Calgary Flames News

Bourque out with injury?
Comment
February 9
Calgary Sun
 
"Someone else is going to have to shoulder the load. Rene Bourque's left arm was spotted in a sling, and the right-winger's bum wing — a shoulder injury that could keep him out through the Olympic break — means either Brian McGrattan or Jamie Lundmark will be elevated into an active role for the Flames Tuesday night against the Senators. No details were given on the severity of Bourque's injury, and the man himself preferred not to talk about the hit in the back from Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Kurtis Foster that popped his helmet off and maybe the shoulder out of joint, too. Lundmark skated with Mikael Backlund and Curtis Glencross Monday during practice at Scotiabank Place and appears ..."
Gio's stock rising fast
Comment
February 9
Calgary Herald
 
"When Scotty Bowman speaks, people tend to listen. The gentleman is a legend — still relevant, still plugged into National Hockey League goings-on. So when Bowman declares that Mark Giordano is the most improved defenceman — if not the most improved player — in the entire league, well, that must mean something. Peter Maher, play-by-play man for The FAN 960, passed on the tidbit to the Calgary Flames defenceman Monday afternoon. "Wow, that's pretty cool," says Giordano, blushing through his beard after the team's workout at Scotiabank Place. "He's been around for a long time and he's won a lot of Stanley Cups. Definitely a guy who's one of the most respected in the league. So it's pretty ..."
Kotalik shows he can mix it up
Comment
February 9
Calgary Sun
 
"You can bet on Ales Kotalik taking the extra step of tying down his jersey before Tuesday night's game against the Senators. What you wouldn't normally wager on is the 31-year-old product of the Czech Republic dropping the gloves. But that's what happened in Saturday's game against the Lightning in Tampa, and the fact he wasn't tied down and his jersey came off during the scrap with Stephane Veilleux cost him a game misconduct. "It's unfortunate that I didn't have the jersey tied and got kicked out of the game," Kotalik said Monday. "I didn't even know the rule was like that, that you could get a game misconduct. "I've got to make sure next time I'm tied up on the jersey." He promises he ..."
Bowman heaps praise on Giordano
Comment
February 9
Calgary Sun
 
"Mark Giordano may be the best NHL defenceman few outside Calgary have ever heard of. That title could soon change if the Flames blueliner continues to play as well as he has this season. Not only did he recently make The Hockey News's all-underrated list, but he's made it onto legendary coach Scotty Bowman's radar, too. Telling Fan 960 radio play-by-play voice Peter Maher in Tampa on the Flames' current road trip just how impressive Giordano is, Bowman's praise was monumental. He called Giordano the most-improved defenceman in the league, and even suggested the 26-year-old Toronto product may be the most-improved player, period, this season. The news took Giordano by surprise — just what ..."
Bourque out, Lundmark in, Dawes appears
Comment
February 9
Calgary Herald
 
"Rene Bourque, arm in a sling, was on the bench. Jamie Lundmark, in a white practice jersey, was on the third line. Brian McGrattan, in the lone green practice jersey, looked like the odd man out for Tuesday's game against the Sens. Nigel Dawes, in a yellow (don't-hit-me) practice jersey, was skating with the Flames for the first time since being hit/hurt. He hadn't been with the team through its Florida tour. "We've got to get a few practices under him," coach Brent Sutter said of Dawes, who'd injured his knee on collision with Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. "How many that is, who knows? It's a good sign that he's fully practising now." With Bourque out with a shoulder injury — ..."
Quick-draw Stajan breathing easier now in the wild west
Comment
February 8
Calgary Herald
 
"It took a few days, but, finally, Matt Stajan is breathing easier. Goodness. Had it been the shock of being uprooted from his home province? The upheaval of being traded from his hometown team? No. "Just the high altitude," Stajan says of Calgary's notoriously thin air. "Not that big a deal. You just go with it." But, yes, it certainly has been jarring for Stajan, an Ontario guy through and through. Born in Mississauga. Played junior for Belleville. Skated in nearly 450 games for the beloved Toronto Maple Leafs. So being dispatched to an outpost like the Calgary Flames -- actually, to anywhere outside the realm of the Leaf Nation -- may have felt like a boot in the noggin. "Definitely, ..."
Flames tough guy downplays return
Comment
February 8
Calgary Herald
 
