Worst Moment As A Flames Fan

[CedarMeter]

2004 game 6 killed me. I thought for sure we were going to win that game. We had all the momentum going into that game and I honestly thought we were going to win that game by 2 or 3 goals. The Flames were just too tight in that game. The nerves got to them. When St Louis scored that goal in OT I knew it was over. Broke my heart.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by CedarMeter

I've never done much research on this but was Gilmour's goal in, in 1990. If there was video replay would that goal have counted?

I think probably not. The evidence isn't conclusive. It's one of those situations where you can see that the puck will eventually cross the line but it's obscured moments before it does.

I'd love to hear Hrudey's thoughts on it.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

Worst moment: squeaking into the playoffs in '96 and getting swept by Chicago. I was at game 4. Having experienced the high of seeing Iggy pot his first goal, what I clearly remember is a brutal, lazy giveaway by German Titov which gifted the Hawks the winner. Chris Chelios had Fleury in his pocket all game. Dead silence in the car on the way home.



Close 2nd: Game 7, 2004. The last 5 minutes or so where I knelt in front of the TV, pounding my fists on the floor trying to get the Flames to score an equalizer.



Honourable mention: Fleury trade – compounded by the fact I ran into him on a connection in Denver airport. He was there to meet his wife and baby and understandably a bit bemused when a dozen fans tried to tell him we wished he was still a Flame. Maybe even worse than that was his first game back in Calgary with the Avs – I was sitting along the glass, 4 seats away from the visitors' bench. Fleury was shouting obscenities at the crowd (in response to a heckler), but he was dissing on the 'unprofessional' ownership group and saying we were all mugs for supporting them. Pretty dark time to be a Flames fan...

Wasn't it Trent Yawney that coughed up the puck on the winner?

[calgarywinning]

Mine started with Connor McDavid's first goal in Calgary on his first game in Calgary. It was one of his early goals in the league.

Friend of mine had lower bowl tickets on the glass. Connor got the goal, while the whole time I thought the 5 and 7 could hold him.

I did not have an emotion. In my mind I was like you have to be f'ing kidding me. I truly didn't think it would happen. Photo taken and I'm on the front of all Alberta newspapers just staring emotionless as Connor celebrates. Nobody see's it but me.. but it's def on a meme scale.

[flamesforcup]

I never experianced the young guns era and was too young in the 04 run. But the worst had to be in 2015 when we lost to Anaheim. Than it was the game 7 loss to San Jose in 2008 or 2009 i think. Than it was the Iginla trade. Marked the end of an era.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by flamesforcup

I never experianced the young guns era and was too young in the 04 run..

Ah!

[bubbsy]

Bure's double ot breakaway goal
Game 7 effort against ducks in 05
"It was in."

That Gilmour trade day, the phaneuf trade day.

[Lanny_McDonald]

The reaction of some on this board to the start of this season. I mean, the long knives are out for our best young players. I can't even...

[killer_carlson]

Most have been said

Game 6 in 04
Game 7 in 04
The Gilmour / Phaneuf Trade when it happened

Other ones that stick out for me

Reading Fleury's book and finding out how Graham James isolated Fleury from support. So sad to picture a desperate kid from a broken home in that circumstance
Being at games in the Young Guns era where the team would go down by 2 in the first period and knowing that the game was over
Jim Kyte vs Dave Brown

[Rtown]

Lots of (Dis?)-honourable mentions and heartbreak reminders in this thread, but I think for me personally after some of the obvious ones, the biggest heartbreak that I haven't seen mentioned was that week in the summer of '94 when Vernon and MacInnis were traded, and the Flames lost both trades. Not only were (are) they my 2 all time favourite Flames, but to me it signalled the beginning of what at the time was appearing to be the end. If I recall correctly, those trades were about money, (MacInnis for sure as I believe he was up for a new contract) and the Flames trying to acquire cheaper players. Call it a "pre-young guns era" era, but it felt like they would never again be able to afford to pay for star players, and the following 8-10 year ride that came with it.

