One year can change a lot

By Derrick Newman

A year ago Darryl Sutter was canned as the General Manager of the Calgary Flames. The Flames subsequently went on an unbelievable ascent up the Western Conference standings to come only three points shy of a playoff berth.

Fast forward to today. Darryl is now the head coach of the LA Kings and the Flames are a different looking team.

They are substantially younger with the likes of Roman Horak, Blake Comeau, Mikael Backlund, Paul Byron, TJ Brodie, Leland Irving, and Greg Nemisz all getting time with the big club.  This has led to a small dose of optimism in this city...ok, well less pessimism.

#18 and #19 - St Pete Times Forum and BankAtlantic Center

My mission is to see the Flames play in all 30 NHL arenas, a mission that began in October of 2005 while at a local pub watching the Flames take on the Oilers. With the previous season’s work stoppage, and the season before’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals, Flames tickets had become a very hard item to come by. I was then struck with the idea of combining two of my favourite activities; watching hockey and travelling. You can follow my quest to visit all 30 arenas right here…

December 15, 2011 - Tampa Bay, FL

My first game in the Sunshine State got off to a rough start when there were problems with our flights.  To make a long story short, we flew to Tampa from Calgary, via Vancouver and Ottawa, before touching down at 8:40PM the night of the game.  Yes, puck drop was at 7:30, so this was a bit of a problem.

After running through the terminal Amazing Race-style to the taxi stand, we were lucky enough to get Ray as our cabbie.  After telling him we were in a bit of a hurry, Ray put petal to metal, and made the 12 mile journey from the airport to our hotel in under ten minutes.  It was an impressive bit of driving, and allowed us to make it to the arena in Tampa for the start of the third period.

Words cannot describe how foul
this jersey really is.
- Flames/Lightning
15 Dec 2011

This marks the latest I've ever arrived for a game, and yes it's quite shameful, but it was better than not making the trip at all.  But, it also means I can't really comment too much on the game or the arena.  Situated right on the water in downtown Tampa, the arena itself is quite impressive.  It's big, it's nice, and for the most part, full of hockey fans.  I was quite surprised by the crowd, as I was expecting more of a Phoenix-style audience; an arena filled with people who are at the game because it's something to do, not because they love hockey.  Instead, Tampa fans seemed to be quite knowledgeable, they wore Lightning jerseys and made for a good crowd.  There is an exception however...as we saw the biggest jersey foul to date, a Lightning jersey with 'Gretzky' on the back.  Foul!

Our seats were behind the net in the Flames attack end, and we were able to see two goals in the third, as the Flames fought back to tie it up, before surrendering a goal 30 seconds into overtime.  After the game, basking in the warmth of the Florida night, we headed to a nearby pub fittingly named 'Hattrick's', which served ice-cold buckets of beer and heaping plates of nachos.

It was then back to the hotel for a quick sleep before driving to Ft Lauderdale...



St Pete Times Forum Fast Facts

Seats: Section 124; $38, Stubhub
Score: Flames 4, Lightning 5 (OT)
Arena Rating: 7.0
Unique Concession: Giant, Flintstone-style turkey drumstick
Souvenir Stick: Lightning, wooden
Public Transit: unknown
Unique Arena Trait: Lightning machines to mark goals
Swag: None


December 16, 2011 - Sunrise, FL

After a longer than expected drive down Alligator Alley through the Florida Everglades, we arrived at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, FL, plenty of time before puck drop.  The arena itself isn't too bad, but the location is absolutely horrible.  Right on the edge of the Everglades, the BankAtlantic Center sits amongst a sea of strip malls. far away from...everything.  Our hotel was a $50 cab ride away, and public transit simply doesn't exist.  The arena is surrounded by parking lots and there isn't a single bar or restaurant in sight.  It really doesn't create a very fun atmosphere, and makes it difficult to make an evening of going to the game.  It makes me thankful the Dome is where it is, and hopeful a new arena in Calgary is never built near Balzac.

Because of the inconvenience, I wonder what the arena's location does to Panthers crowds.  People think of it as being Miami's team, but the arena is 50 or 60 miles from Miami.  It's even 20 miles from Ft. Lauderdale.  I wonder how much a downtown location, like Tampa's, would do to make Panthers crowds a little stronger.  I suppose they could also play better hockey, as they've missed the playoffs ten years in a row.