"The Ottawa Senators were the talk of the National Hockey League. Reeling off win after win — 11 straight before being derailed by the Toronto Maple Leafs — the Sens had been cutting a mean swath through the Eastern Conference. So, of course, even former members of the Sens were captivated. Right? "Not really," shrugs Brian McGrattan. "I just look at our team. Don't really follow anyone else. I've never really been big into stats. I like going home and playing my video games. I watch the odd sports highlight here and there. Once I'm at the rink, (focusing on hockey) is what I do. "But when I'm at home, I like to kick back and take 'er easy." That's not to say the hulking enforcer didn't ..."
Stajan adjusts to new life
Comment
February 8
Calgary Sun
 
"The Rocky Mountain altitude isn't the only thing Matt Stajan has to adjust to with the Calgary Flames. Finding himself a little short of breath at times over his first few whirlwind days in Calgary wasn't just the result of the thinner air. It's going to take the Mississauga product a while to get used to being away from home. The trade from his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs to the Flames last week is still sinking in with the 26-year-old Stajan, who was never far from the GTA during his junior days with the nearby Belleville Bulls before being drafted by the Leafs in the second round in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at — you guessed it — the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. ..."
Sens days far from McGrattan's mind
Comment
February 8
Calgary Sun
 
"Forget his former team's embarrassing loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Saturday night. He wasn't even paying attention when they had won 11 in a row. Brian McGrattan isn't following the Ottawa Senators season. He's intense enough when he hits the ice. When he's away from it, hockey takes a backseat in the Flames heavyweight's mind. "I've never been really big into stats. I like going home and playing my video games and watch the odd sports highlight here and there," McGrattan said. "When I'm at home I like to kick back and take 'er easy." With 395 penalty minutes in 182 NHL games over five seasons with the Sens, Phoenix Coyotes and Flames, the downtime is well earned. So was his favourable ..."
Flames Bourque blindsided by hit, leaves game
Comment
February 7
Calgary Sun
 
"No word on how badly Rene Bourque may be injured, how much time he'll miss or what, exactly, is bothering him. But plenty will be bothered by the hit that knocked the Calgary Flames forward out of action early in the first period of Saturday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bolts defenceman Kurtis Foster hopped out of the penalty box and slammed into Bourque from behind, leaving the Flames' third-leading scorer dazed before heading to the locker-room. "One, he's an unsuspecting player. Two, it's from behind. Make your own conclusion," said Flames winger Jamal Mayers afterward. "It's gotta be a penalty. "Any time you come out of the box, you can do that." There was no call, ..."
Winner by Andrej Meszaros pushes Tampa Bay Lightning past Calgary Flames 2-1 in overtime
Comment
February 7
St. Petersburg Times
 
"As soon as Lightning defenseman Andrej Meszaros entered his locker room Saturday night, he was playfully doused with a water bag by center Zenon Konopka. But that's how the Lightning treats a game's No. 1 star. And for the first time this season, that was Meszaros. He scored in the opening moments of overtime to cap an improbable but encouraging come-from-behind 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames at the St. Pete Times Forum. "We got the two points, and that's all that matters right now," he said, smiling. The Lightning (25-21-11) not only surpassed its win total from last season but improved its position in the Eastern Conference by moving from eighth to seventh. Perhaps most ..."
Lightning pull out another one in OT
Comment
February 7
Tampa Tribune
 
"Calgary put the Lightning through the grindstone Saturday, but it was Tampa Bay that came out polished on the other side. Andrej Meszaros scored 1:57 into overtime to cap a comeback in a 2-1 Lightning victory, Tampa Bay's third in a row. Steven Stamkos scored his 32nd of the season one minute into the third to eliminate the one-goal deficit. Antero Niittymaki stopped 25 shots to improve to 6-0-1 in his past seven starts. Tampa Bay stayed entrenched in a playoff spot, holding down the No. 7 position one point ahead of Philadelphia and two points ahead of the New York Rangers. The Lightning are on a 6-1-1 run since Jan. 21 and a 9-1-2 stretch on home ice since Dec. 26. The win was the 25th ..."
Lightning zaps Flames in OT
Comment
February 7
Calgary Herald
 
