Saint John Flames

The Saint John Flames were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Calgary Flames bought and relocated the Utica Devils, to be their AHL affiliate.

Saint John Flames
CitySaint John, New Brunswick
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
Founded1977
Operated1993–2003
Home arenaHarbour Station
ColoursRed, White, Gold & Black
AffiliatesCalgary Flames
Franchise history
1977–1987Maine Mariners
1987–1993Utica Devils
1993–2003Saint John Flames
2005–2007Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights
2007–2009Quad City Flames
2009–2014Abbotsford Heat
2014–2015Adirondack Flames
2015–presentStockton Heat
Championships
Division Championships2: 1997–98, 2000–01
Conference Championships2: 1997–98, 2000–01
Calder Cups1: 2000–01

The Saint John Flames won the 2001 Calder Cup Championship on home ice at Harbour Station on May 28, 2001 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the farm team of the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flames won the series four games to two with a final score of 1–0. The Flames also played in the Calder Cup Finals in 1998, losing to the Philadelphia Phantoms. With their 2001 victory, the Saint John Flames became the second AHL team based in New Brunswick to win the Calder Cup, the first being the New Brunswick Hawks of Moncton in 1982 against the Binghamton Whalers. This came after other AHL teams based in New Brunswick tried to compete for the cup and lost.

The franchise suspended operations after the 2002–03 season and became dormant for two seasons. In 2005, the franchise was reactivated and then relocated several times playing as the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights from 20052007, the Quad City Flames from 20072009, the Abbotsford Heat from 20092014, the Adirondack Flames for the 2014–15 season, and then the Stockton Heat starting in the 2015–16 season as part of a new Pacific Division.

When the franchise went dormant, the St. John's Maple Leafs were left as the last remaining Atlantic Canadian AHL club for one season as the Toronto Maple Leafs moved their affiliate to Toronto in 2005. The AHL would not return to Atlantic Canada until 2011 with the St. John's IceCaps. The Saint John market is currently served by the QMJHL's Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Saint John Flames originally used a logo of a stylized red and yellow flame that closely resembled that of the Calgary Flames, with a hockey stick and the word "FLAMES" in red letters at the bottom. In 2000, the team's logo was changed to that of a fire-breathing dragon, with the colours being red and orange. This was a rare instance of an AHL team not having the same basic logo (albeit with some modifications) as its NHL affiliate in terms of having the same name. Even the Fredericton Express, in a city not far from Saint John and in the same province, used a logo closely resembling that of one of its two NHL affiliates, the Quebec Nordiques (the other affiliate of the Express was the Vancouver Canucks).

Season-by-season results

Statistics source:[1]

Regular season

SeasonGames PlayedWinsLossesTiesOvertime LossesPointsGoals
For
Goals
Against
Standing
1993–9480373310843043052nd, Atlantic
1994–9580274013672502864th, Atlantic
1995-96803530114852722642nd, Atlantic
1996–97802836133722372992nd, Canadian
1997–98804324130992312011st, Atlantic
1998–9980314081712382964th, Atlantic
1999–00803232115802672832nd, Atlantic
2000–01804424751002692101st, Canadian
2001–02802934134751822025th, Canadian
2002–0380324161712032234th, Canadian

Playoffs

Season1st round2nd round3rd roundFinals
1993–94L, 3–4, Moncton
1994–95L, 1–4, P.E.I.
1995–96W, 3–1, St. John'sW, 4–1, FrederictonL, 3–4, Portland
1996–97L, 2–3, Hamilton
1997–98W, 3–1, St. John'sW, 4–2, PortlandW, 4–1, HartfordL, 2–4, Philadelphia
1998–99W, 3–0, LowellL, 0–4, Fredericton
1999–00L, 0–3, Lowell
2000–01W, 3–0, PortlandW, 4–1, QuebecW, 4–1, ProvidenceW, 4–2, W.B.S.
2001–02Out of Playoffs
2002–03Out of Playoffs

Career Leaders

Goals: 89 (Ladislav Kohn, 1994–03)

Assists: 152 (Marty Murray, 1995–01)

Points: 230 (Marty Murray, 1995–01)

PIM: 851 (Derick McKinnon, 1994–98)

Chris Dingman

Affiliates

See also

References

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