2003–04 Calgary Flames season

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2003–04 Calgary Flames
Western Conference champions
Division3rd Northwest
Conference6th Western
2003–04 record42–30–7–3
Home record21–14–5–1
Road record21–16–2–2
Goals for200 (19th)
Goals against176 (3rd)
Team information
General managerDarryl Sutter
CoachDarryl Sutter
CaptainJarome Iginla
Alternate captainsCraig Conroy
Robyn Regehr
ArenaPengrowth Saddledome
Average attendance16,580
Minor league affiliate(s)Lowell Lock Monsters
Las Vegas Wranglers
Team leaders
GoalsJarome Iginla (41)
AssistsCraig Conroy (39)
PointsJarome Iginla (73)
Penalty minutesKrzysztof Oliwa (247)
Plus/minusJarome Iginla (+21)
WinsMiikka Kiprusoff (24)
Goals against averageMiikka Kiprusoff (1.69)

The 2003–04 Calgary Flames season was the 24th National Hockey League season in Calgary, and the 32nd for the franchise in the NHL. The Flames ended a seven-year playoff drought, qualifying for the post-season for the first time since 1996. The Flames defeated three division winners en route to an appearance in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The Flames were defeated in the finals by the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. The run to the finals captured the imagination of the city, while the Red Mile celebrations gained international attention for the "Mardi Gras-like" atmosphere as up to 80,000 people celebrated in the streets after each playoff game.

Fans arriving at the Pengrowth Saddledome prior to a Stanley Cup Finals game against Tampa Bay.

Head coach Darryl Sutter succeeded Craig Button as the Flames' general manager.[1] Sutter made numerous changes to the roster as he worked to remake the Flames into a fast, physical club. Chris Drury was dealt to Buffalo for Rhett Warrener and Steve Reinprecht before the season began. A knee injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek led Sutter to trade for Miikka Kiprusoff, a player he knew from his days with the San Jose Sharks. Kiprusoff responded to the deal by posting an NHL record low goals against average of 1.69.

The Flames were led offensively by Jarome Iginla, who tied Ilya Kovalchuk and Rick Nash for the league lead with 41 goals as the trio shared the Rocket Richard Trophy. Iginla represented the Flames at the 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game in Minnesota, and was named a second team all-star for his performance during the season. Iginla's charity work and leadership both on and off the ice led to his also being awarded the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and NHL Foundation Player Award.

Regular season[edit]

After struggling with an injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek in the first game of the season, an early November trade for San Jose Sharks third stringer Miikka Kiprusoff sparked the Flames, as Kiprusoff led Calgary into the playoffs for the first time in eight years.[2]

The Calgary Flames' green hard hat on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Defenceman Mike Commodore became a cult hero for his unruly red mop of hair during the playoffs, leading many fans to wear red afro wigs to playoff games.[3] Craig Conroy brought a team building idea from his days with the St. Louis Blues, having the team award a green hard hat to the hardest working player each time the Flames won. As the exercise gained popularity, fans also began wearing green hard hats to the arena themselves.[4]

The Flames allowed the fewest short-handed goals during the regular season, with just 2.[5]

Season standings[edit]

Typical celebration along the Red Mile.
Northwest Division[6]
No. CR GP W L T OTL GF GA PTS
1 3 Vancouver Canucks 82 43 24 10 5 235 194 101
2 4 Colorado Avalanche 82 40 22 13 7 235 198 100
3 6 Calgary Flames 82 42 30 7 3 200 176 94
4 9 Edmonton Oilers 82 36 29 12 5 221 208 89
5 10 Minnesota Wild 82 30 29 20 3 188 183 83

Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points
         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.

Western Conference[7]
R Div GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts
1 P- Detroit Red Wings CE 82 48 21 11 2 255 189 109
2 Y- San Jose Sharks PA 82 43 21 12 6 255 183 104
3 Y- Vancouver Canucks NW 82 43 24 10 5 235 194 101
4 X- Colorado Avalanche NW 82 40 22 13 7 236 198 100
5 X- Dallas Stars PA 82 41 26 13 2 194 175 97
6 X- Calgary Flames NW 82 42 30 7 3 200 176 94
7 X- St. Louis Blues CE 82 39 30 11 2 191 198 91
8 X- Nashville Predators CE 82 38 29 11 4 216 217 91
8.5
9 Edmonton Oilers NW 82 36 29 12 5 221 208 89
10 Minnesota Wild NW 82 30 29 20 3 188 183 83
11 Los Angeles Kings PA 82 28 29 16 9 205 217 81
12 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim PA 82 29 35 10 8 184 213 76
13 Phoenix Coyotes PA 82 22 36 18 6 188 245 68
14 Columbus Blue Jackets CE 82 25 45 8 4 177 238 62
15 Chicago Blackhawks CE 82 20 43 11 8 188 259 59

Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest

P – Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y – Clinched Division; X – Clinched Playoff spot


Playoffs[edit]

Opening faceoff during game three against Vancouver.

Calgary's defeat of the Vancouver Canucks in the first round was the first playoff series victory for the Flames since they won the Cup in 1989. Jarome Iginla scored two goals and assisted on Martin Gelinas' overtime winner in game seven, sending fans in Calgary into the streets to celebrate the victory. The Flames pulled off an even bigger upset in round two, knocking off the Presidents' Trophy winning Red Wings in six, including back-to-back 1–0 shutouts in the final two games. Once again, Gelinas scored the overtime winner on a rebound on a play set up by Iginla. In doing so, Gelinas became the first player in NHL history to record three career OT winners to end a series.[8]

The third round series pitted the Flames against head coach Darryl Sutter and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff's old team – the San Jose Sharks. After jumping out to a 2–0 series lead on the road, the Sharks returned the favour, defeating Calgary twice at home. After blanking the Sharks in San Jose in game five, the Flames returned home with a chance to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. Led once again by Iginla and Gelinas, the Flames cruised to a 3–1 victory. Gelinas once again scored the series-clinching goal, this time in the second period, to return the Flames to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since winning it in 1989; this was the first Finals appearance by a Canadian team since the 1994 Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers. In addition, the Flames became the first team to defeat the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seeded teams in their conference en route to the Stanley Cup Finals (which was only repeated in 2012 by the Los Angeles Kings).

the "C of Red" became a defining characteristic of Flames playoff games.

The Final versus Tampa Bay became known for controversy. First, referee Kerry Fraser was pulled from his game six assignment in Calgary after drawing the ire of Flames fans following several calls in game four that upset the local fans. Fraser would instead officiate game seven in Tampa.[9] The officiating in game four prompted a rant by Sutter, in which he alleged that the NHL did not want Calgary to win.[10]

Late in game six, with the score tied, a shot that deflected off of Gelinas' skate was stopped by Tampa Bay goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin on the goal line. Later replays indicated that the puck may have crossed the line,[11] however the play was not reviewed at the time, and the NHL would later rule the video was inconclusive, since the puck was in the air, not on the ice.[12] Instead, the Lightning would win in double overtime, and go on to win game seven by a 2–1 score.[13]

Despite the game seven loss, the playoff run lifted the city to a new high.[14] Over 30,000 fans celebrated the Flames run at a rally at Olympic Plaza shortly after the Final had ended.[15]

Schedule and results[edit]

Regular season[edit]