"Short-handed, there were no difficulties for the Calgary Flames. Being undermanned, though, is something else entirely. Before the first period ended Saturday, the Flames had lost the services of wingers Rene Bourque and Ales Kotalik — hurt and hoofed, respectively. Meaning their display of textbook road hockey didn't last. Couldn't last. "You're not going to use excuses, and I'm not going to," said Flames coach Brent Sutter, whose lads, defusing all five power plays, led 1-0 through 40 minutes before falling 2-1 in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning in National Hockey League action at St. Pete Times Forum. "But facts are facts. We did get down to 10 forwards . . . and we're playing a ..."
Flames pour it on against Panthers
Comment
February 6
Calgary Herald
 
"Ian White did his best to explain. How can a team with seven fresh faces play crisp defensively? How can it hold a team to 13 shots? Really, how? "We're all professional athletes," White said after the Calgary Flames' 2-1 textbook dismissal of the Florida Panthers in National Hockey League action Friday at BankAtlantic Center. "Systems are very similar throughout the league, so it's easy to jump into a new team and get on board right away." Impish grin appears. "Or maybe we have enough new guys that, even when we're all out of place, we look like we're in place." Whatever. It worked — the old hands, the greenhorns. Look at the night's final three shifts: Faceoff deep in Calgary territory, ..."
McCabe played in Phaneuf's skates
Comment
February 6
Calgary Herald
 
"Bryan McCabe, of course, has seen this movie before. Starred in it, in fact. Key plot points — supremely confident defenceman . . . in his mid-20s . . . strides onto hockey's brightest stage . . . and directly into the crosshairs of critics numbering in the millions. Whether the latest remake includes a happy ending remains to be seen. McCabe — discussing Dion Phaneuf's recent transfer from the Calgary Flames to the aforementioned cauldron, the world of the Toronto Maple Leafs — insists that the young man has landed in a dandy spot. "I think he'll thrive there," says the Florida Panthers captain, who was 25 years old when he got dealt from the Chicago Blackhawks — Alexander Karpovtsev and ..."
Original linemate recalls dawn of 'special player'
Comment
February 5
Calgary Sun
 
"A couple of games ago, Jarome Iginla's linemates were Dustin Boyd and rookie Mikael Backlund. Talk about feeling like the Old Man and the C. "It's funny how it all comes full circle," Iginla said. "I can remember when I came into the league and I played on Dave Gagner's line, he was 31 or 32, and I remember thinking, 'Oh, man, he's getting up there.' " Years later, Iginla is the greybeard -- not that he can grow much of a beard -- at age 32. As he approaches his 1,000th career game Friday night in Florida, the Flames captain has been looking back on his career, and Gagner's name has cropped up often. They spent only one season together, but Iginla has mentioned how much he learned from ..."
Closer look at the new Flames
Comment
February 5
Calgary Sun
 
"Now that the whirlwind has dissipated and left six new Calgary Flames in the fold, it's a chance to take stock of it all. Not only to take a lengthy peek at what the changes have already done for the Flames, but also what they could mean moving forward. The deals completed by Flames GM Darryl Sutter this week certainly have given the Flames a new look. What remains to be seen is whether it will add up to a playoff spot -- which really isn't enough, considering Sutter said this is an elite team -- or one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. Trading away defenceman Dion Phaneuf, forward Fredrik Sjostrom and defence prospect Keith Aulie to the Toronto Maple Leafs for ..."
Bo low-key on Florida return
Comment
February 5
Calgary Sun
 
"You can understand Jay Bouwmeester not getting too excited about his first return trip to Florida to face his old team. With his low-key, laid-back demeanour, Bouwmeester doesn't seem like the type to wind himself up over that kind of thing. "I haven't thought about it much. We've had enough going on here," he said with a chuckle. With the Calgary Flames struggles and sweeping roster changes earlier this week, there have been plenty of other things to keep the mind occupied lately. Still, Friday's clash against the Panthers will mark Bouwmeester's return to South Florida. The Panthers' website is promoting the game as "Bouwmeester vs. Panthers Trio; Booth, Frolik, Weiss." "It's going to be ..."
Iggy is the Milestone Man
Comment
February 5
Calgary Sun
 
