Calgary Flames
In 1980, the National Hockey League finally arrived in Calgary when Nelson Skalbania, a Vancouver-based businessman, got wind of the pending sale of the Atlanta Flames to a group of Calgary-area businessmen. Skalbania intercepted the sale by offering team owner Tom Cousins a 25% increase over his previous asking price of US$12 million and providing an immediate one million dollar down payment for the team. The purchase price of US$16 million was the highest ever paid for an NHL team at the time. Relocating the team to Calgary, Skalbania's interest was soon bought out by the "original six" Calgary businessmen (Ralph T. Scurfield, Daryl Seaman, Byron Seaman, Harley Hotchkiss, Norman Green, and Norman Kwong) thus ensuring the future stability of the franchise in Calgary.
The Flames first season in the raucous Stampede Corral was a major success, as the team defeated both the Chicago Black Hawks and Philadelphia Flyers in the playoffs before being defeated themselves by the Minnesota North Stars in the league semi-finals.
In 1981, the Flames traded for Lanny McDonald, then of the Colorado Rockies. McDonald's trademark moustache and his enthusiasm for the game defined the Flames throughout the 1980s. In 1982–83, McDonald battled young superstar Wayne Gretzky for the league goal scoring title for the entire season. McDonald's tally of 66 goals - still a franchise record - fell just five markers short of Gretzky's total of 71.
Read more about this topic: Ice Hockey In Calgary
Famous quotes containing the word flames:
“All praise of the hawk on fire in hawk-eyed dusk be sung,
When his viperish fuse hangs looped with flames under the brand
Wing, and blest shall
Young
Green chickens of the bay and bushes cluck, “dilly dilly,
Come let us die.””
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)