Flames Gazette

Flames add Tough Guy Andre Roy

2008-07-20T12:45:00.002-06:00

Andre Roy is the type of guy that if he wasn't on your team you'd hate him, his antics are over the top to the point that he had to be scratched to end the 07/08 season for a throat cutting gesture..

But as a Fan of The Calgary Flames.. I love this signing, while not the pure fighter Godard was, Roy has an air about him that he could blow up at any time. I believe this adds to a certain fear factor if you're an opposition player and I believe that our rivals will hate The Flames even more!

As a fanbase who once embraced Krisztof Oliwa, I don't see why fans won't embrace Roy.. It feels so good to have a team again that isn't focused on being a soft creative team, while there were bits of excitement I grew tired of that style of play two years ago. I want this team to forecheck relentlessly, fight, get the goals as they come while playing sound defensive hockey. I want a team built to play every night, with no nights off to pout ala Alex Tanguay or 30 nights off ala Kristian Huselius....

All the moves this year lead to it being a bitch to play in the Saddledome for opposing teams, and I personally am going to love it!

Now please, someone take Nilson, Eriksson, and Warrener off our hands..

Flames sign Lundmark

2008-07-17T14:36:00.001-06:00

I had to make this post because I'm finding it absolutely hilarious reading what some Flames fans are saying about this signing..

all I have to say about this is...

QUAD CITY FLAMES

and he is a nice call up.

simple as that.

We're Back! Some minor musings...

2008-07-16T13:21:00.002-06:00

Well it has been just under a year since I shut this down. I'm feeling that itch again and have been thinking Flames Hockey quite a bit lately.

To catch up, my first thoughts will be on the Todd Bertuzzi signing. Now while it's impossible to justify his actions in 2004. It is now 2008, I wish Steve Moore all the best in claiming damages but the personal hate of Todd Bertuzzi needs to subside.. I have argued countless times with Canucks fans about Bertuzzi, but that was many years ago. He was an easy target to boo because of what he did, and because he was arguably the best power forward in the NHL at that time, playing for what is in my opinion The Flames biggest rival.. The Vancouver Canucks. Since then Todd has gone through alot, all justified but to say he hasn't suffered either is nonsense, I really can't imagine the guilt one must have making such a mistake like that and for him to return to the single place that boo's him the most shows how strong he is, and I will applaud him this next season.

In terms of it being a hockey move, I was extremely uncomfortable before the signing and now, all of that is GONZO. He is a winger and fills that gaping hole. While it may have been at times exciting these past few years watching more goals being scored, it was clear as day that this team had no identity at all, and all of that was changed with the moves we've seen this summer. Todd Bertuzzi going to the net, Mike Cammalleri's speed and shot, Curtis Glencross and Rene Bourque's forechecking, I love it. Enough of the feather soft guys.. I love the direction The Flames will be taking into 2008/2009.. which incidently is the 20 year anniversary of our One and Only Stanley Cup. That may be some good luck for us :)

Some random thoughts... With Both Nolan and Yelle gone, that opens up the #11, When Daymond Langkow became a Flame he was forced to take #22 and when Conroy returned he had to take the #24.

What I can see happening is Langkow taking the #11, and Conroy back to his old and familiar #22.

I'm meaning to get Langkow on one of my jerseys so I'll wait on that..

I'd also expect Bert to get his #44 with Rhett Warrener taking a hike..

See you guys around! GO FLAMES GO!

Hanging them up... for now

2007-10-09T13:39:00.000-06:00

More or less I want to re-evaluate this blog. I may re-launch with a new name as I clearly can't write everyday. I also want to figure out what I want to feature.

I'm not done.. just gotta figure it out.

If you're interested in knowing when i'll be back up drop a comment and i'll make sure you know about it.

Until then, GO FLAMES GO!

Welcome to Peters Drive In, How can I help you?

2007-09-28T13:35:00.000-06:00

Sure, I'll have the last Forward roster spot on The Calgary Flames, thanks!

Also, do me a solid and send Dustin Boyd, Grant Stevenson, Carsen Germyn, and D Adam Pardy to Quad City.

Earlier today Jean Lefevbre broke the news Officially Unofficially that Warren Peters, was the last remaining forward on the team. This is a bit of a shock to me. I guess he simply had more drive this preseason and guys like Boyd, Germyn who should've stepped up their game simply didn't provide it to the Staff in Calgary.