"Jarome Iginla has seen his share of turnover during 13 seasons with the Calgary Flames. He's made it unscathed through every transition period. The fact the 32-year-old survived the latest overhaul -- which saw the organization ship out a quarter of its roster this week -- punctuates the notion the Flames captain remains key to the success of the franchise. It also allows him to join a very exclusive club. Iginla will suit up for his 1,000th game Friday night against the Florida Panthers. He joins a short list of 23 NHLers who've had the privilege of playing that long from the start of their careers with just one franchise. Among them are Hall-of-Famers Steve Yzerman, Bob Gainey, Denis ..."
New seven fit right in against the Canes
Comment
February 5
Calgary Herald
 columnist John Down
"That was the kind of game, minus the penalty parade of the first and second periods, that the Flames need to play to be successful. Oh, sure, it was against the Carolina Hurricanes a team that was flat out awful, partly because of the Flames pressure and partly because of their ineptitude, but it was the kind of game that surely will give this club a big boost in their next two against much more desperate clubs that are also battling for playoff spots. A solid in-your-face effort from start to finish led by the gritty trio of Curtis Glencross, Eric Nystrom and Jamal Mayers. And Glencross, who was rewarded with three goals, made a big point when he said the extra bodies (there's 17 forwards ..."
Resculpted Calgary Flames start with win over Carolina Hurricanes
Comment
February 5
Calgary Herald
 
"On this dawn of the new regime, on this first day in this first game of the seven new faces, all it took was some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to get the job done. Topped off by a hat trick from one of the biggest lunch-pail guys in the lineup. Curtis Glencross scored his first hat trick in the National Hockey League as the resculpted Toronto-New York-Calgary Flames laid a 4-1 licking on the Carolina Hurricanes in front of a cheering instead of jeering crowd at the Pengrowth Saddledome. "We wanted to come out and send a message," said Glencross. "We've got six, seven new guys in here and we're all battling for spots right now. It's good, it puts competitiveness among all of us and when ..."
Flames warriors set to join elite company
Comment
February 5
Calgary Herald
 
"They're a couple of warriors whose National Hockey League careers have evolved along different paths. One has played on four teams; the other has toiled on one. One has been a workmanlike cog in the machine; the other has driven it. Yet, no matter how they've reached this point, Daymond Langkow and Jarome Iginla will this weekend hit a common plateau: 1,000 games in the NHL. They'll get to celebrate that distinguished total as teammates under the warm Florida sunshine: Iginla on Friday against the Panthers and Langkow 24 hours later in the city that launched his professional career, Tampa Bay. "I've been around for a long time, so it's a pretty big accomplishment and it's something I'm ..."
Bouw's focused on Flames' foes, not old friends
Comment
February 5
Calgary Herald
 
"Jay Bouwmeester would like to tell you how special it's going to be returning to Florida to play a National Hockey League game tonight, but he's got too many other things on his mind. "I haven't really thought about it a whole lot," said the 26-year-old, first-year defenceman with the Calgary Flames, "because we have some things here that are kind of preoccupying things." Bouwmeester, nonetheless, will be marking his first game back in his old stomping grounds when the Flames pair off against the Panthers tonight at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Fla. It was only 57 regular season games ago that the Flames landed the six-foot-four, 214-pounder in a deal that saw Jordan Leopold go the ..."
Look Who's Back: Jay Bouwmeester in South Florida
Comment
February 5
Miami Herald
 columnist George Richards
"Not much going on right now, what with GM Randy Sexton in Rochester and the Panthers not playing for a few days. The big news around town is the return of Jay Bouwmeester. 'Big Bo' returns to the BankAtlantic Center on Friday night for the first time since he played his final game there with the Panthers on April 11, 2009. Bouwmeester refused to sign a long-term deal with the Panthers and, in June, was traded to Calgary where he almost immediately signed a five-year pact with the Flames. One of the reasons Bouwmeester wanted out of Florida was because of the lack of passion that exists for hockey in the sunny south. In Calgary, the hockey team is the biggest thing going. Teammates in ..."
Jay Bouwmeester's return to Florida is treated as low key
Comment
February 5
Miami Herald
 
