Jersey Poll - All Time #16

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

These polls are factoring in Atlanta as noted by some of the choices (like Pat Quinn), etc.

If you're counting Atlanta, then Chouinard should get a lot more consideration. Still don't think I would change my vote. Chouinard played in an era where everyone scored. Stillman played in the era where the Flames were lucky to score period. Stillman was never appreciated to the extent he deserved in Calgary. It appears that trend will continue.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by New Era

No, do not recall that at all. Chouinard had bad shoulders but I don't recall anything about him being blind. Where did that come from?

He didn't go blind, but he had a very serious eye injury from a highstick circa 1983 from my recollection.

[troutman]

Guy - one of the best play-makers of his generation. The reason Lanny scored 66.

[CsInMyBlood]

Stillman for me. Seven seasons in Calgary to Chouinard's three. I didn't care about the Atlanta Flames at all, I became a Flames fan when they moved to Calgary.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by New Era

If you're counting Atlanta, then Chouinard should get a lot more consideration. Still don't think I would change my vote. Chouinard played in an era where everyone scored. Stillman played in the era where the Flames were lucky to score period. Stillman was never appreciated to the extent he deserved in Calgary. It appears that trend will continue.

Even if you looked at it relatively, he had 50 goals in 1978-79 and that was good for fourth in the entire NHL. More goals than Trottier, Esposito, McDonald, etc. The only three players who had more goals than him are all Hall of Famers: Bossy, Dionne, Lafleur.

[Vulcan]

What I remember is McDonald gave credit to Chouinard for his 66 goals. It was injuries that caused his career to halt not his skill and as usual.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

He didn't go blind, but he had a very serious eye injury from a highstick circa 1983 from my recollection.

Chouinard suffered a minor eye injury in December of 1981 versus the Flyers. He wasn't almost blind. He recovered fine and played out the season and playoffs. Chouinard's major injury problems were his shoulders. He suffered a bad separation in practice one year and elected to not have surgery to repair it.

On Chouinard's success with McDonald, he was so important the Flames traded him that summer for futures. Guy was very skilled, but he was not the type of player the Flames were interested in. The arrival of Bridgeman and Risebrough made guys like Chouinard an after thought.

Originally Posted by Vulcan

It was injuries that caused his career to halt not his skill and as usual.

Just to clarify, Chouinard quit the game when St. Louis sent him to the minors.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by New Era

Chouinard suffered a minor eye injury in December of 1981 versus the Flyers. He wasn't almost blind. He recovered fine and played out the season and playoffs. Chouinard's major injury problems were his shoulders. He suffered a bad separation in practice one year and elected to not have surgery to repair it.

On Chouinard's success with McDonald, he was so important the Flames traded him that summer for futures. Guy was very skilled, but he was not the type of player the Flames were interested in. The arrival of Bridgeman and Risebrough made guys like Chouinard an after thought.

You are cheating and actually looking this up. I am going by memory.
Doesn't change the fact that Chouinard was great, and Stillman merely good, and had has best seasons in Tampa and Carolina, not Calgary.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

You are cheating and actually looking this up. I am going by memory.
Doesn't change the fact that Chouinard was great, and Stillman merely good, and had has best seasons in Tampa and Carolina, not Calgary.

As usual New Era doesn't really know what he's talking about.

Guy could have played another 4-5 years but he had enough. Years before Guy retired he had the following thoughts on retirement:

" My philosophy is simple. And that is that you fire all the ammunition you can for as long as you can. When you can no longer give your best and cannot help the team, then it's time to hang 'em up. You should always strive to be a rising star in whatever business you're involved in."

Sadly enough Guy Chouinard ran out of ammunition too early.

http://flameslegends.blogspot.ca/200...chouinard.html

[SuperMatt18]

Voted Chouinard.

Never saw him play but the stats for Atlanta/Calgary were impressive. Also think these polls are under appreciating players that played for the Flames prior to 1986.

[FlamesAddiction]

If it was favourite and not best, I would have picked McGrattan.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Voted Chouinard.

Never saw him play but the stats for Atlanta/Calgary were impressive. Also think these polls are under appreciating players that played for the Flames prior to 1986.

Definitely.

To be honest, I also have trouble including anything from Atlanta. When a team relocates, I see it as a clean slate.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

You are cheating and actually looking this up. I am going by memory.

Well, I didn't recall an eye injury where he almost was blind, so I thought I would do my due diligence and confirm my recollection of the events. As it turned out, my recollection was much better than yours.

Doesn't change the fact that Chouinard was great, and Stillman merely good, and had has best seasons in Tampa and Carolina, not Calgary.

I guess it all depends on what you call great. Chouinard was skilled and scored points, but so does Taylor Hall. All I know is, you don't give away great players for future considerations when they are coming off a supposed big year. Great players also don't wash out of the game on a middling team a year later. On the direct comparison between Chouinard and Stillman, Guy had some great talent to play with, which was beneficial to his cause. Stillman had the Young Guns to play with. He was a bright spot in one of the darkest periods this franchise has gone through. I respect the guy for that.

[Hanna Sniper]

Stillman wasn't a bright spot... he was lazy and out of shape. The Flames needed to wash their hands of him and the head coach, once they did the team started to turn around

[Lanny_McDonald]

nvm.

[Yamer]

I went with Stillman simply because he was the player from my generation that I knew and watched. That and he ended up netting the Flames Conroy, which is a big plus too.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by New Era

Stillman had the Young Guns to play with. He was a bright spot in one of the darkest periods this franchise has gone through. I respect the guy for that.

So you're picking the lesser player because he played more seasons in Calgary on a worse team?

You know, maybe the Flames had a better team when Chouinard was there because........ he made them much better?

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Hanna Sniper

Stillman wasn't a bright spot... he was lazy and out of shape. The Flames needed to wash their hands of him and the head coach, once they did the team started to turn around

Exactly- I give the guy credit because he later figured it out and got himself a couple rings as a respected vet....but in Calgary he was a very flawed player.
Good pick for that draft though. But this should be ALL Guy

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Exactly- I give the guy credit because he later figured it out and got himself a couple rings as a respected vet....but in Calgary he was a very flawed player.
Good pick for that draft though. But this should be ALL Guy

That was a problem with all our young guns back in the day. Iginla, the man himself, was actually one of the worst culprits. I came across an old season preview Hockey New magazine from that era and there was an article talking about how Iginla was is Brian Sutter's dog house and how Sutter would have to get Iginla to engage more.

One of the best moves we ever made was getting Conroy and infusing the culture from the Blues into the country club that was the Flames. The same was true for Stillman. Moving really brought out another level in him (I still remember the comparisons people made of Stillman to Sakic when Stillman was first drafted).

Having said that, like I said earlier, I can't help but separate the Atlanta team from the Calgary team. Atlanta accomplishments seem irrelevant to me (how many Flames fans now even actually followed the Atlanta Flames before they relocated?). He may as well have played for any other team before moving to Calgary.

[bubbsy]

i was 3 when chouinard apparently retired....

went stillman.