67 points, the second-lowest point total in franchise history.

In 1999, 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.

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 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 the team 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 Trophy and Art Ross Trophy in 2001–02 as the leading goal and point scorer with 52 goals and 96 points. Another bright spot for the team during this time was defenceman Robyn Regehr, who became the youngest nominee ever for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. 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. 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 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 the Stanley Cup Final. 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 the 1989 Cup Final. The Flames then upset the Presidents' Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings in six games. After eliminating the Pacific Division champion San Jose Sharks in the conference finals, the Flames earned a trip to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. flew the Flames flag beside the Maple Leaf, while Prime Minister Paul Martin dubbed the Flames "Canada's team".

The Final went to seven games with the Flames suffering a controversial non-goal in game six 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 the only player in NHL history to score the winning goal in every playoff series. The Lightning went on to win the game in 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 next season was wiped out due to as the 2004–05 NHL lockout. During the lockout, 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 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 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, and with Sutter relinquishing his head coaching position to assistant Jim Playfair so he could focus on his duties as general manager. 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.

In the 2007–08 off-season, the Flames demoted Playfair to associate coach, bringing in Mike Keenan as the team's head coach. 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 the Flames' all-time goalscoring leader on March 10, 2008. In the playoffs, they fell in the conference quarterfinals to the 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 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 the 2010–11 season, falling to 14th place in the conference at the Christmas break. The organization asked Darryl Sutter to step aside as general manager. The team named assistant Jay Feaster the interim general manager in his place, removing the interim tag following the season. The team pulled itself back into playoff contention following the change but once again failed to qualify for the playoffs, missing by three points and finishing 10th in the conference.

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. 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 the Flames. Iginla also scored his 500th career goal on January 7, 2012, against the Minnesota Wild. 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 a first-round pick in 2013, leaving the team without a captain for the first time. The Flames missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year in 2012–13, and selected 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. The team fell to the sixth place in the division, and team president Brian Burke fired general manager Jay Feaster and took over the role on an interim basis. 2011 fourth-round draft pick Johnny Gaudreau made his NHL debut after winning the Hobey Baker Award at Boston College the day before. Gaudreau recorded his first NHL goal in 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 games against the Los Angeles Kings to clinch their first playoff berth since 2009. They eliminated the Vancouver Canucks in six games in 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.

In the 2015–16 season, the Flames faced heightened expectations after the prior seasons. These expectations were bolstered after the 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, head coach Bob Hartley was fired. 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.

During the off-season, the Flames had 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 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 fired. 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 the Czech former star only lasted 22 games in Calgary, scoring seven 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, sending Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and Adam Fox to the Hurricanes in exchange for Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm. At 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. They went on to lose in the first round to the Colorado Avalanche in five games. At the end of season, captain Mark Giordano was awarded the James Norris Memorial Trophy for best defenceman of the year.

During the 2019–20 season, following accusations against head coach Bill Peters of racism and physical violence by former Flames' prospect Akim Aliu, Peters 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 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, with the Flames starting 11–11–2, Ward was fired and former head coach and general manager Darryl Sutter was re-hired as head coach of the Flames.

Giordano's tenure as captain ended when he was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL expansion draft. The team secured first place in the Pacific Division and returned to 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. In their first Battle of Alberta playoff series since 1991, the Flames lost to the Oilers in five games in the second round.

The 2022 off-season was marked by the departures and arrivals of many star players. The Flames attempted to retain Gaudreau, reportedly offering him an eight-year, $84 million contract extension; instead, Gaudreau signed a seven-year deal to join the Columbus Blue Jackets. 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, 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, the Flames traded Monahan and a conditional first-round pick in 2025 to the Montreal Canadiens for future considerations. The move made room for the Flames to secure Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri, who signed a seven-year $49 million contract on the same day.

Despite losing two 100-point players, the moves made by general manager Brad Treliving were praised, with some commentary suggesting 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 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.

Mikael Backlund, the longest-serving player of the Flames, was named captain on September 27, 2023. During the 2023–24 season, Conroy shipped off Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, a first-round and a conditional fourth-round picks in the 2024 NHL entry draft. Also among those traded were Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin. In the 2024–25 season, Kuzmenko was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flames missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season.