"Jay Bouwmeester returns to the BankAtlantic Center on Friday night for the first time since he played his final game there with the Panthers on April 11, 2009. Bouwmeester refused to sign a long-term deal with the Panthers and in June was traded to Calgary, where he almost immediately signed a five-year contract. One of the reasons Bouwmeester wanted out of Florida was because of the lack of passion that exists for hockey in the sunny South. In Calgary, the hockey team is the biggest thing going. Teammates in Florida weren't exactly surprised when he left after seven years with the franchise. ``I'm used to playing with him, not against him, but when the game starts, that's out the door,'' ..."
Bouwmeester makes return to South Florida
Comment
February 5
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"In his usual low-key manner, Jay Bouwmeester isn't making much of his return. Friday night will mark the Flames defenseman's first regular-season game against the Panthers, who picked him in the 2002 draft and were forced to trade him at the 2009 draft when it was inevitable he was going to leave. "It's one game and we're not there for very long, so I don't foresee it being any big deal — from this end, anyway," Bouwmeester said by phone Tuesday from Calgary, Alberta, where he faced the Panthers in an exhibition in September. This reunion was supposed to include former Panthers captain Olli Jokinen, traded to the Coyotes at the 2008 draft, but he was dealt again late Monday from the Flames ..."
Flames' Glencross records first hat-trick
Comment
February 4
Calgary Sun
 
"Curtis Glencross fired the puck into an empty net, then watched as a few hats rained down onto the Saddledome ice. The Calgary Flames winger recorded the first hat-trick of his career during Wednesday's 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, and it was a special night. But Glencross won't be telling anybody years from now how he scored them. The first one was an Eric Nystrom shot that was going wide of the net that bounced off Glencross' arm and past Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward. The empty-netter was on a clear-cut breakaway, and he didn't even need to make a move. "Two non-highlight-reel goals, so maybe the fans felt bad for me," Glencross said with a laugh about the hats on the ice. "I ..."
Kotalik takes hard road to Calgary
Comment
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"Nothing has come easy for Ales Kotalik over the past month, so why should his trip to Calgary be any different? Dealt by the New York Rangers to the Calgary Flames, in a trade that wasn't made official until late Monday night, Kotalik's original flight from New York to Calgary was cancelled on Tuesday. And because his immigration papers were waiting in Calgary, he couldn't enter Canada through any other city, so making the quick hop to Toronto for a westbound flight wasn't an option. "It was a tough day," admitted the 31-year-old Czech late Wednesday morning, a few hours before he was to make his Flames debut against the Carolina Hurricanes. "I was supposed to be at the practice (on ..."
Pelech bides time on Flames' AHL farm
Comment
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"The rapid-fire completion of two multi-player trades this week, one of which saw the departure of Dion Phaneuf, hasn't changed anything for one young defenceman watching from the West Coast. Calgary Flames blue line prospect Matt Pelech is still on the outside trying to get in. The six-foot-four, 230-pound 22-year-old was the Flames' first-round pick (26th overall) from the 2005 entry draft and he's now playing with Calgary's farm team, the Abbotsford Heat in the American Hockey League. Last season, he played in five games with the Flames, netting three assists, a plus-one rating and nine penalty minutes. But the mathematics resulting from Phaneuf being gone and Ian White coming in don't ..."
Savvy Stajan shows early signs of chemistry with Iginla
Comment
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"Beakers, test tubes, Bunsen burners, alcohol lamps and slit-open frogs leaking nasty fluids weren't really young Matt Stajan's thing. "I wasn't,'' he noted wryly, "really a science guy in school.'' But a certain form of chemistry, he gets. If the laboratory is a 200 x 85 sheet of frozen H2O. He's savvy enough to understand certain ingredients, when mixed together, can produce wondrous things or blow up in your face. "Sometimes,'' said Stajan, "you feel that connection, that chemistry, right away with linemates. Sometimes, it takes awhile. And sometimes, no matter how hard everybody tries, it doesn't happen at all. "I'm looking to pass the puck. That's my first option. Complement the other ..."
Resculpted Calgary Flames start with win over Carolina Hurricanes
Comment
February 4
Calgary Herald
 
"On this dawn of the new regime, on this first day in this first game of the seven new faces, all it took was some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to get the job done. Topped off by a hat trick from one of the biggest lunch-pail guys in the lineup. Curtis Glencross scored his first hat trick in the National Hockey League as the resculpted Toronto-New York-Calgary Flames laid a 4-1 licking on the Carolina Hurricanes in front of a cheering instead of jeering crowd at the Pengrowth Saddledome. "We wanted to come out and send a message," said Glencross. "We've got six, seven new guys in here and we're all battling for spots right now. It's good, it puts competitiveness among all of us and when ..."
GM Sutter says Flames capable of more
Comment
February 3
Calgary Herald
 
