report this adFor a comparatively younger franchise, the Calgary Flames have seen an excessive amount of sturdy particular person performances since changing into a Nationwide Hockey League membership in 1972. Specifically, the group has had a surprisingly great amount of 50-goal scorers over time.
Calgary Flames’ 50-goal scorers. (Vince Richard/The Hockey Writers)
Within the historical past of the NHL, a participant has scored 50-plus objectives on 186 events. 10 of these 50-goal seasons had been carried out by eight completely different gamers sporting Flames sweaters.
The Virtually-50 Membership
Two Flames had near-misses with the 50-goal plateau:
Kent Nilsson had 49 objectives in 80 video games throughout the 1980-81 season. That marketing campaign set a single-season franchise file for factors with 131 and got here in a season the place he was third in NHL scoring.
Mike Bullard had 48 objectives in 79 video games throughout the 1987-88 season. It was Bullard’s greatest offensive season of his profession. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues the next fall in a seven-player deal that landed the Flames Doug Gilmour, starting a sequence of strikes that resulted in Bullard being out of the NHL by 1992.
Man Chouinard
Scored 50 objectives in 80 video games in 1978-79
The guts and soul of the Atlanta Flames for a number of seasons and a 1974 draft decide, Chouinard teamed up with Bob MacMillan to place collectively a formidable offensive one-two punch in 1978-89. Chouinard had a career-best season, accumulating 107 factors and scoring his 50th aim within the second-last recreation of the common season. He ended up ending fourth within the NHL in objectives, behind Mike Bossy (69), Marcel Dionne (59) and Man Lafleur (52). The Flames misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs that season, however the groundwork had been laid for future playoff success.
Lanny McDonald
Scored 66 objectives in 80 video games in 1982-83
A product of Hanna, Alberta and probably the most beloved figures in Flames franchise historical past, McDonald got here to the Flames early within the 1981-82 season after enduring a ton of modifications in his profession. After a commerce from Toronto Maple Leafs despatched him to the floundering Colorado Rockies a swap to the Flames put the winger nearer to house, but additionally gave him some stability and an opportunity to play on a powerful group. In his first full season with the membership, McDonald obliterated the franchise file for objectives in a single season by placing up 66 in 1982-83. Chouinard required 79 video games to attain 50 objectives in 1978-79, whereas McDonald matched that complete within the 60th recreation of the season and saved scoring objectives each few video games till the tip of the marketing campaign. This goal-scoring file nonetheless stands because the excessive water mark for Flames three many years later.
Hakan Loob
Scored 50 objectives in 80 video games in 1987-88
Probably the most versatile European gamers in NHL historical past, Loob migrated from Sweden within the mid-’80s and made historical past within the 1987-88 season by changing into the primary Swedish participant to ever rating 50 objectives – so far, he’s additionally the one Swede to perform the feat. A part of a powerhouse Flames membership in 1987-88 that received the Presidents’ Trophy and boasted 4 40-goal scorers. Loob opted to go away registering his 50th aim to the ultimate interval of the common season, scoring an influence play aim within the third interval to cement himself within the historical past books.
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Nieuwendyk scored 50 objectives in every of his first two NHL seasons. (Picture Wiki Commons, Consumer: Resolute)
Scored 51 objectives in 75 video games in 1987-88Scored 51 objectives in 77 video games in 1988-89
A highly-touted faculty participant, Nieuwendyk grew to become a full-time professional within the 1987-88 season and made a little bit of historical past. He was the second rookie to attain 50 objectives in NHL historical past – two extra gamers have carried out it since – after which grew to become the second participant to attain 50 objectives in every of his first two seasons – Bossy is the opposite. He scored his 50th aim in his 66th recreation in 1987-88, scored his 51st the following recreation, after which went chilly for the final eight outings. In 1988-89 he hit the 50-goal mark in his 72nd recreation.
Joe Mullen
Scored 51 objectives in 79 video games in 1988-89
Probably the most dynamic American-born gamers in NHL historical past, Mullen was acquired by the Flames from the Blues in a six-player deal halfway by way of the 1985-86 season. His first full season with the membership noticed him internet 47 objectives in 1986-87 and he had 40 objectives in 1987-88. He had a breakthrough yr in 1988-89, hitting the 50-goal mark. He made a giant push late within the season, scoring seven objectives by way of the ultimate 4 video games of the common season – together with a four-goal outburst towards the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored his 50th aim within the 78th recreation of the season.
Theoren Fleury
Theoren Fleury scored 51 objectives for the Calgary Flames in 1990-91. (Stephen Dyrgas/Flickr)
Scored 51 objectives in 79 video games in 1990-91
Arguably hockey’s greatest participant of a smaller stature, Fleury didn’t a lot play the sport of hockey as a lot as he attacked it. In his third NHL season he had maybe his most spectacular offensive output, scoring 50 objectives. He scored his 50th in fashion, through a Sport 77 hat trick towards the Vancouver Canucks. Fleury by no means fairly matched that output once more as hockey shifted firmly into the clutch-and-grab period, however he remained a productive goal-scorer.
Gary Roberts
Scored 53 objectives in 76 video games in 1991-92
The ’80s Flames had been offensive powerhouses, which allowed some house for younger gamers – corresponding to Roberts – to be regularly developed on the roster. When the Flames started to really feel the pinch of the weak Canadian greenback and needed to begin dropping a few of their star gamers, Roberts grew to become extra outstanding and remained a excessive performing scorer till a sequence of accidents started to gradual him down. Arguably his greatest season got here in 1991-92 when he scored 53 objectives, along with his 50th coming in a two-goal efficiency in his 73rd recreation of the season.
Jarome Iginla
Jarome Iginla scored 50 objectives for the Calgary Flames in two completely different seasons. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)
Scored 52 objectives in 82 video games in 2001-02Scored 50 objectives in 82 video games in 2007-08
Acquired by the Flames from the Dallas Stars in late 1995 in a swap that despatched Nieuwendyk to the Stars, Iginla regularly matured into probably the most persistently harmful goal-scorers in NHL historical past. He hit the 50-goal plateau twice; in 2001-02 his offensive outburst coincided along with his ascent to elite standing amongst NHL scorers, a spot he remained for the higher a part of a decade. He scored his 50th aim within the 79th recreation of 2001-02, whereas he waited till the third interval of the ultimate recreation of the season to hit that degree in 2007-08.
