Countdown Poll - Flames captains

[zukes]

I voted Iggy for now. Yes the room got a bit lax near the end of his tenure, but he was widely recognized as the best captain in the league for a time there. The guy's work ethic was unmatched at that time.

Giordano may well pass him and will be my vote for #2.

Lanny will be 3rd, while he was a great captain and good solid veteran, that team had a bunch of solid veteran leadership, and if I recall, Pepper and Hunter were co-captains with him.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Way too early to say Gio.

Hear what you're saying, but he will be top five in games played as a captain at the end of the season.

Its amazing how many one or two and done captains the Flames have had in history.

As I said earlier though, don't think any captain in Calgary history has altered the fabric of the team more than Giordano has. I'm not usually the guy voting in the current.

[JiriHrdina]

I think this is one of those questions where it depends a lot on how you answer. The nuance being if you are picking:
- The best player who was a captain
- The best captain

I'm answers based on the latter.

Can't pick Lanny for #1 as he wasn't even the full time captain for the cup team. He shared the C. Can't pick Iginla as I don't think he showed enough leadership on the ice in his final years with the team - he undermined what some of the coaches were trying to do.

So went with Gio, for many of the reasons Bingo outline.

[jlh2640]

Everyone who voted for Gio need to get real. He has had an amazing impact on 2 seasons being captain. However if any of you think he really had the impact that Jarome Iginla had you are crazy. Not even close. Jarome is the best player in franchise history, one of the classiest and quite likely one of the toughest. And he was by far the best captain we have ever seen. Dont let how it ended skew your vision !

[Mike F]

Whole lot of psychoanalyzing and tea leaf reading by people to justify not picking Iginla.

His longevity, on ice success, community presence, and general demeanor are all time great. And for every player who has made a vague statement about the dressing room in his last couple of years, there have been 10 players who have come out and explicitly and repeatedly heaped praise on him as the Flames captain.

Love Giordano, and love what the team did last year, but that's just over 1 season of elite play from him, and 1 playoff season. Way too early to elevate him over Iginla.

Recency bias running rampant.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Mike F

Whole lot of psychoanalyzing and tea leaf reading by people to justify not picking Iginla.

His longevity, on ice success, community presence, and general demeanor are all time great. And for every player who has made a vague statement about the dressing room in his last couple of years, there have been 10 players who have come out and explicitly and repeatedly heaped praise on him as the Flames captain.

Love Giordano, and love what the team did last year, but that's just over 1 season of elite play from him, and 1 playoff season. Way too early to elevate him over Iginla.

Recency bias running rampant.

No recency bias here. I wasn't a fan of 12's work as captain for a number of years prior to his departure.

[FlamesAddiction]

I picked Iginla even though I recognize the flaws. I think for a short period of time, he was the perfect captain.

I am surprised that Conroy isn't getting more consideration though. When he came in and became captain, that is when things started to turn around.

Iginla spent his first few seasons in Brian Sutter's doghouse for being lazy and indifferent (I can't recall if Page had any issues, but I distinctly recall Brian Sutter criticizing his effort a few times). Granted, he was not the captain then. Then Conroy came in and brought the winning attitude and passed the torch to Iginla.

Maybe it's because he was only captain for a short transitional period, but I feel the impact was huge and lasting (even to now).

[CroFlames]

Iginla's accomplishments outweigh Gio's by a country mile. Iggy, along with Kipper, dragged the Flames kicking and screaming into a new era. Iggy was consistently considered one of the best players in the league for a time. Art Ross, Richards, Hart nominations, Ted Lindsay...

Gio is a great captain, a great player. But Iggy was special. Besides Shanny, I can't really think of an elite player in recent history as tough as Iggy and as willing to stick up for any teammate. Messier maybe, but still not as tough.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

Everyone who voted for Gio need to get real. He has had an amazing impact on 2 seasons being captain. However if any of you think he really had the impact that Jarome Iginla had you are crazy. Not even close. Jarome is the best player in franchise history, one of the classiest and quite likely one of the toughest. And he was by far the best captain we have ever seen. Dont let how it ended skew your vision !

have never understood how polls bring out the need to tell other people how wrong they are.

just relax man

the poll itself tabulates and tells you who's right. you don't need to play that role yourself.

