Did You Know
The '''Calgary Flames''' are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the Calgary Tigers (1921?27) and Calgary Cowboys (1975?77). The Flames are one of two NHL franchises in Alberta, the other being the Edmonton Oilers. The cities' proximity has led to a famous rivalry, known as the Battle of Alberta. Games between the teams are often heated events.
The team was founded in 1972 in Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Flames, and moved to Calgary in 1980. The Flames played their first three seasons in Calgary at the Stampede Corral before moving into their current home arena, the Pengrowth Saddledome (originally known as the Olympic Saddledome), in 1983. In 1986, the Flames became the first Calgary team since the 1924 Tigers to compete for the Stanley Cup. In 1989, the Flames captured the Cup for the first time. The Flames' unexpected run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals captured the imagination of Canadians, leading Prime Minister Paul Martin to dub them "Canada's team", while the Red Mile celebrations by fans became nationally famous.
Off the ice, the Flames own a Western Hockey League franchise, the Calgary Hitmen, and in 2007 opened a sports bar and entertainment centre called ''Flames Central'' on Stephen Avenue in Downtown Calgary. Through the ''Flames Foundation'', the team has donated over $29 million to charity throughout southern Alberta since the franchise arrived.
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