Also, I can't believe nobody's mentioned this, but the late '90's rumours/threats of Calgary losing the Flames. They may have been the emptiest of threats that had no merit, or maybe we'll never truly know what went on behind the scenes, and how much money they were losing and how close a move was, but after watching the Jets leave, and the crappy Canadian dollar at the time, man did that seem like a probable, scary scenario.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by danimal

I was talking with someone the other day about life as Flames fan and how for me, Bure's goal in double OT in '94 was my personal worst moment. Up 3-1 in the series and they choked big time. I was 14 at the time and almost cried. Horrible moment for me.

Looking back, that was really the end of an era, as MacInnis and Vernon were gone after the season, Otto and Nieuwendyk followed the year after, and they brought in those fugly new uni's with the multicolored Flaming C on a pedestal. I'm just curious what everyone else's worst Flames moments are.

Always thought Bure was offside or it was at least a two-line pass

If we're talking single moment, it's this one for sure. Especially painful how we lost games 5-7 ALL in OT. Agreed that I always stubbornly believed that Bure was offside too. Gut punch.

But for sustained worst moment over a period of time, Young Guns era in the late 90s. Between all our stars being gone, and the pre-cap era paired with the pitiful Canadian dollar at the time, I truly believed the Flames would never make the playoffs again. This is fresh after the Nords and Jets moving south, and all the Oilers to Houston/KC rumours. Just seemed inevitable at the time the Flames would leave too.

Still remember reading the Herald during the swirling "Flames to Portland" rumours, they had a big spread on Portland itself, it's very real odds of landing the Flames, and Rose Arena; the Flames' potential new home. Everything just looked so much nicer than their situation here, it was like seeing your ex with a dude way better looking than you and he makes 3 times what you do. Just absolutely sick to my stomach. Those were dark, dark times in Flamesland.

[danimal]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

But for sustained worst moment over a period of time, Young Guns era in the late 90s. Between all our stars being gone, and the pre-cap era paired with the pitiful Canadian dollar at the time, I truly believed the Flames would never make the playoffs again. This is fresh after the Nords and Jets moving south, and all the Oilers to Houston/KC rumours. Just seemed inevitable at the time the Flames would leave too.

Still remember reading the Herald during the swirling "Flames to Portland" rumours, they had a big spread on Portland itself, it's very real odds of landing the Flames, and Rose Arena; the Flames' potential new home. Everything just looked so much nicer than their situation here, it was like seeing your ex with a dude way better looking than you and he makes 3 times what you do. Just absolutely sick to my stomach. Those were dark, dark times in Flamesland.

Ah the Young Guns era. I guess I remember it more fondly because I went to a lot of games then (first job, drivers licence, freedom) and I have great memories of deciding to go to games at the last minute with my friends, sitting up in the nosebleeds and acting like idiots. Was at the game when Rocky Thompson made his debut and fought Oliwa twice. Another game in that era that sticks out for all the wrong reasons was a 10-1 loss to the Oilers. Todd Simpson laid a shellacking on Jason Arnott, we were up in the hard hat section with Rick Bell "The Dinger", the score was 9-1 and all the Oiler fans were chanting "Ten! Ten!" So Dinger got a "Two! Two!" chant going. It was fun even though we were losing.

Even the WWF made fun of the Flames plight when they came to town.

[Flashpoint]

Reading Gilmour's article that he woke up late one night in a hotel, and because he was in an ajoining room heard idiot Reisbrough trying to trade him. This is what spurred his hold out and our eventual fleecing.

Letter to my younger self

Don’t lay down on the floor with your ear to the door and listen in.

You’ve just been through an arbitration hearing with the team. You’ve been in a room with the lawyers. You know they don’t want to pay you. You know there’s animosity.

You know you and Risebrough didn’t get along when you played against one another.

What do you think he’s saying? Just go back to bed.

If you lay on the floor and listen, you’re going to hear some words that are going to really piss you off, and you’re going to do something you’ll regret.

“I want to trade Gilmour.”

You’re not going to be able to unhear those words. You’re not going to be mature enough to let it go. The next few months will be the most miserable time of your career. You’ll be waiting for the shoe to drop. At the team New Year’s party, you’ll tell your teammates what happened. You’ll tell them that you’re done.

You’ll walk out on the team. You’ll regret how this all goes down. You had a good thing going in Calgary, and it’ll all come apart. Over business.