So who is this Warren Peters they speak of?

Birthdate: July 10, 1982
Age: 25
Birthplace: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Height: 6'0
Weight: 199 lbs.
Shoots: Left
Salary: $450,000

Aug 5, 2005: Signed as a free agent by the Calgary Flames

I think it'll only be a matter of time until Boyd get's the call as injuries do happen, but it is still disappointing that he didn't do enough to make the big team.

Congrats to Warren Peters

Warren Peters Career Stats
J.F. Article

-Flames Ronin
flamesdailyblog@gmail.com

0-2-1-1 - Means No Worries

2007-09-23T12:50:00.000-06:00

This pre-season is different. Sure while it would be nice for The Flames to get a W on the board right now, any adversity you can face while the games mean absolutely nothing is a valuable experience. I'd rather start up slow, and gain some steam up to October 4th where the Regular Season begins.

Not only that, but we've seen some great young players step up, look at Matt Keetley's game against Florida, he played fantastic... I personally wouldn't have thought he'd look so sharp. The most recent examples are Adam Pardy who IMO is well on his way to unseating David Hale and Brett Sutter, a guy who CLEARLY isn't around just because he's the GM's son. This kid has what it takes to play on this team, he tries like hell and is all effort and you know he has the right attitude.

We've seen our Powerplay click last night, and an emerging line of Tanguay-Langkow-Iginla. These are all positive steps to a good start of the regular season.

Miikka Kiprusoff albeit allowing a couple of softies last night shook off some rust and played a solid 2 periods in Vancouver. The extra ice time he's going to get along with Curtis "The Tobasco Kid" McElhinney will work wonders.

Dustin Boyd has performed well effort wise but nil on the scoresheet... I'm not too worried about it. But I think he may lose his spot to Grant Stevenson in the end.

The Defense is still going through a development phase but they're getting better, and the team as a whole is still adjusting to new Coach Mike Keenan.

If I could pick one guy who simple does not belong on this team it's Eric Godard... He's been horrendous.

4 games done with, we've got points in half of those games, 4 games left. I don't think The Flames will run the table in those 4 games but in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter... I just want to see more guys like Boyd take advantage of this opportunity and to hope for the least amount of injuries possible.

The way it's going now, The Oilers are well on their way to win the Stanley Cup... *tsssk*

Until next time:
Go Flames Go!

---
Flames Ronin (Formerly ConroyToIginla)
flamesdailyblog@gmail.com

Time for a Line up projection!

2007-09-08T20:49:00.002-06:00

Back in July I posted these lines:

Tanguay-Lombardi-Iginla
Huselius-Langkow-Nolan
Primeau-Conroy-Moss
Taratukhin-Yelle-Nilson

Phaneuf-Sarich
Regehr-Aucoin
Eriksson-Giordano*

As you all know, Giordano and Taratukhin will not be Calgary Flames this season... so it's time to change it up and also i've changed my mind on who'll be the top Center to start off the season. I'll take another swing at this stuff after the preseason. But for now....

Forwards

Tanguay-Conroy-Iginla
Huselius-Langkow-Nolan
Boyd-Lombardi-Moss
Primeau-Yelle-Nilson

Press Box: Godard, Stevenson
First Call Up: Nystrom

Defensemen

Aucoin-Phaneuf
Sarich-Regehr
Warrener-Eriksson

Press Box: Hale

First Call up: Ramholt

Goalies:

Kiprusoff
Krahn

My Thoughts: I think The Flames will run 3 lines deep of a balanced scoring threat

The 1st line is money to me. Conroy will start there... Mark my words. The Iginla/Conroy chemistry hasn't gone anywhere (Outside of last years playoffs... where nobody really showed up)

The 2nd line add's Nolan's powerful slapshot on the wing and I can imagine many goals being scored via a pass to Nolan across the ice from Huselius with Langkow creating traffic in front and getting the tip or just a nice screen.

The 3rd line is a kid line of sorts and will feature a very quick attack, great forecheckers, pressure and creativity. With Moss's big body in front of the net I can see this line producing alot of points with the ice time they'll recieve.