"It's not the new guys who worry Darryl Sutter. It's the old ones. Still. So, the day after being embarrassed 3-0 by the visiting Philadelphia Flyers, the Calgary Flames' veteran core made a pre-practice march down the corridor and up the stairs to the general manager's office. There, they got word. They're not doing nearly enough. Still. "Everyone talks about the players going out and not about the players (that remain here)," Sutter said Tuesday afternoon. "Our team is capable of a lot more. Other than (Miikka Kiprusoff), our team has probably not played up to standards. It's not necessarily a message, but I expect a lot. I expect our team to be a hard-working team . . . I think there's ..."
Flames veterans hauled into GM's office for scolding
Comment
February 3
Calgary Herald
 
"Robyn Regehr has, like many of us, felt that gnawing feeling in the pit of his stomach before. An acidic, burning sensation. Like eating a bad fish taco. "Twice, in fact,'' said Regehr. "At RHS (Rosthern High School), I was called to the principal's office. Once, for, uh, taking exception to some kid smashing our snow sculpture. And the other for an . . . altercation. "Nobody enjoys waiting outside that door. "And both times, boy, was my dad mad.'' One by one they trooped down the hall Tuesday, past the FAN 960 broadcast area, up the stairwell and into the Calgary Flames' executive offices for a chat. Regehr, Jarome Iginla, Daymond Langkow, the old deck hands on a ship run aground on the ..."
Sutter's prepare to faceoff
Comment
February 3
Calgary Sun
 
"It's not uncommon to see a slew of Sutters at the Saddledome. A descendant of the notorious hockey clan in Carolina Hurricanes colours, though? That'll be something different. "It's really weird," admitted Hurricanes centre Brandon Sutter, whose father Brent is in his first season as the Flames head coach. "Playing against the Flames is one thing — I've been looking forward to that forever, since I was a little kid. Now, having a couple uncles and my dad and the number of people in my family that have been part of the organization in the past, it's pretty cool. I'm really excited about it." These days, Sutters on both side of Wednesday's family faceoff are looking for reasons to smile."
Another deal on the Flames' horizon?
Comment
February 3
Calgary Sun
 
"Flames GM Darryl Sutter has made a couple of trades which make it appear another deal is soon coming. He'd better be. Six new faces via trade, and a seventh if you count Mikael Backlund being summoned from the minors just over a week ago, has added up to big changes on the roster, but it's not enough to seriously call this club a Stanley Cup contender. Actually, an argument can be made it's not even a playoff team. Not when the Flames sit ninth in the Western Conference. Not when the Flames can lay claim to just one victory in it's last 11 games — which came at the expense of the lowly Edmonton Oilers — and just two wins in 14 outings."
Iginla, Regehr shoulder Flames fate
Comment
February 3
Calgary Sun
 
"The core of the Calgary Flames leadership group has been pruned. Whether it was the right parts pared away with the trades which sent Dion Phaneuf to Toronto and Olli Jokinen to the New York Rangers can be debated. The end result, however, now revolves around who remains and the role they must play. The Flames fate this season rests most on the shoulders of the two big parts in that leadership group who have most under-performed — Jarome Iginla and Robyn Regehr. Amidst the chaos surrounding the team lately and the trades which brought six new faces to the organization, the Flames need their two longest-serving members to step forward. If they don't do it now, they'll both lose their lofty ..."
Rangers complete trade with Flames for Olli Jokinen
Comment
February 2
Bergen Record
 
"After some stops, starts and indecision, the Rangers and Flames finally agreed to a trade early Tuesday morning that brings likely top-line center Olli Jokinen to New York. The Flames will get forwards Christopher Higgins and Ales Kotalik, both in their first year with the Rangers, while the Rangers also acquire potential enforcer Brandon Prust. The deal was finalized after both Jokinen and Prust ended their Flames' careers in a 3-0 loss to the Flyers in Calgary. Jokinen took three shots and was a minus-1 in 15:08 while Prust played 7:27 without adding to his team-leading 98 penalty minutes. Christopher Higgins had accompanied the Rangers to Los Angeles, where the team will conclude its ..."
Canucks say Flames won Dion Phaneuf trade; coach Alain Vigneault raps Steve Bernier
Comment
February 2
Vancouver Sun
 
