Fan support going forward - where do you stand?

[SeanCharles]

I’m a diehard so will always watch, pay attention and get season tix, at least until the (hopefully) eventual new arena makes it unaffordable. Having said that, if this organization doesn’t shift its philosophy I may make a stand and revolt.

The league is getting younger and drafting and developing homegrown talent has never been more important. I’m over the moon the team is willing to spend to the cap but what is the point if they are just going to waste so much of it on ill advised FA signings that are too much money for way too long. Just when we thought we were out of the viscous cycle of wasted cap space - Raymond, Brouwer, Neal/Lucic - we give a 32yo 2nd line C more money than we ever gave JG.

It just doesn’t make sense to not learn from these mistakes when they continue to blow up in your face.

Please face the facts and move towards building the right way. If not I may have to in fact revolt by letting the Flames know they can’t continue to have my financial support if all they will ever amount to is being a middling team that might get into the playoffs for a round or two, never having the horses to get over that hump.

[Flames_F.T.W]

I live in Ottawa and this team hasn't been worth staying up late to watch for most of the season. I'll always follow the team closely, but I likely won't be going out of my way to watch games for a while. I'm too old to be grumpy and tired over a horrific on ice product. This is the fewest games I've watched since the internet made it possible to watch all Flames games. From watching 70+ games a season to 30 or 40 this year. That number will be much smaller if Sutter is back again next season

[Igottago]

I'll always follow the Flames, its too late for me to get out. But I won't give as much of my time to boring hockey or to terrible management strategies. I want to see another cup at some point, so if the organization sets out a path to build a contender, I'll be fully on board even if it's painful at first. If it's the constantly middling strategy of "just get into the playoffs and you never know", with 50% of the seasons inevitably missing the playoffs, I'll be investing less time into it, but I'll obviously hope for the best each season and maybe we get that fluke run every 20 years. It would be great for the Flames to somehow land a truly generational player, but there has to be some deep acceptance of pain for the organization to have a chance at that.

[MillerTime GFG]

I'm at the "prove it to me" stage. I won't invest much time in the team when next season starts unless they start to show something. Not only did this version fail to make playoffs, they also played such uninspiring and boring hockey. No youth in the lineup, very little energy.

I would like to see some youth injected into the lineup for sure next year both to see what we've got, and hopefully make our style of play more exciting.

This was one of the worst seasons I can remember in a longggg time as a Flames fan.

[EastCoastFlamesFan]

Frustrated, but I'm still here and will be here next year too. This was just a weird year, no other way to put it. This team should have been 10 points better--I'd even argue that they should have competed for the division. I also keep thinking that if they had snuck into the playoffs with zero expectation, they might have had a nice run in them, especially against a team like Vegas, who I truly do not believe is as good as their record shows.

Oh well, onto the draft. Who knows, watch us win the lottery and all of the sudden the tone of everything changes. I'm really looking forward to a full year of Pelletier, Wolf, Coronato, Dueher and hopefully we see Zary as well.

I'm also in the camp of keeping BT on board, but I think Sutter needs to go--great coach, but we need different energy leading the charge.

[bluejays]

As a fan I will always watch as it’s a fun sport heading more into skill which is fun to see. As a flames fan, I don’t care about Burkes view that fans should always want their team to win. I want them to lose the next few years to build through the draft instead of piecing together a hodgepodge team through trades and FA signings. Gotta build a sustainable winner and that’s done solely through the draft in my mind. Rushing it seems to be ownership wanting things to happen beyond the natural progression of how things should happen. Most fans see that and I suspect the more this happens more fans feel duped and support will sag.

[Goriders]

I’ll keep watching. I don’t think it’s as bad as everyone thinks. It’s a competitive league. The Flames weren’t getting pounded all year. They have some young players that are ready. There will be offseason moves, probably some big ones. I think the summer will be very interesting.

I enjoy following the team.

[Strange Brew]

Missed the playoffs by a few points, not planning to turn in my fan card. Could be a difficult off season based on the commitment they have made to some of the biggest under performers but next year is a new season.