Basically an also-ran ever since. Tough for us who were fans in the 80's to see what this team has become since.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by CedarMeter

I've never done much research on this but was Gilmour's goal in, in 1990. If there was video replay would that goal have counted?

Doubt it. But wasn't it Brian Maclellans goal if it had gone in?

[taxbuster]

'04 after game 7....I had a bunch of Aussie hitchhikers we'd met in BC come to Calgary and we all went to the 'Dome for Game 7. Awful feeling afterwards and I simply couldn't bear to watch the Cup presentation. We went out to the Executive Flight Centre at around 3 am to see the players arrive - very sad! Most hid in their cars/SUVs and didn't want to be seen. Commodore though was out in the crowd (there were maybe 100 of us there) and signed everyone's autograph who wanted one. Looked beat.

That was followed by the wonderful party for the team that lost at Olympic Plaza a few days later. But a hollow empty feeling it was. Many tears. Gut-wrenching.

Then again, it wasn't life. "Just" sports.

[GullFoss]

I have 3 tough memories...

After Tampa scored to send it to game 7, I remember the air came out of the dome. It was the surreal. You could have literally heard a pin drop in the building. We looked around, and you could tell that a lot of people knew, on some level, that this was the end.

I always look back on the 2006 playoffs as a wasted opportunity. It was the easiest path to the finals for a good flames team - if the flames had beat anahiem, they are the clear favorites to win the cup.

In 2009, I genuinely believe the flames were the best team in the league on paper - and it was derailed by injuries - five of teams top six defensemen had injuries in series against chicago.

[Fire in the disco]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

I have 3 tough memories...

After Tampa scored to send it to game 7, I remember the air came out of the dome. It was the surreal. You could have literally heard a pin drop in the building. We looked around, and you could tell that a lot of people knew, on some level, that this was the end.

I always look back on the 2006 playoffs as a wasted opportunity. It was the easiest path to the finals for a good flames team - if the flames had beat anahiem, they are the clear favorites to win the cup.

In 2009, I genuinely believe the flames were the best team in the league on paper - and it was derailed by injuries - five of teams top six defensemen had injuries in series against chicago.

So many injuries that year, wasn't that also when Langkow played with a broken hand? I remember watching him handle the puck and being unable to actually shoot

[Coach]

2004, Game 6.

I was 14. Me and some friends were watching the game and playing ball hockey on the driveway between periods. We were also munching on pizza the whole game. As young hockey players, we were all quite superstitious and the Flames were playing so well, we didn't want to change a thing about our routine.

Between the 1st and 2nd OT, we went outside but couldn't find any of the balls for hockey, so we played a little tag football instead. And we had made nachos, because we ran out of pizza.

My brother called us in when the next period was starting and by the time we got inside, it was already over.

I always felt like we jinxed it.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

I have 3 tough memories...

After Tampa scored to send it to game 7, I remember the air came out of the dome. It was the surreal. You could have literally heard a pin drop in the building. We looked around, and you could tell that a lot of people knew, on some level, that this was the end.

I always look back on the 2006 playoffs as a wasted opportunity. It was the easiest path to the finals for a good flames team - if the flames had beat anahiem, they are the clear favorites to win the cup.

In 2009, I genuinely believe the flames were the best team in the league on paper - and it was derailed by injuries - five of teams top six defensemen had injuries in series against chicago.

Yeah, the "blame Keenan" train was rolling so hard that year amongst fans and media that it was hard to even mention how decimated that team was heading into the playoffs, people just wouldn't have it. But in reality that was a strong hockey team that could have gone far with even a near healthy line-up.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by MattyC

2004, Game 6.

I was 14. Me and some friends were watching the game and playing ball hockey on the driveway between periods. We were also munching on pizza the whole game. As young hockey players, we were all quite superstitious and the Flames were playing so well, we didn't want to change a thing about our routine.

Between the 1st and 2nd OT, we went outside but couldn't find any of the balls for hockey, so we played a little tag football instead. And we had made nachos, because we ran out of pizza.

My brother called us in when the next period was starting and by the time we got inside, it was already over.

I always felt like we jinxed it.

After reading that I think you should have a custom user title as the person who jinxed Game 6.