2003–04 regular season[16]
October: 4–4–0–1 (home: 2–2–0–0; road: 2–2–0–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
1 October 9 Calgary 1–4 Vancouver Turek 18,630 0–1–0–0 0 Recap
2 October 11 San Jose 2–3 Calgary McLennan 17,039 1–1–0–0 2 Recap
3 October 14 Edmonton 0–1 Calgary McLennan 16,009 2–1–0–0 4 Recap
4 October 18 Buffalo 2–0 Calgary Turek 14,139 2–2–0–0 4 Recap
5 October 21 Calgary 3–2 Minnesota McLennan 18,064 3–2–0–0 6 Recap
6 October 24 St. Louis 2–1 Calgary McLennan 15,454 3–3–0–0 6 Recap
7 October 25 Calgary 4–2 Edmonton McLennan 16,839 4–3–0–0 8 Recap
8 October 28 Calgary 2–4 Colorado McLennan 18,007 4–4–0–0 8 Recap
9 October 29 Calgary 3–4 Dallas OT Sabourin 18,209 4–4–0–1 9 Recap
November: 5–4–1–2 (home: 4–2–1–1; road: 1–2–0–1)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
10 November 1 Columbus 0–3 Calgary McLennan 14,539 5–4–0–1 11 Recap
11 November 4 Detroit 3–0 Calgary McLennan 15,259 5–5–0–1 11 Recap
12 November 7 Minnesota 3–0 Calgary McLennan 13,839 5–6–0–1 11 Recap
13 November 9 Calgary 3–4 Columbus Sabourin 17,957 5–7–0–1 11 Recap
14 November 12 Calgary 6–2 Chicago McLennan 11,988 6–7–0–1 13 Recap
15 November 13 Calgary 1–4 Nashville Sabourin 9,630 6–8–0–1 13 Recap
16 November 15 Calgary 1–2 Edmonton OT McLennan 16,839 6–8–0–2 14 Recap
17 November 18 Toronto 2–3 Calgary OT McLennan 17,509 7–8–0–2 16 Recap
18 November 20 Montreal 1–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 16,139 8–8–0–2 18 Recap
19 November 22 Chicago 1–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 15,549 9–8–0–2 20 Recap
20 November 27 Colorado 6–5 Calgary OT Kiprusoff ?? 9–8–0–3 21 Recap
21 November 29 Vancouver 4–4 Calgary OT McLennan 18,159 9–8–1–3 22 Recap
December: 10–3–2–0 (home: 5–2–2–0; road: 5–1–0–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
22 December 2 San Jose 1–3 Calgary Kiprusoff 13,059 10–8–1–3 24 Recap
23 December 4 Calgary 4–1 Vancouver Kiprusoff 18,630 11–8–1–3 26 Recap
24 December 5 Minnesota 1–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 14,669 12–8–1–3 28 Recap
25 December 7 Pittsburgh 1–6 Calgary Kiprusoff 15,009 13–8–1–3 30 Recap
26 December 9 Calgary 1–2 Minnesota Kiprusoff 18,568 13–9–1–3 30 Recap
27 December 11 Carolina 0–1 Calgary Kiprusoff 14,119 14–9–1–3 32 Recap
28 December 13 Colorado 1–1 Calgary OT Kiprusoff 16,809 14–9–2–3 33 Recap
29 December 16 Calgary 3–2 Philadelphia OT Kiprusoff 18,931 15–9–2–3 35 Recap
30 December 18 Calgary 5–0 Boston McLennan 10,659 16–9–2–3 37 Recap
31 December 19 Calgary 2–1 Columbus Kiprusoff 16,561 17–9–2–3 39 Recap
32 December 23 Edmonton 1–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 18,389 18–9–2–3 41 Recap
33 December 26 Vancouver 2–0 Calgary Kiprusoff 18,419 18–10–2–3 41 Recap
34 December 28 Calgary 2–1 Edmonton Kiprusoff 16,839 19–10–2–3 43 Recap
35 December 29 Minnesota 2–2 Calgary OT Kiprusoff 16,279 19–10–3–3 44 Recap
36 December 31 Colorado 2–1 Calgary McLennan 18,469 19–11–3–3 44 Recap
January: 6–8–1–0 (home: 2–4–0–0; road: 4–4–1–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
37 January 3 Vancouver 3–1 Calgary McLennan 18,269 19–12–3–3 44 Recap
38 January 5 Calgary 5–0 NY Rangers McLennan 18,200 20–12–3–3 46 Recap
39 January 6 Calgary 3–2 NY Islanders McLennan 12,576 21–12–3–3 48 Recap
40 January 8 Calgary 1–3 Chicago McLennan 10,865 21–13–3–3 48 Recap