The 4th line will be the good ol' shut em down line and will chip in their points with Primeau getting the majority for that line.

On D

The 1st pairing, I see Aucoin with Phaneuf. Both players have lethal point shots and have opposite handedness. Beware shot blockers!

The 2nd pairing I see Sarich with Regehr. From watching Tampa games over the summer, Sarich is a grittier Jordan Leopold when it comes to moving the puck, although he doesn't have as much natural skating ability as Leo, he can still move up the ice quickly and get the puck up to the forwards, Sarich will surprise many Flames fans this season.

The 3rd pairing will hopefully feature a healthy Rhett Warrener, he's been working his his skating this summer so hopefully it pays off. He was absolutely terrible last year and will rebound, Eriksson will be a surprise to many as well, He is a very steady player and will fit in well with the team and the style we should play.

Kiprusoff will get around 55-60 games and i'm sure will see more bench than usual if he or the team comes out slow... That's just the way it is. Kipper will be Kipper but he'll need more help this year then he got last season. Hopefully the effort Keenan wants from the team shows through. Kipper deserves it.

I pick Krahn as backup, he has more experience than Curtis McElhinney career wise and should be given a chance to prove himself... His career rides on this season. It should be interesting. If Krahn doesn't perform, McElhinney will get his chance and if that falls through, Hello UFA Veteran Goaltender... Robert Esche, Curtis Joseph? I don't think it'll come to that however.

-ConroyToIginla
flamesdailyblog@gmail.com

My Jersey Speculation

2007-09-05T16:46:00.000-06:00

So now that we've had a day to think on the new jersey's.. The goods, The bads... ect Something occurred to me regarding the Shoulder patches.

While they aren't my favorite, the jersey would look just fine without them... They have grown on me and while it seems that they will be a one year deal as per Ken King's comments on TSN, It leads me to believe we will see a 3rd jersey next season that will include a brand new Alternate logo which will end up being the shoulder patches on the Red and White jerseys next season... It makes perfect sense from a marketing perspective for The Flames, Sell a bunch of these national pride jerseys this year, get superfans like me to buy a new 3rd jersey next year, plus a new regular jersey with the new shoulder logos, and use the $$$$$ to pay Miikka Kiprusoff's long term salary! I've got no problems with that!

So make sure you buy your Limited Edition "Calgary, Alberta, Canada" Flames jerseys because we may very well see something along the lines of my Mockup next season as a 3rd jersey with a new alternate mark.

NOTE: This is by no means anything more than a Fan Mockup design, from the Colors, and the Logo..

Dasvidania Mr. Taratukhin...

2007-09-05T13:55:00.000-06:00

According to the Calgary Sun and some blunt comments from Flames GM Darryl Sutter it appears that Andrei Taratukhin is gone to Russia... Why? Who knows... The kid would've made the team in my opinion and had him penciled in more than a month ago.

It's obvious he doesn't dream of a NHL career after all... It's understandable from a personal standpoint, his family... but even so. It's not a move I respect as a fan of this team...

It really makes me wonder what the point of drafting Russian players is at all now... unless they are top flight prospects ala Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, and Ilya Kovalchuk.

You can Read The Sun's article HERE, Including comments from Darryl Sutter himself and his thoughts on the Taratukhin fiasco and Giordano.

New Jerseys!

2007-09-04T12:23:00.001-06:00

Conroy with Jersey (Red)
Conroy with Jersey (White)
Canada Flag patch close up
Alberta Patch Close up

My Thoughts: While The Alberta and Canada Flags were totally out of left field, and after an original W-T-F... As I think about it and look at these I love the new approach. I think it's obvious the city and team are leaving the Hick, Cowboy, Yee-Haw attitude behind as this city matures... But then again i'm a born and raised Calgarian who hasn't been to the Stampede in 3 years....

I'm sure fans from around the country of other teams will not enjoy us putting our National Flag right on the jersey but why the heck not? We are a Canadian team here... We're all Canadian teams, I'd have no problem if all Canadian teams had that logo on their jersey.

Imagine The Flames going to Florida... Would most people in attendance or watching on TV know where Calgary even is? Is it a town somewhere in Maine?? With these shoulder patches it shows #1 this team is from Canada, and specifically The Province of Alberta.

