2010–11 Calgary Flames season
The season marked a turning point for the organization, as general manager Darryl Sutter announced in December that he was resigning from the position after eight years with the Flames.
[2] The organization participated in a five-team prospects tournament held in Penticton, British Columbia, that included the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.
Centre Daymond Langkow remained sidelined following a neck injury suffered the previous season, while Ryan Stone (knee) was also out.
Expected to start the year with the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League (AHL), Brodie impressed the Flames' coaching staff and earned a position on the team to begin the NHL season.
[11] The team responded to the meeting with a stronger effort in a 5–3 victory over the Oilers in which Iginla and Tanguay scored their first goals of the season alongside Matt Stajan, who took Jokinen's spot on the top line.
[13] The Flames ended October with consecutive home losses, to the Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals, in which they surrendered two-goal leads in both.
[16] He was subsequently traded to the Carolina Hurricanes along with Ian White in exchange for defenceman Anton Babchuk and forward Tom Kostopoulos in a deal that was being discussed by the two teams prior to Sutter's legal troubles.
Kiprusoff recorded his third shutout of the season in a 3–0 win against the Minnesota Wild while Iginla scored eight goals and 12 points in the final nine games of the month.
[20] The organization reached a milestone during the month, as Curtis Glencross scored the 10,000th goal in the history of the Flames franchise during a 3–2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on November 26.
Back-to-back victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs on December 13 and 16, respectively, marked the first time the team won consecutive games since late October.
[31] The team rebounded from the loss, as backup goaltender Henrik Karlsson led the Flames to a 7–4 victory over the Dallas Stars on January 21.
[32] Victories over the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues allowed the Flames to enter the All-Star break on a four-game winning streak.
Exactly 100 days after the Flames last held a playoff position, they climbed back into the top eight with a 7–0–1 run that culminated in a 3–1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Flames had an apparent tying goal disallowed after Anaheim's Ryan Getzlaf appeared to pull the puck out of the net in a game the Ducks went on to win 4–2.
[49] The Flames gained a boost when it was announced that injured forward Daymond Langkow had been cleared to return to action on April 1 against the Blues.
Though they ended the year second in the Northwest Division, the Flames finished tenth in the Western Conference, three points behind the eighth place Blackhawks.
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; GAA= Goals against average; SA= Shots against; SV= Saves; Sv% = Save percentage; SO= Shutouts †Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Flames.
‡Traded mid-season Bold/italics denotes franchise record The NHL announced on June 22, 2010, that late owner Doc Seaman had been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder's category.
[65] He played only nine more games before announcing his retirement as a player to join the Flames' front office as an assistant to General Manager Jay Feaster.
[66] Daymond Langkow was named a finalist for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player who "best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey".
[89] The re-acquisition of Jokinen was especially surprising to fans and media alike, as the centre was shipped to the New York Rangers in a controversial trade only four months previous after a disappointing 2009–10 season in Calgary.
The signing was sharply criticized by local and national media,[90][91][92] though reaction amongst fans was mixed as polls suggested only a minority opposed the moves.
[100] Calgary made one trade at the draft, sending their sixth round pick (163rd overall) to the Sharks in exchange for goaltender Henrik Karlsson.
The Heat finished the 2010–11 AHL season with a 38–32–4–6 record, fourth in the North Division, but failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs.
Vancouver radio station CKNW reported that if the Coyotes relocated, the Manitoba Moose would move to Abbotsford, and the Heat to the nearby community of Chilliwack.
Flames president Ken King refuted the argument, noting that the Heat were in only their second year of a ten-year agreement with the City of Abbotsford.