Worst case they run back the exact same team and at least Wolf becomes a more realistic option in net. Better goaltending and we are planning for the playoffs right now.

[AndyM]

I'm more interested in the Wranglers these days. Recency and success bias, I guess. But it's nice seeing a group win games and come together as a team. Mitch Love doesn't seem to be a stubborn ox or play mind games with his players.

I will always love the Flames. But Darryl has made it very difficult this season.

[btimbit]

Honestly I'm pretty checked out these days as well, but it doesn't even have anything to do with the team performance, the league itself is just doing a good job of making the game less and less appealing to me.

[DomeFoam]

I was on my phone for most of the games this year. Don’t get me wrong the tv was on, but it was clear I didn’t really care as much as in prior years. Hockey just isn’t as fun when you don’t have a star player to pull you out of your seat.

[bax]

People will probably call me crazy, but I am cautiously optimistic for next season for a few key reasons:

1) this was such a weird season. All of the one goal losses, the OT losses, constantly outshooting and out chancing your opponents. There are definitely issues such as a lack of finishing ability, but some of these things should start to average out. This team as currently constructed is better than what their record says. They were right there in basically every game this season.

2) Goaltending was bad. Goalies are voodoo and I don’t see a reality where Markstrom doesn’t bounce back at least somewhat next season. That alone will make a huge difference, but we also have Wolf looking like the best goalie not in the NHL. I think they will trade Vladar to recoup some picks and Wolf will be great next season.

3) Huberdeau. Same thing as Markstrom, I can’t see a reality where he doesn’t bounce back. You can tell he started to get more comfortable after he got moved back to LW late in the season. A new voice on the PP will do wonders for his confidence has well. I’m actually not all that worried about Huberdeau and think he will get back to point per game next season.

4) Sutter. The best thing and the worst thing for this franchise. It just wasn’t clicking this year and the team needs a new voice. I’m not sure who it will be, but as long as it’s a better fit for the roster we should see some improvement.

5) Youth and depth. Next season we should get a full season of Pelletier, Duehr, Wolf, and Coronato (he might get some time in the A). Zary also isn’t far off from a call up. That should help with team speed and bring more energy to the room.

6) Kylington. This guy was blossoming into a speedy top 4 defenseman and we lost him for the entire season. Here’s hoping he is able to comeback next year.

All in all you’re left with a roster that should look similar to below. I think they will have a real solid season, but even if things do go off the rails you have a ton of capital to deal at the deadline for picks and prospects in Lindholm, Hanifin, Kylington, Tanev, Zadorov, and Toffoli. With that being said I wouldn’t be surprised if there is at least 1 “shake up” trade this off season that moves out a significant piece. We will see.

Huberdeau - Lindholm - Toffoli
Pelletier - Kadri - Coronato
Mangiapane - Backlund - Coleman
Dube - Ruzicka - Duehr
Lewis

Weegar - Andersson
Kylington - Tanev
Hanifin - Zadorov
Stetcher

Markstrom
Wolf

[malcolmk14]

In November of 2016 I sat at the Saddledome through a 4-1 loss to the Rangers, watching the Flames drop to 5-10-1 on the season under Glen Gulutzan. It was so frustrating and demoralizing that I told myself I wouldn't go back to the Dome until Gulutzan wasn't the coach anymore. I sat there thinking to myself that I really need to start to prioritize other things and that being a Flames fan probably wasn't going to fulfill me the way I wanted. It was honestly a truly depressing game to be at and I sat in my seat mad the whole time. I used to put a lot of my time and energy into being a fan of the team, and promised myself that night, no more.

I caved later that year against my better judgment and went to Game 4 against the Ducks to watch the Flames get swept...

The next season I split my season tickets 3 ways and finally got rid of them for good in 2020.

Darryl coming back was the most excited I've been for this team since 17:21 of the third period in Game 2 against Colorado.

I think I'm done for a while, though. Dark times are ahead for the Flames and there are too many other things competing for my time and attention that don't make me sad/mad/frustrated.

[Always Earned Never Given]

I'm a Flames fan since 1972.

I will always be loyal to the Flames.