On the overall design, I love them. Especially The Whites, as they seem to have the most dramatic changes, a Black collar, Red Laces, Nice Black striping down the sides providing a great contrast on the jersey itself.

The Patches visually will take some getting used to, no doubt but I am happy with the design and the approach on these and can't wait to wear them.

-ConroyToIginla

Taratukhin staying in Russia? Not so fast... - Updated

2007-09-01T12:25:00.000-06:00

We've got conflicting reports of Taratukhin staying in Russia... I'll let you decide:

http://www.hcsalavat.ru/

"Had offer from Salavat, but I dream of Calgary"
http://www.russianprospects.com/public/article.php?article_id=530

I believe the latter, I know some of you don't know what he brings to the table but trust me. He will make the team opening night barring injury. He has all the intangibles.

Time will tell... he may very well have signed with Salavat but I'd be shocked if he wasn't in Calgary in a couple weeks for Camp.

Update: It seems that Andrei will be here but may have a deal in Russia as well if he has to play in the minors, which is understandable... With the chaos with his family last year, and being able to make more money in Russia than the AHL... However if he makes The Flames and is here for the majority of the year and is a key member of the team he should be in Calgary.

UPDATE:

Andrei is listed as a participant in this years Camp as seen HERE this was posted September 1st, just two days ago.

Ohhh, Graphics!

2007-08-30T01:26:00.000-06:00

Since visitor count at Flames Daily is on the Rise I decided to put some graphic skills to work and make it a friendlier experience for all visitors.

Don't forget The Flames RBK Edge jersey Launch is but Days away! Here's hoping we don't see the letters "C A L G A R Y" over The Flaming C like our pals on the Westcoast have done with their new jerseys... Tssk

Adios!

Mark Giordano off to Russia

2007-08-27T16:06:00.000-06:00

Mark Giordano has opted to head to Russia this year after declining a two way offer from The Calgary Flames. He will be playing for Moscow Dynamo and will earn $800,000 U.S. Not a bad deal for the kid...

I'm sure many Flames fans will be shocked and/or disappointed by this news but here are my thoughts on why it isn't a big deal.

Mark Giordano while being a pleasant surprise last season is not anything more than a 7th Defenseman, the two way contract fed his way was a fair one at the NHL level. While Giordano did score some pretty goals, and was quick up the ice he still lacks the grit and defensive smarts to be given anything more than what The Flames offered. Another thing that should be kept in mind is that even with Giordano heading to Russia for the season The Flames will still retain his NHL rights, so this could be a good development move as well for both Giordano and The Flames.

Jersey Numbers Released

2007-08-24T13:52:00.000-06:00

As a follow up to the previous entry, The Calgary Flames have announced some number changes.

Owen Nolan will be using his familiar #11
Stephane Yelle has switched to #7
Cory Sarich will wear #6, David Hale will retain #21
Anders Eriksson will thankfully not wear the #2, but will use the #8
Adrian Aucoin will use his #33

The Jersey Numbers Game

2007-08-09T13:31:00.000-06:00

With the new additions to the team, I've started wondering about who'll be wearing what within a month's time. Here's how I see it:

Anders Eriksson: Wears the #2... As a Flames fan this number should be off limits. I see him taking the #4

Adrian Aucoin: Will likely wear his number #33, He prefers #3 but obviously that one is taken.

Cory Sarich: I believe will get #21 from David Hale and Hale will switch to #6

Owen Nolan: This is a toughy, It'd be hard to imagine Nolan not wearing his #11 but as we all know, that number has been worn by Stephane Yelle since 2002. I could see Yeller offer the number to Nolan just because of the respect he has for his fellow mates. If not, I see Nolan wearing the #10, or the #13

David Moss: I'm not so sure he'll stick with #58... He wore the #18 at Michigan but that's taken, so I'm guessing he'll use #8, or #16.

So as it stands right now, we are about 4 weeks until Training Camp... pretty amazing how fast this summer has gone, But there's still a month to enjoy of cold beers outside in the yard, the green grass, so enjoy it. Hockey season will approach soon enough.

Also Big Thanks to Kevin Lowe for keeping it hilarious.... and entertaining.