41 January 10 Florida 2–4 Calgary McLennan 16,809 22–13–3–3 50 Recap
42 January 13 Calgary 1–4 Toronto McLennan 19,310 22–14–3–2 50 Recap
43 January 14 Calgary 3–3 Washington OT McLennan 14,537 22–14–4–3 51 Recap
44 January 17 Dallas 3–2 Calgary Turek 17,909 22–15–4–3 51 Recap
45 January 19 Calgary 5–1 Anaheim Turek 13,146 23–15–4–3 53 Recap
46 January 20 Calgary 1–4 Los Angeles Turek 18,118 23–16–4–3 53 Recap
47 January 22 Nashville 0–4 Calgary Turek 16,629 24–16–4–3 55 Recap
48 January 24 Tampa Bay 6–2 Calgary Turek 17,109 24–17–4–3 55 Recap
49 January 27 Calgary 2–1 Phoenix Turek ?? 25–17–4–3 57 Recap
50 January 28 Calgary 1–4 San Jose Turek 15,119 25–18–4–3 57 Recap
51 January 30 Chicago 5–3 Calgary Turek 17,139 25–19–4–3 57 Recap
February: 7–5–1–0 (home: 4–2–1–0; road: 3–3–0–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
52 February 1 Anaheim 4–6 Calgary McLennan 15,189 26–19–4–3 59 Recap
53 February 3 Los Angeles 4–4 Calgary OT McLennan 14,169 26–19–5–3 60 Recap
54 February 5 St. Louis 2–1 Calgary Turek 15,389 26–20–5–3 60 Recap
55 February 10 Atlanta 2–5 Calgary Kiprusoff 16,549 27–20–5–3 62 Recap
56 February 11 Calgary 3–2 Vancouver Turek 18,630 28–20–5–3 64 Recap
57 February 13 Anaheim 1–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 17,749 29–20–5–3 66 Recap
58 February 15 Calgary 2–1 Minnesota Kiprusoff 18,568 30–20–5–3 68 Recap
59 February 19 Calgary 1–4 Montreal Kiprusoff 21,273 30–21–5–3 68 Recap
60 February 21 Calgary 1–2 Ottawa Turek 18,500 30–22–5–3 68 Recap
61 February 22 Calgary 1–3 New Jersey Kiprusoff 17,733 30–23–5–3 68 Recap
62 February 24 Calgary 2–0 Colorado Kiprusoff 18,007 31–23–5–3 70 Recap
63 February 26 Detroit 2–1 Calgary Kiprusoff 18,862 31–24–5–3 70 Recap
64 February 29 Phoenix 2–4 Calgary Kiprusoff 17,579 32–24–5–3 72 Recap
March: 9–5–2–0 (home: 4–2–1–0; road: 5–3–1–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
65 March 2 Calgary 4–2 St. Louis Kiprusoff 15,571 33–24–5–3 74 Recap
66 March 3 Calgary 1–2 Detroit Turek 20,066 33–25–5–3 74 Recap
67 March 5 Calgary 1–5 Dallas Kiprusoff 18,532 33–26–5–3 74 Recap
68 March 7 Calgary 7–1 Colorado Kiprusoff 18,007 34–26–5–3 76 Recap
69 March 9 Edmonton 1–1 Calgary OT Kiprusoff 18,479 34–26–6–3 77 Recap
70 March 11 Ottawa 2–4 Calgary Kiprusoff 17,869 35–26–6–3 79 Recap
71 March 13 Calgary 4–4 Nashville OT Kiprusoff 17,113 35–26–7–3 80 Recap
72 March 14 Calgary 3–0 St. Louis Turek 19,523 36–26–7–3 82 Recap
73 March 16 Calgary 4–1 Detroit Kiprusoff 20,066 37–26–7–3 84 Recap
74 March 18 Columbus 0–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 17,479 38–26–7–3 86 Recap
75 March 20 Nashville 3–1 Calgary Kiprusoff 18,439 38–27–7–3 86 Recap
76 March 22 Dallas 4–0 Calgary Kiprusoff 17,729 38–28–7–3 86 Recap
77 March 24 Calgary 4–0 Phoenix Turek 18,496 39–28–7–3 88 Recap
78 March 25 Calgary 2–3 San Jose Kiprusoff 15,588 39–29–7–3 88 Recap
79 March 27 Los Angeles 2–3 Calgary OT Kiprusoff 18,419 40–29–7–3 90 Recap
80 March 31 Phoenix 0–1 Calgary Kiprusoff 18,419 41–29–7–3 92 Recap
April: 1–1–0–0 (home: 0–0–0–0; road: 1–1–0–0)
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Record Pts Recap
81 April 2 Calgary 3–2 Los Angeles Kiprusoff 18,247 42–29–7–3 94 Recap
82 April 4 Calgary 1–2 Anaheim Turek 17,174 42–30–7–3 94 Recap
Legend:

  Win (2 points)   Loss (0 points)   Tie (1 point)   Overtime loss (1 point)

Playoffs[edit]

2004 Stanley Cup playoffs[16]
Western Conference Quarterfinals vs. Vancouver (3) – Flames win 4–3
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 April 7 Calgary 3–5 Vancouver Kiprusoff 18,630 Vancouver leads 1–0 Recap
2 April 9 Calgary 2–1 Vancouver Kiprusoff 18,630 Series tied 1–1 Recap
3 April 11 Vancouver 2–1 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Vancouver leads 2–1 Recap
4 April 13 Vancouver 0–4 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 April 15 Calgary 2–1 Vancouver Kiprusoff 18,630 Calgary leads 3–2 Recap
6 April 17 Vancouver 5–4 Calgary 3OT Kiprusoff 19,289 Series tied 3–3 Recap
7 April 19 Calgary 3–2 Vancouver OT Kiprusoff 18,630 Calgary wins 4–3 Recap
Western Conference Semifinals vs. Detroit (1) – Flames win 4–2
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 April 22 Calgary 2–1 Detroit OT Kiprusoff 20,066 Calgary leads 1–0 Recap
2 April 24 Calgary 2–5 Detroit Kiprusoff 20,066 Series tied 1–1 Recap
3 April 27 Detroit 2–3 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Calgary leads 2–1 Recap
4 April 29 Detroit 4–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 May 1 Calgary 1–0 Detroit Kiprusoff 20,066 Calgary leads 3–2 Recap
6 May 3 Detroit 0–1 Calgary OT Kiprusoff 19,289 Calgary wins 4–2 Recap
Western Conference Finals vs. San Jose (2) – Flames win 4–2
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 May 9 Calgary 4–3 San Jose OT Kiprusoff 17,496 Calgary leads 1–0 Recap
2 May 11 Calgary 4–1 San Jose Kiprusoff 17,496 Calgary leads 2–0 Recap
3 May 13 San Jose 3–0 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Calgary leads 2–1 Recap
4 May 16 San Jose 4–2 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 May 17 Calgary 3–0 San Jose Kiprusoff 17,496 Calgary leads 3–2 Recap
6 May 19 San Jose 1–3 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,289 Calgary wins 4–2 Recap
Stanley Cup Finals vs. Tampa Bay (1E) – Lightning win 4–3
Game Date Visitor Score Home OT Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 May 25 Calgary 4–1 Tampa Bay Kiprusoff 21,674 Calgary leads 1–0 Recap
2 May 27 Calgary 1–4 Tampa Bay Kiprusoff 22,222 Series tied 1–1 Recap
3 May 29 Tampa Bay 0–3 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,221 Calgary leads 2–1 Recap
4 May 31 Tampa Bay 1–0 Calgary Kiprusoff 19,221 Series tied 2–2 Recap
5 June 3 Calgary 3–2 Tampa Bay OT Kiprusoff 22,426 Calgary leads 3–2 Recap
6 June 5 Tampa Bay 3–2 Calgary 2OT Kiprusoff 19,221 Series tied 3–3 Recap
7 June 7 Calgary 1–2 Tampa Bay Kiprusoff 22,717 Tampa Bay wins 4–3 Recap
Legend:

  Win   Loss

Player statistics[edit]

Jarome Iginla's 41 goals placed him in a tie for the league lead, earning him his second Rocket Richard Trophy. Iginla shared the award with Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk and Columbus' Rick Nash, both of whom also scored 41 goals.[17] Iginla also led the league in playoff goals, as his total of 13 was one better than Tampa's Brad Richards and Ruslan Fedotenko.[18] Iginla led the team in scoring for the fourth consecutive season,

Miikka Kiprusoff, acquired from the San Jose Sharks early in the season, set a modern NHL record low goals against average of 1.69 in 39 games played. He recorded five shutouts in the playoffs, a franchise record. Kiprusoff's performance with the Flames led to his being named the starting goaltender for team Finland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he led the Finns to the championship final.[19]

Scoring[edit]