"The Toronto Maple Leafs got the better player, but the Vancouver Canucks think the Calgary Flames got the better trade in Sunday's National Hockey League blockbuster deal that sent defenceman Dion Phaneuf to the east. The Flames, near the bottom of the Western Conference in scoring, acquired Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White from the Maple Leafs for Phaneuf, a former Calder and Norris Trophy finalist. The Leafs also received fourth-liner Fredrik Sjostrom and prospect Keith Aulie. Calgary reportedly has another trade pending that would send Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to the New York Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins. "I think it's a great change for ..."
Tough start for new Flames players
Comment
February 2
Calgary Herald
 
"There were some nerves and maybe even a little jet lag. Also a clear lack of chemistry. But the four newest members of the Calgary Flames, flown in late Sunday after a seven-player swap with the Toronto Maple Leafs, were just as disappointed with the result as the rest of the team following Monday's loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. "Lots of nerves, actually," smiled defenceman Ian White, who is now the owner of the No. 3 jersey after trading places with Dion Phaneuf. "It's the first time I've been in this position and obviously first impressions are lasting. "There was a lot of nervous energy but I think I managed to channel it into a positive." White was caught chasing the puck, maybe ..."
Flames doused by Flyers despite new players
Comment
February 2
Calgary Herald
 
"Past days have given followers of the Calgary Flames plenty to chew upon. How would the four newcomers from the Toronto Maple Leafs pan out? How much would The Dion be missed? Additionally, was Olli Jokinen really headed for Broadway? With Brandon Prust? And Ales Kotalik here — seriously? Pleasant distractions, they were. But in case fans had lost track of the heart of the matter with this group — there it was, plain as day, at the Pengrowth Saddledome. The Flames cannot score. And it's killing them. Like, 10 shots on net through 40 minutes? Or 14 through 54 minutes? It didn't add up to nearly enough in a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in National Hockey League action Monday. ..."
It's the Olli folly trade
Comment
February 2
Calgary Herald
 columnist George Johnson
"The day Olli Jokinen became a Calgary Flame, the adjectives were running thick and fast. Finally. That sizeable, strong, powerful beast down centre. A table-setter for Jarome Iginla. An untameable presence to make the middle of the ice his personal playpen. "It's a dream come true,'' stammered Jokinen, over a crackly conference-call line set up in the Ed Whalen Media Lounge on May 4, 2009. "I can't believe it. "It's a fresh start. Going to a place where there are high expectations and the people expect a 'W' every night, that's what you want. It's very exciting."
New look, same ol' Flames
Comment
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"New-look Calgary Flames. Same-look result. The infusion of players from the blockbuster Dion Phaneuf trade gave the Flames a different makeup, but the end result was another low-scoring home defeat, 3-0, to the Philadelphia Flyers Monday night. "Disappointing," said Matt Stajan, one of the four newcomers to come from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Sunday swap. "Yeah, that was a long 48 hours, but we've got to play a better hockey game. That's the bottom line. "We didn't muster enough offence, didn't have enough shots on net and they capitalized on some chances.""
Fresh faces hear familiar boo birds
Comment
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"Must have felt like home. Just one day after arriving in Calgary, the four newcomers from the Dion Phaneuf deal were treated to boos as they left the Saddledome ice for the first time Monday night. They're got used to that sort of treatment as members of the Toronto Maple Leafs but don't want to make it a habit here. "It was really nice to see all the red jerseys," new Flames winger Niklas Hagman said after a 3-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. "Obviously, we would have wanted to play better for each other and for the fans. "The fans, they're free to express their opinion. Hopefully, it's not something we're going to hear much more." Hagman, fellow forwards Matt Stajan and Jamal Mayers ..."
Club searches for chemistry
Comment
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"Jarome Iginla has a simple plan for putting together the puzzle which is now the Calgary Flames. "Everybody who's come in, we know they want to win, too, and know they want to be the best team we can be, so it's about winning games," Iginla said. "The quicker you win them, the more fun it is, the better the chemistry builds." The Flames hit the ice with the four new skaters -- Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White -- acquired in the Dion Phaneuf trade for Monday night's clash with the Philadelphia Flyers. Four bodies doesn't seem like much, but it's 20% of a game roster. Chemistry may be an over-used word in the hockey world, but it's something the club must build after ..."
Fans set shakeup's stage
Comment
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"So much for the notion Darryl Sutter isn't in tune with his team's fan base. While the Flames GM would never admit it, he did exactly what the bulk of Calgary hockey fans have wanted him to do for some time -- trade Dion Phaneuf. Right or wrong, Dion Phaneuf couldn't have lasted here much longer. There was simply too much anger directed at Calgary's favourite whipping boy for the young defenceman to regain any semblance of the popularity he once enjoyed. Make no mistake, Sutter didn't make the move to appease a fan base that is rapidly losing faith and enthusiasm for the team. But it's an appealing byproduct."
No guessing Sutter's next move
Comment
February 2
Calgary Sun
 