Until next time.
ConroyToIginla
flamesdailyblog@gmail.com

I... I got Nothing... But a Video

2007-07-27T13:40:00.001-06:00

So absolutely nothing is going on in Calgary while Kevin Lowe is being good ole Krazy Kevin up North so I decided I'd take a shot at Video Editing.

For those that don't remember the game where The Flames needed to win to beat a Franchise record in Home Wins... This was it.

Here's the Result, Enjoy:

Take a breather... Kipper will sign in due time.

2007-07-19T14:08:00.001-06:00

All this paranoia about Miikka Kiprusoff allegedly rejecting an offer from a report by Marty York, who has about as much credibility as your drunk uncle is nonsense. First of all, Darryl Sutter has mentioned that they talked about an extension before Miikka headed home for the summer, he planted the seed of his intentions to keep Miikka around long term, nothing more, nothing less.

Miikka Kiprusoff is known to dissapear during his summers, to the point that his teammates cannot even get a hold of him, including Jarome Iginla.

All of this is one reporters attempt to get his "story" some attention... Is it a possibility that Kipper signs elsewhere at the end of next season? Absolutely. However I believe Miikka loves this city, the fans love him like a god and he was given his chance by Darryl Sutter, there is loyalty there.

Miikka Kiprusoff deserves to be paid very well, and he will be paid very well.

One more thing, what if The Flames win the Cup this year? Will Miikka even be interested in continuing his career as an NHL netminder? I personally don't think so. I could see him leaving on a high ala Hakan Loob and spend the rest of his days in his home on the Baltic Sea with his signifigant other and their child in tranquility. It's just the kind of fellow he is. He is a different breed of an NHL player, and that's why we love him in Calgary, as much as his goaltending abilities.

So Flames fans, take a breath... For Darryl Sutter to sign Iginla and Regehr a year early doesn't mean Kipper is done, or even begun any negotiations with the team.

The NHL Releases 07/08 Season Schedule

2007-07-11T19:11:00.000-06:00

The National Hockey League has released the 2007-2008 Season schedule today.

Here are some key dates on the Calendar for The Flames that stick out:

- The Flames will open their season at home on October 4th against the new look Philly Flyers.

- The annual New Years Eve game will take place yet again this time against The Vancouver Canucks

- The longest home stand will take place October 18th through to November 1st (7 Games)

- For the first time in a number of years, The Flames will host the entire Atlantic Division including Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins December 6th.

- The longest road trip is set to take place from December 9th through the 18th and will be 6 games taking the team through the Mid West, Carolina and Florida

-For HNIC's Hockey Day in Canada, The Flames will host The Edmonton Oilers

- To close out the last 9 games of the season, The Flames will play all Northwest Division teams to close out what will no doubt be a close race to the finish

Somewhere, Peter Maher has been studying this schedule for hours this beautiful July Day in Calgary.

My Line Up Projections as of July 6th 2007

2007-07-06T13:49:00.000-06:00

Tanguay-Lombardi-Iginla
Huselius-Langkow-Nolan
Primeau-Conroy-Moss
Taratukhin-Yelle-Nilson

Phaneuf-Sarich
Regehr-Aucoin
Eriksson-Giordano*

* - Swap with Hale, throughout the season.

This is with the scenario that if Warrener is indeed on the shelf for the whole season, or at least long term.

If not I imagine a dog fight for the #6 spot between, Eriksson, Giordano, and Hale I expect one of these three to be in the AHL if this is the case. I believe Eriksson and Hale would take the spot over Giordano, now of course there will be inevitable injuries on D and Giordano should see his fair ammount of games in Calgary, but I see him starting on the farm if Warrener is healthy enough to play.

Eriksson will be up with the big team the whole year I believe, with split time in the press box. He's not going to QC, Hale is a solid player, and doesn't make a ton of money, so I don't see him in QC, Gio does have a good share of farm experience so I believe he'll be the only to first see time on the farm. Unless he has an OUTSTANDING pre-season.

Adios!

Flames bolster D-core, Sign Anders Eriksson

2007-07-06T00:40:00.000-06:00

The Flames have announced the signing of Anders Eriksson to a 2 year deal, the money figures haven't been announced at this time.

Anders Eriksson was initially signed by The Flames during the off season prior to the 2005 lockout. It was a 1 year deal so obviously Anders didn't see a single game as a Flame during that time.

