Quote:
Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
I can argue that Nieuwendyk, Roberts, Otto, MacInnis provided this city with it's lone Stanley Cup. The greatest team in the history of the franchise by a long shot and IMO one of the historically great teams to play in any NHL season.
Outside of 2004 all Iginla has been is the face of the team during years of mediocrity on a team that was either flat out bad or underachievers. He may be the greatest Flame based on games played with the franchise and holding all the scoring and points records but I value that 1989 Stanley Cup above anything Iginla added to the Calgary Flames.
I don't want to ruin what's supposed to be a positive thread on Iginla but I just have a problem with a lot of newer fans that didn't get to watch the team in the heyday of the franchise and don't realize how good the teams of the mid to late 80's were and how important all those players listed to the history of this organization. I appreciate what Jarome has accomplished as the face of the franchise for 17 years but outside of maybe 5 years it's been amongst some of the worst years in the history of the franchise in Calgary.
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The franchise has only been in Calgary for 33 years. If the last 17 years have been amongst the worst, that is still more than half of the entire history of the franchise! It's silly to pine for the good ol' days & discount everything that's happened since when the good ol' days were short-lived & the franchise is so young.
No doubt 88-89 was a special team. It was a stacked team. MacInnis & Nieuwendyk are arguably the most talented players to ever wear the Flaming C, but neither of them were ever the face of the franchise & they both became icons for other teams. During the cup-winning season Lanny MacDonald was the talisman. Even after Lanny retired he was the face of the franchise for a good while.
When I think of the Flames as a team I think of those classic late 80's teams led by Lanny MacDonald. When I think of a great player who hoisted a no-hope 04 Flames team firmly on his shoulders & carried them to what should-have-been a Stanley Cup; a player who led the league in goals, won Olympic golds, competed with everything he had despite the failings of the team & management around him; a player who opted to stay with the franchise that nurtured him to his prime when he could have gone for huge money to a contender, I think of Jarome Iginla.