  • Position abbreviations: C = Centre; D = Defence; G = Goaltender; LW = Left wing; RW = Right wing
  • † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
  • Bold text denotes league leader.
Regular season Playoffs
No. Player Pos GP G A Pts +/- PIM GP G A Pts +/- PIM
12 Jarome Iginla RW 81 41 32 73 21 84 26 13 9 22 13 45
22 Craig Conroy C 63 8 39 47 13 44 26 6 11 17 12 12
16 Shean Donovan RW 82 18 24 42 14 72 24 5 5 10 0 23
23 Martin Gelinas LW 76 17 18 35 10 70 26 8 7 15 10 35
4 Jordan Leopold D 82 9 24 33 8 24 26 0 10 10 5 6
37 Dean McAmmond LW 64 17 13 30 9 18 — — — — — —
18[a] Matthew Lombardi C 79 16 13 29 4 32 13 1 5 6 1 4
19 Oleg Saprykin LW 69 12 17 29 1 41 26 3 3 6 1 14
27 Steve Reinprecht C 44 7 22 29 1 4 — — — — — —
17 Chris Clark RW 82 10 15 25 −3 106 26 3 3 6 0 30
32 Toni Lydman D 67 4 16 20 6 30 6 0 1 1 1 2
28 Robyn Regehr D 82 4 14 18 14 74 26 2 7 9 7 20
7 Chuck Kobasew RW 70 6 11 17 −12 51 26 0 1 1 0 24
11 Stephane Yelle C 53 4 13 17 1 24 23 3 3 6 −1 16
44 Rhett Warrener D 77 3 14 17 8 97 24 0 1 1 1 6
21 Andrew Ference D 72 4 12 16 5 53 26 0 3 3 5 25
3 Denis Gauthier D 80 1 15 16 4 113 6 0 1 1 2 4
24 Ville Nieminen† RW 19 3 5 8 6 18 24 4 4 8 0 55
33 Krzysztof Oliwa LW 65 3 2 5 −8 247 20 2 0 2 −1 6
15 Chris Simon† LW 13 3 2 5 1 25 16 5 2 7 0 74
26 Josh Green‡ LW 36 2 4 6 −3 24 — — — — — —
26 Marcus Nilson† LW 14 0 5 5 3 14 26 4 7 11 0 12
15 Blair Betts‡ C 20 1 2 3 −1 10 — — — — — —
5 Steve Montador D 26 1 2 3 −1 50 20 1 2 3 4 6
10 Dave Lowry LW 18 1 1 2 −6 11 10 0 0 0 −1 6
20 Lynn Loyns† LW 12 0 2 2 −2 2 — — — — — —
46 Jason Morgan‡ LW 13 0 2 2 1 2 — — — — — —
34 Miikka Kiprusoff† G 38 0 1 1 15 26 0 1 1 0
29 Jamie McLennan‡ G 26 0 1 1 4 — — — — — —
50 Dany Sabourin G 4 0 1 1 0 — — — — — —
1 Roman Turek G 18 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
2 Mike Commodore D 12 0 0 0 −4 25 20 0 2 2 1 19
25 Martin Sonnenberg LW 5 0 0 0 −2 2 — — — — — —
43 Brennan Evans D — — — — — — 2 0 0 0 0 0

Goaltending[edit]

  • † = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
  • ‡ = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
  • Bold text denotes league record. Italics denotes franchise record.
Regular season Playoffs
No. Player GP W L T SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI GP W L SA GA GAA SV% SO TOI
34 Miikka Kiprusoff† 38 24 10 4 966 65 1.69 .933 4 1655 26 15 11 710 51 1.85 .928 5 2301
29 Jamie McLennan‡ 26 12 9 3 587 53 2.20 .910 4 1446 — — — — — — — — —
1 Roman Turek 18 6 11 0 463 40 2.33 .914 3 1031 1 0 0 3 0 0.00 1.000 0 19
50 Dany Sabourin 4 0 3 0 66 10 3.55 .848 0 169 — — — — — — — — —

Awards and records[edit]

Awards[edit]

Type Award/honor Recipient Ref
League
(annual) 		King Clancy Memorial Trophy Jarome Iginla [20]
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy Jarome Iginla[b] [21]
NHL second All-Star team Jarome Iginla (Right wing) [22]
League
(in-season) 		NHL All-Star Game selection Jarome Iginla [23]
NHL Defensive Player of the Month Miikka Kiprusoff (December) [24]
NHL Defensive Player of the Week Miikka Kiprusoff (December 8) [25]
Miikka Kiprusoff (February 16) [26]
NHL Offensive Player of the Week Shean Donovan (December 8) [25]
Jarome Iginla (January 12) [27]
NHL YoungStars Game selection Matthew Lombardi [28]
Team Molson Cup Jarome Iginla [29]
Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award Martin Gelinas [30]