In Eriksson we have in essence a Zyuzin replacement, in terms of overall play style. He put up a respectable 23 points and a +12 on a fairly terrible Blue Jackets team last year.

I don't believe he'll see time in Quad Cities but will share time on the press box, or if some rumors are true about Warrener being injured long term, he could see full time in our top 6.

In the end, a nice depth signing.

DONE DEAL: Captain Calgary is here to stay!

2007-07-04T15:08:00.000-06:00

The Calgary Flames have finally officially announced the contract extension of their franchise player. Jarome Iginla is set to remain a Calgary Flame for the next 6 seasons.

This is a huge deal, especially considering some members of the media more or less saying he was gonzo after this season and would receive over $8 million on the open market. Now while that was a possibility, "some" members of the media already had it in stone. Congratulations "some" members of the Calgary media, you've made yourselves look like idiots yet again...

So enough about my bitterness towards "some" members of the media, I have extreme gratitude towards the Iginla family for dedicating themselves to the city and team, and the Flames ownership for their dedication to keep their franchise player.

...Now we await a combination of "Kipper wants out of Calgary" rumors spewed by "some" members of the Calgary media, and of course his inevitable contract extension to complete the tri-fecta of cornerstone deals.

Darryl Sutter's gettin it done this summer. Great work!

Flames extend Robyn Regehr 5 years, Sign Owen Nolan

2007-07-02T19:12:00.000-06:00

The Calgary Flames have locked up one of their key cogs for the next 5 years, The deal is a 5 year deal worth in the area of $20 million.

This is an important deal because Regehr would have been an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of next season and could have seen many offers on the open market.

I'll be the first to admit that Regehr's play last year wasn't his best, but I do feel he can turn it around.

Jarome Iginla is still currently awaiting/negotiating his own contract extention with the team believed to be in the 5 year range so Flames fans are eagerly awaiting the news of that deal.

On the UFA front, The Flames have signed veteran Right Winger Owen Nolan to a one-year deal up to $2 million if all bonus restrictions are met. I like the move for the reason that it fills a gaping hole for us on RW, and Nolan can still play and bring valuable experience to the team.

Jarome Iginla set to sign a new Contract Extention!

2007-07-01T19:31:00.000-06:00

The Heart and Soul of The Calgary Flames may be here to stay at least past the 2011 season.

Peter Maher of The Fan 960 reported that the deal is imminent and could happen by tonite or Monday.

Either way it's believed not to be a matter of IF, but just a matter of WHEN this is announced.

Myself, I would be ecstatic about this contract extension, and I would admire Jarome Iginla and his family a great deal for making the commitment to this city and organization. Jarome is a special player, a unique player and if this deal ends up being a fact as soon as it does, we're lucky to have him.

There is also speculation that Defenseman Robyn Regehr will also get an extension done soon, but details on that aren't quite clear at this time.

Flames sign UFA Dman Cory Sarich for 5 years, $18 Million

2007-07-01T19:21:00.000-06:00

The Calgary Flames have announced today the signing of Unrestricted Free Agent Cory Sarich. The deal brings Sarich $3.6 Million over the course of 5 years.

Sarich fits the mold of a no-nonsense stay at home, smart, strong Dman comparible to Robyn Regehr in play style. This may alot of money for a guy who doesn't put alot of points on the board but as all Flames fans know from last year, scoring isn't going to get you anywhere. Sarich solidifies The Flames defense all the more for next year and years to come. It's clear the MO of The Flames this off season is 1) Wanting to be here 2) Attitude and 3) The ability to do what it takes to win... Sarich is able to do it all, and was a member of the 2004 Lighting team that put an end to Calgary's Cup hopes in '04.

Martin Gelinas coming back?

2007-06-29T19:17:00.001-06:00

This story from the PalmBeachPost.com website seems to make it seem like a real possibility.

Article

Now while Gelinas isn't exactly a spring chicken anymore, his play hasn't gone down since he left The Flames to the Panthers, in fact his play has improved since then. He is still consistent and if he could be signed from $1 million to $1.5 million I think it's something The Flames have to look at for a variety of reasons 1) His familiarity to the organization, and even Mike Keenan 2) His family lives here 3) He's a good locker room presence 4) He can still play.

He would add alot of depth and leadership, and I for one would welcome this signing with open arms.