"Attempting to guess what Darryl Sutter's plans are should come with a warning label: Predicting the Flames GM's moves could be hazardous to your sanity. One week he's declaring he has no intention of trading Dion Phaneuf, the next he's sending the cornerstone defenceman to the Toronto Maple Leafs and adding four new players to his own lineup. Sutter followed up the Phaneuf blockbuster with a deal that sends forwards Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust to New York to join the Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins, a move that was finalized following Monday's 3-0 loss to the Flyers. And now, the other shoe is expected to drop any minute. Don't put it past the realm of possibility a big name ..."
Toronto's Burke gets the trading ball rolling
Comment
February 2
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Helene Elliott
"Leave it to Brian Burke to break open a trade market that had been stuck because it's so difficult to move huge contracts and because many general managers can't decide whether to buy or sell while their clubs are still in playoff contention. Burke, the Toronto Maple Leafs' GM, on Sunday ripped apart a roster that badly needed ripping. His acquisitions of defenseman Dion Phaneuf from Calgary and goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere from the Ducks fall into the category of reclamation projects, and those are always risky. Instead of rebuilding slowly around kids -- a strategy he has never had the patience to follow -- Burke took on two established players who have slipped from their peak and ..."
Richards leads Flyers' charge to smother Flames
Comment
February 2
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"The day after the Calgary Flames traded for four new players in an attempt to jump-start their stagnant team, Mike Richards knew they would be hungry. He knew they'd mean business. So Richards helped the Flyers weather Calgary's first-period storm and propelled his team to a 3-0 win with two goals, handing the Flames their 10th loss in 11 games. It also started the Flyers' three-game road trip in style after 2 straight weeks in the friendly confines of the Wachovia Center. "I thought we came out hard,'' Richards said. "We initiated. We had the chances and we carried that all the way through the game. That was important for us." With the win, the Flyers broke through the logjam in the tie ..."
Rangers trade for Jokinen
Comment
February 2
New York Post
 
"It's done. For better or worse, Olli Jokinen is a Ranger. In a trade that seemed to take longer to complete than the one that sent Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to L.A. back in 1988, the Rangers late last night acquired Jokinen and Brandon Prust from Calgary in exchange for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins. The deal, announced in the wee hours Eastern time, had had been held up for a couple of days while Kotalik played Hamlet, pondering whether to waive his three-team no-trade clause that included the Flames. Jokinen and Prust, who both played in the Flames' 3-0 loss to the Flyers in Calgary last night before the transaction was announced -- how bizarre is that? -- are expected to join ..."
New York Rangers get Calgary for center Olli Jokinen for Ales Kotalik
Comment
February 2
New York Daily News
 
"The deal is done, for real this time. The trade was finalized roughly an hour after the Flames' 3-0 loss to the Flyers at the Saddledome, a game in which Jokinen played 15:08 amid swirling questions of whether his time in Calgary was through. The Finnish centerman (11-24-35) is expected to be at the Staples Center tonight to suit up for the Blueshirts, who complete their three-game Western swing against the Kings. The swap ultimately came to pass following two days of false starts and hand-wringing. The Rangers sent Kotalik home to New York on Sunday, telling him he would be traded, and Glen Sather thought he had a deal in the bag that night, only to have "complications" arise to put the ..."