The amazing thing is that no one could have predicted he was going to become one of the most important Flames in franchise history. Now here he is, captaining this team to the level that they’ve reached, a lot of nights carrying the team on his back and setting the tone for what’s expected of his team mates. He’s still climbing the ladder of franchise records and has said he wants to play until he’s 40.
What an absolute gem!
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It was in.
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I've always thought he was some thing special.
The fact he has done so much in such a short period of time in my mind is incredibly impressive.
I'll never forget him having to go and play overseas and then return only to have Scotty Bowman call him the most improved in the league at his position.
Well deserved. I hope his heart can get healed from having to be absent from out last playoffs so he can accomplish what he's worked so hard for.
God bless you GIO .....may you lift a shiny silver thing over your head in a few months and eat cereal out of it .
I was comfortable with his contract because for his age, he doesn’t have the same miles as some other D men. He has been a super late bloomer his whole career.
NHL miles are a real thing.
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Tonight, Gio will play his 827th regular season game with the Flames. This will move him into sole possession of second place on the Flames all-time games played list, ahead of Robyn Regehr and behind only Jarome Iginla.
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Turn up the good, turn down the suck!
Iginla is the all-time leader in games played at 1219, Gio has less than 400 games to catch up. He can surpass Iggy if he plays for another 5 seasons here with the flames barring major injuries, it is pretty attainable.
I remember seeing him play his first pre-season game with the Flames at the dome. My wife and I had been dating just a few years and I got tickets last minute. We actually made fun of the guy as I never heard lf him and thought he had a name that belonged in a mobster movie or some Italian comedy. I said to my girlfriend “lets laugh it up we’ll never see this guy again...”
i recall thinking that I did not understand what the Flames were doing when Gio left North america to go play in Russia as I thought at the time he was showing some offensive upside on the blueline that the Flames seemed to be in need of at that time.
As I recall the main reason for him leaving was reported as Sutter not wanting to give him a 1 way deal.
Still boggles my mind that out of 500 other NHL'rs that he was not one of the T5 d-men
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If I do not come back avenge my death
The Career of Mark Giordano