Milestones[edit]

Milestone Player Date Ref
1,000th game played Martin Gelinas December 9, 2003 [31]
25th shutout Roman Turek January 22, 2004 [32]
750th game coached Darryl Sutter February 5, 2004 [33]

Transactions[edit]

See also: 2003–04 NHL transactions

Prior to the season, the Flames sent restricted free agent Chris Drury to the Buffalo Sabres for defenceman Rhett Warrener and forward Steve Reinprecht, whom the Sabres had acquired from the Colorado Avalanche, then included in the Drury trade.[34] Warrener especially was seen as being a key player for the Flames as they attempted to qualify for the playoffs.[35]

The acquisition of Miikka Kiprusoff proved to be a significant turning point for the Flames' season. Darryl Sutter dealt for Kiprusoff after starting goaltender Roman Turek suffered a knee injury that left him unable to play for several months.[36] Kiprusoff stabilized the Flames' goaltending situation, producing a league record low goals against average.[37]

Trades[edit]

Date Details Ref
June 21, 2003 To Calgary Flames
3rd-round pick in 2003
5th-round pick in 2003
6th-round pick in 2003 		To San Jose Sharks
2nd-round pick in 2003 		[38]
July 3, 2003 To Calgary Flames
Steve Reinprecht
Rhett Warrener 		To Buffalo Sabres
Steve Begin
Chris Drury 		[39]
July 16, 2003 To Calgary Flames
4th-round pick in 2004
Future considerations 		To Carolina Hurricanes
Bob Boughner 		[40][41]
November 16, 2003 To Calgary Flames
Miikka Kiprusoff 		To San Jose Sharks
2nd round pick in 2005 		[42][41]
January 9, 2004 To Calgary Flames
Lynn Loyns 		To San Jose Sharks
Future considerations 		[43]
February 24, 2004 To Calgary Flames
Ville Nieminen 		To Chicago Blackhawks
Jason Morgan
Conditional draft pick in 2005 		[44]
March 6, 2004 To Calgary Flames
Chris Simon
7th-round pick in 2004 		To New York Rangers
Blair Betts
Jamie McLennan
Rights to Greg Moore 		[45]
March 8, 2004 To Calgary Flames
Marcus Nilson 		To Florida Panthers
2nd-round pick in 2004 		[46]

Players acquired[edit]

Date Player Former team Term Via Ref
July 15, 2003 (2003-07-15) Matt Davidson Columbus Blue Jackets 1-year Free agency [47][48]
July 17, 2003 (2003-07-17) Josh Green Washington Capitals Free agency [49]
July 30, 2003 (2003-07-30) Krzysztof Oliwa Boston Bruins 1-year Free agency [50][48]
July 31, 2003 (2003-07-31) Jesse Wallin Detroit Red Wings 1-year Free agency [51][48]
September 30, 2003 (2003-09-30) Brennan Evans Kootenay Ice (WHL) Free agency [52]
February 19, 2004 (2004-02-19) Jason Morgan Nashville Predators Waivers [53]

Players lost[edit]

Date Player New team Via[c] Ref
June 10, 2003 (2003-06-10) Ladislav Kohn Espoo Blues (Liiga) Free agency (UFA) [55]
June 17, 2003 (2003-06-17) Mike Martin Amur Khabarovsk (RSL) Free agency (VI) [56]
July 1, 2003 (2003-07-01) Dave Huntzicker[d] Contract expiration (UFA) [54]
Scott Nichol Chicago Blackhawks Free agency (UFA) [58]
July 4, 2003 (2003-07-04) Jean-Francois Damphousse Montreal Canadiens Free agency (UFA) [59]
July 25, 2003 (2003-07-25) Mike Mottau Anaheim Mighty Ducks Free agency (VI) [60]
August 22, 2003 (2003-08-22) Rick Mrozik Buffalo Sabres Free agency (VI) [61]
September 5, 2003 (2003-09-05) Darcy Verot Washington Capitals Free agency (VI) [62]
September 10, 2003 (2003-09-10) Levente Szuper Worcester IceCats (AHL) Free agency (UFA) [63]
October 15, 2003 (2003-10-15) Shaun Sutter Florence Pride (ECHL) Free agency (UFA) [64]
October 20, 2003 (2003-10-20) Ryan Christie Las Vegas Wranglers (ECHL) Free agency (UFA) [65]
October 21, 2003 (2003-10-21) Jan Vodrazka Houston Aeros (AHL) Free agency (UFA) [66]
November 18, 2003 (2003-11-18) Craig Berube Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) Free agency (III) [67]
Blake Sloan Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) Free agency (UFA) [68]
December 31, 2003 (2003-12-31) Jason Morgan Nashville Predators Waivers [69]
March 6, 2004 (2004-03-06) Josh Green New York Rangers Waivers [45]
March 28, 2004 (2004-03-28) Matt Davidson DEG Metro Stars (DEL) Free agency [70]

