Dylan R.

Calgary Flames

Dylan R.
East Kootenay Heritage Fair
Cranbrook, BC

The story of my project was about the Calgary Flames’ history, rivalries, battles, trades, identity, success and community connection. It also included my favourite player, top players in Flames history and Indigenous players. My final response to my inquiry questions was that the Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary because they didn’t have enough people coming to their games and they didn’t sign a TV contract, so weren't making money. They never did well in playoffs because out of the six times they were there, they only won two games. 

When the Atlanta Flames got to Calgary, they switched the logo from a flaming A to a flaming C. They only had a small arena that could fit up to 7000 people and that was not enough for an NHL team. They knew their arena was too small, so they put their name in for the 1988 Olympics in 1981. It was obvious that they were going to need a bigger arena to host the Olympics, so it was perfect for the team. Surprisingly, Calgary got to host the Olympics in 1988 so right away the building of the new arena was started in 1981. In 1983 the Flames started playing in the brand-new Calgary arena that was called the Olympic Saddledome at the time, and it could hold up to 17,000 people. After the Olympics were done, the arena got named the Scotiabank Saddledome. 

The Flames are deeply connected to their community through the Calgary Flames Alumni. It is one of the oldest Alumni's chapters in the professional Hockey League, founded in 1993. They help those in need by making an impact in the community and they have donated over $4.6 million to Southern Alberta and charities since inception. Current players also make an impact on the community by visiting schools, Ronald McDonald house, and celebrating various people such as the Indigenous and the South Asian with special jersey nights. 

What sources and evidence did you consult for your project? What different perspectives did they provide on your topic?

I used books, online websites and I was fortunate enough to get an email interview with Ty Pilson, Director of Digital and Social Media with the Calgary Flames. His response to my inquiry question was “The relocation of the Flames was a pivotal moment for a hockey-made city like Calgary. The franchise had been losing money in Atlanta and immediately found a strong foothold when they headed north. The Flames started play in the old Stampede Corral and being a smaller venue, the demand for tickets was high. When the Flames moved into the then state-of-the-art Saddledome—built for the upcoming 1988 Olympics—it allowed far more fans to truly embrace their passion for the team and attend games. Great drafting helped make them a powerhouse in the 1980s when they went two Stanley Cup finals, winning one in 1989. The Flames have become an integral part of the fabric of the city.” His response and the books gave me a lot of the big details and the websites provided current information like their trades and Indigenous players. 

What is the historical significance of your topic?

The historical significance of the Calgary Flames is that they have a rich history marked by significant achievements, including one Stanley Cup championship in 1989 and a fierce rivalry with the Edmonton Oilers. 

Why did you choose this topic? 

I chose this topic because the Calgary Flames are my favorite team and my first love is hockey. I really wanted to know their deep history because I have been a fan all my life and watched them live at games, which have been very cool life experiences. I also chose this topic because half of my family likes the Calgary Flames and the other half of my family likes the Vancouver Canucks, like my dad, and my dad always likes to bug me that the Canucks are better than the Flames. I wanted to prove to him that the Flames were better so I did the Calgary Flames as my Heritage Fair project. Also, at Christmas when we set up our Christmas tree, we have a tradition that whosever team is doing better at that time gets to put their team’s ornament up near the top of the tree. Surprisingly, the Vancouver Canucks were doing better than the Flames this year at that time even though they had a horrible year. My dad got to put the Canucks ornament up at the top of the tree and he bugged me about it and I really didn't like it so I just wanted to prove him wrong.