A look at the Calgary Flames' inaugural game, season and surprising playoff run in 1980 | CBC Sports

[@peterlee4682]

So good to see the classic Flames players: Dan Bouchard, Willi Plett, Eric Vail along with GM Cliff Fletcher. Yea, those boards in that old rink were very high!

[@waynejohanson1083]

Remember all this like it was yesterday. And they got to the semi-finals in the first season in Calgary.

[@nz1229]

That was a miracle season with playoff run but the next couple of seasons were dismal until Smith put the puck in his own net.

[@trevorlambert4226]

Fun fact regarding Bobby Lalonde, who Vail and Plett mentioned in relation to the height of the boards in the Corral. Lalonde played exactly one game as a Calgary Flame, in 1981/82. 🤣

[@RaffiMein]

Flames would have gotten destroyed by the Islanders as well.

[@Roof_Pizza]

No one was bright enough to come up with a new, original nickname when they moved. A name like the Dodgers meant something but Flames? Lame.

[@RRaquello]

The name Flames comes from the Civil War when General Sherman burnt down the city of Atlanta. Not something you'd think they'd want to celebrate with a team name. I don't know if Calgary has ever been burnt down.

[@NicholasMoreau]

@@RRaquello Owner Nelson Skalbania justified keeping the name, changing the reference to the oil industry.

[@RRaquello]

@@NicholasMoreau And why not? It's as good a name as any. What else were they gonna call them?

[@ckendall67]

What's wrong with 'Flames'? It's perfect.

[@kenryu364]

Calgary wranglers, cowboys, bulls, Albertans, barons, ranchmans, outlaws, sheriffs, ugh all terrible. Flames I can live with.