Signings[edit]

Date Player Term Contract type Ref
June 10, 2003 (2003-06-10) Blair Betts Re-signing [71]
Andrew Ference 2-year Re-signing [71][48]
June 25, 2003 (2003-06-25) Steve Montador 3-year Re-signing [72][48]
Dany Sabourin 1-year Re-signing [72][48]
Oleg Saprykin 3-year Re-signing [72][48]
July 15, 2003 (2003-07-15) Stephane Yelle 3-year Re-signing [47][48]
July 16, 2003 (2003-07-16) Steven Reinprecht 2-year Re-signing [40][48]
Rail Rozakov Entry-level [40]
August 11, 2003 (2003-08-11) Toni Lydman 3-year Re-signing [73][48]
September 9, 2003 (2003-09-09) Mike Commodore 1-year Re-signing [74][48]
September 11, 2003 (2003-09-11) Dave Lowry 1-year Re-signing [75][48]
September 12, 2003 (2003-09-12) Rhett Warrener 2-year Re-signing [76][48]

Draft picks[edit]

Main article: List of Calgary Flames draft picks
Dion Phaneuf was the Flames' first round selection, ninth overall.

The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21–22, 2003. The Flames selected nine players in the draft.[77] Calgary selected offensive minded defenceman Dion Phaneuf with their first pick, ninth overall. Phaneuf's coach with the Red Deer Rebels described him as being a physical player on draft day. "This kid doesn't hit to hit. He hits to hurt. It's a mind-set that's rare in the game. At any level. You can't teach it, you can't fake it. You're either born with it, or you're not."[78] Phaneuf quickly made an impact in the NHL, scoring 20 goals as a rookie in 2005–06, earning a nomination for the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie.[79] Phaneuf was nominated for the Norris Trophy as top defenceman in 2007–08, just his third year in the NHL.[80]

Rnd Pick Player Nationality Position Team (league) NHL statistics
GP G A Pts PIM
1 9 Dion Phaneuf  Canada D Red Deer Rebels (WHL) 1048 137 357 494 1345
2 39 Tim Ramholt  Switzerland D Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL) 1 0 0 0 0
3 97 Ryan Donally  Canada LW Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
4 112 Jamie Tardif  Canada RW Peterborough Petes (OHL) 2 0 0 0 0
5 143 Greg Moore  United States RW University of Maine (Hockey East) 10 0 0 0 0
6 173 Tyler Johnson  Canada C Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
7 206 Thomas Bellemare  Canada D Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
8 240 Cam Cunning  Canada LW Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
9 270 Kevin Harvey  Canada LW Georgetown Raiders (OPJHL)

Farm teams[edit]

Lowell Lockmonsters[edit]

After shutting down the Saint John Flames, the Flames entered into an agreement to share an affiliation with the Lowell Lockmonsters with the Carolina Hurricanes. The Lockmonsters posted a 32–36–6–6 record, out of the playoffs with a 6th-place finish in the Atlantic Division.

Las Vegas Wranglers[edit]

The Las Vegas Wranglers entered the ECHL as an expansion team, immediately entering an affiliation agreement with the Flames. The team was immediately competitive, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 43–22–7 record. This did not translate into the playoffs however, as the Wranglers lost in the divisional semifinals.

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Lombardi wore number 49 throughout October.
  2. ^ Shared with Ilya Kovalchuk of the Atlanta Thrashers and Rick Nash of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
  3. ^ In parentheses is the player's free agency group on July 1 if applicable.[54]
  4. ^ Huntzicker retired.[57]

References[edit]

  • Player stats: 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide – 2003–04 stats, pg. 108.
  • "Calgary Flames 2003–04 roster and statistics". The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  • "2003–04 Calgary Flames Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
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