What helps me out though is that I am also a real sports addict so have favorite teams in all pro team sports and favorite players in individual sports like golf and tennis.

This way I have always something to look forward too instead of sobbing for 6 months a year!

[kukkudo]

I've been checked out this season. The product on the ice is just crap, and the Flames don't have an Elite game-changing superstar currently. Living in Edmonton, I went to a few Oilers games this season, and just the product and presentation on the ice is bar none compared to what the Flames got right now.

Hope things change in the next five years for the better.

[SuperMatt18]

I actually think Huberdeau might be better long term because of this season.

He's better defensively, he's played with a bit more of an edge, and his offensive game really started to blossom over the last 20-30 games.

In terms of fan support...if Sutter is still here and Treliving is gone then I'm going to have a tough time watching games next year. I want a organization that promotes skill, speed, and youth...and Sutter seems to want the opposite of that.

[Chonger]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

I checked out on this team after how they treated Phillips. I watched about 1/3 of the games after that. I expect that will remain the case if Sutter remains in place.

If Sutter is gone and the team is having fun, I will be invested...albeit realistic. This team is not winning a cup anytime soon.

Phillips is gonna sign a cheap 2yr with the Oilers and put up 30 goals next year. Its gonna suck

Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk

[Badmotorfinger]

I grew up when the Flames first arrived in town, living and dying emotionally for years based on how the team was doing. The older I've gotten, the more I've realized it simply isn't worth it to be so heavily invested in the team...especially since it's been painfully mediocre for years now. I still watch every game but I just don't let the team's fortunes frustrate or anger me like I used to, and the team rarely gets any of my money.

I hope Sutter is gone next year (although I don't see it happening). Many of his decisions this year were just plain awful. We need a coach who actually adapts his approach to the skill sets of the players in his lineup and shortens the bench in the 3rd period of close games.

I'm hoping Marky bounces back and that Wolf blows the doors off in camp next year, getting a strong share of starts. Great goaltending can help cover the warts on the rest of the team (a la Kipper).

I favour us selling off impending FAs and rebuilding, but I also don't see that happening. However it goes, I absolutely will not be losing sleep over it like I did back in the day.

[Hey Connor, It's Mess]

I enjoy hockey so I'll always follow the Flames game by game. I definitely felt apathetic to this year's team as the season progressed. It isn't a very likeable group and there's no feel-good stories. I'm not very old so this could be a weaker example, but when I look back at those Hartley years and that group, it's nothing but fondness. I would give anything to see Gaudreau, Monahan and Hudler from that time play a game together again. Fans value different things but I think when you're in it for the long haul you accept not every year will be sunshine and roses. It's during the down periods when you at least hope to have young players to root for and see progress, or even a younger team see develop and mature as they learn lessons on the big stage.

This franchise doesn't seem to hold that philosophy lately and this year's team is none of those good things. It's an old group playing a terribly boring system (that is on Sutter) with what seems like very little chemistry. We never got to see Phillips come into his own (many factors contributing to this). Pelletier was injecting some fun and creativity into the lineup and then got perma-benched until tonight for one mistake.

Look at how we all rallied around Walker Duehr's success this season. This fanbase is in desperate need of some fun, young players to watch come into their own. It's actually why I'm still really optimistic about next year from an entertainment perspective. We could have a lot of new faces to cheer for and who knows, maybe they'll rekindle some of those feelings we had watching Gaudreau and Monahan enter the league and become stars.

In short, my loyalty as a fan isn't so much tied to winning and success as it is an entertaining product. This group doesn't live up to that but you'd have to be incredibly pessimistic to think it won't get more fun again soon.

[bluejays]

Right now I also feel Treliving is the best candidate we have as GM. Sad as that is. Rue the day Conroy is promoted to that. What a mess up that would be. That’s when despair would kick in. Treliving can deal. If he deals off assets for picks and good prospects I trust his judgement. Draft wise he’s done alright too. His signings haven’t been great but if the MO going forward is rebuild, I’m alright with Treliving moving that forward. I just don’t want ownership meddling or trying to move it along quick.