[bax]

Imagine what the Flames would have looked like without Iginla from 04-12....he and Kiprusoff carried this team for far too many years with little support

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Iginla's accomplishments outweigh Gio's by a country mile. Iggy, along with Kipper, dragged the Flames kicking and screaming into a new era. Iggy was consistently considered one of the best players in the league for a time. Art Ross, Richards, Hart nominations, Ted Lindsay...

Gio is a great captain, a great player. But Iggy was special. Besides Shanny, I can't really think of an elite player in recent history as tough as Iggy and as willing to stick up for any teammate. Messier maybe, but still not as tough.

The argument for Iginla outside of 2004 seems to be based on personal accomplishments, ie. all the awards he won and the point totals he personally put up.

Don't know if I can recall such a dramatic change in the fortunes of a sports franchise that was greater than the difference between Hartley-coached Iginla-lead Flames team and the Hartley-coached, Giordano-Lead Flames team.

[SportsJunky]

I remember being so perplexed by the Todd Simpson captaincy choice. He was a great guy but captain material? I didn't get it.

[Greybeard]

Lanny. Lifted the Cup. Chose amongst a bunch of great players.

[darthma]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

The argument for Iginla outside of 2004 seems to be based on personal accomplishments, ie. all the awards he won and the point totals he personally put up.

Don't know if I can recall such a dramatic change in the fortunes of a sports franchise that was greater than the difference between Hartley-coached Iginla-lead Flames team and the Hartley-coached, Giordano-Lead Flames team.

The Sutter coached 2003-2004 Flames ring a bell. Iginla's play had a lot to do with how far we got that year. I guess it depends on if you attribute the turn around to the coach/management or the players/captain.

For me, Iginla was the easy choice. He made me proud to be a Calgary Flames fan again. For so many years, you'd hear opposing fans say things like "I hate the Flames, but I LOVE Iginla". He represented the Flames like no other before him. He was the face of our franchise for so many years.

[GioforPM]

I thought Iginla was the best captain in the game for a few years. But I chose Gio - I don't know why, but to me he just epitomises what a captain should be (which has almost nothing to do with stats).

Can't agree at all with Lanny pickers. He was a personality, but only a co-captain in 89, and I never perceived him as a locker room leader on that team (or the others). Guys like Peplinski, MacInnis, Gilmour seemed more like on and off ice leaders. I figured Lanny's appointment was a nod to seniority more than anything.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I thought Iginla was the best captain in the game for a few years. But I chose Gio - I don't know why, but to me he just epitomises what a captain should be (which has almost nothing to do with stats).

Can't agree at all with Lanny pickers. He was a personality, but only a co-captain in 89, and I never perceived him as a locker room leader on that team (or the others). Guys like Peplinski, MacInnis, Gilmour seemed more like on and off ice leaders. I figured Lanny's appointment was a nod to seniority more than anything.

McCrimmon. That was one of the best leaders on that team.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Gotta go with the Red Moustache. Is the template for those who followed.

[442scotty]

went with Gio... but if he doesn't tone down his contract demands he might be one of the shortest lived captains...

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by Bingo

have never understood how polls bring out the need to tell other people how wrong they are.

just relax man

the poll itself tabulates and tells you who's right. you don't need to play that role yourself.

While I see your point, I feel as if this an opinion thread. Just gave mine, maybe a little too passionate. I love Gio, Lanny was great too but by far had the best team behind him.

[Jiggy_12]

Iginla was obviously the best player on the list, but for best captain I also went with Giordano. The turn around in not only the team but his personal game once becoming captain was remarkable.