Our seats, at the bargain basement price of $20, were in row 9 of the lower bowl, in the Flames attack end, to Theodore's left.  Despite being a relatively new arena, the seats, at least in the lower bowl, are packed so tight I was unable to sit without spreading my legs, lest my knees bang against the seat in front of me.  Perhaps people in Florida are shorter, but I doubt it.  They were just uncomfortable seats.

The concourses at the BankAtlantic Center are pretty standard, carpeted in places, with the same concession options repeated every few sections.  Very disappointing to say the least.  However, the nice thing is, as is the case with many 'non-traditional' markets, there aren't any line ups!  The adage that the Saddledome spills more beer than arena X, has never been more true.  There also aren't any line ups at the bathroom.  The men's room near our section, with only eight urinals, would have a forty minute line up in the Dome; here it was 'free-flow'.  Adding to the lack of lines, was a shelf to place your beer above each urinal.  Brilliant.  This should be standard at every sporting venue.

One of the great things about attending games in a warm climate like Florida, is wearing shorts and flip flops to the game.  However, this makes it a bit chilly during the game.  Fortunately, there are patios everywhere, so you can go outside and warm up during the intermission.  Such an odd concept for a hockey game.

Following the Flames loss in a shootout, we headed to the Dania Beach Fronton, home to Jai Alai, a game that combines gambling, beer and a ball that travels 200MPH.  Unique to Florida, Jai Alai could be one of the most fun things I've ever attended, and we were only there for an hour.  I could see myself traveling to Florida, just to watch more Jai Alai; it was that awesome.

BankAtlantic Center Fast Facts

Seats: Section 115; stubhub $20 
Score: Flames 2, Panthers 3 (SO)
Arena Rating: 6.2
Unique Concession: Cuban sandwiches
Souvenir Stick: Panthers, wooden
Public Transit: None
Unique Arena Trait: Beer shelves above urinals
Swag: Red Panthers towels

The trip was a quick one and saw the Flames only manage two points, but I can now say I've been to Florida, visited two new arenas, and had a lot of fun. Now to figure out where the next road trip will take me!

-TheRev

Jersey Fouls!
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Preview of Road Trip XVI

After over a year, my mission of seeing the Flames play in every NHL arena continues this week, with a short sojurn to the Sunshine State, Florida.  The timing couldn't be better, as it's always nice to visit somewhere warm in the middle of a Calgary December.  The current forecast calls for temperatures int he mid-20's, meaning I'll be wearing my flippy-floppies to the hockey arena.  Tomorrow night, it will be a rematch of the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, with a Flames-Lightning tilt at the St. Pete Times Forum, followed by a game against the Panthers on Friday night, in Sunrise.

I've actually never visited Florida, despite having been to 44 other states, so I'm pretty excited to be scratching another off the list, but of course it's the two hockey games that are the most important and visiting my 18th and 19th NHL arenas.

This will mark the first time Newman is joining us on the road!  While he made the trip to Edmonton a few years ago, he's never been along for a Flames game South of the border.  I forecast sun, beer, and hockey.  Plus a little Jai Alai.

You can follow Road Trip XVI thw following ways:

1. On TSR @ the Flames Road Trips page

2. Updates on

3. Progress on The Map

4. Photos on Flickr

-TheRev


Keep an eye out for some Florida Jersey Fouls!
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What's Happening in the Press Box?

by Bryan Wright

There is a new trend in hockey broadcasts that really, really bothers me.  One that makes my blood boil.  It bothers me for several reasons, but mostly because I can’t figure out the reason it is done.  I’m talking about when a broadcast shows the GM after a goal.  This seems to be a pointless camera shot meant to…well to…well that’s the problem, I don’t understand why this is done.

Don't pay for the whole seat,
you'll only need the edge!!

If my memory serves me correctly, this trend really took off when Brian Burke became the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The team was terrible and Burke had a reputation for being a curmudgeon; a combination that meant the Leafs would surrender a lot of goals causing Burke to blow his top.  Of course the only thing that we ever saw was Burke sitting in his press box, hands folded in front of his face, grimacing.  Great stuff!  It quickly expanded to include times when the Leafs scored, as if we might get to see Burke jumping out of his seat, high-fiving the people around him and maybe even shaking his hand at the camera, yelling ‘we’re number one!!’

Flames Escape Hurricane of a Finish

By Derrick Newman

Well that was different...

Scoring seven or more goals for the first time since Valentines Day last year when they beat the Avalanche 9-1, the Calgary Flames squeaked by the just as desperate Carolina Hurricanes 7-6 on Tuesday night in Calgary.

The offence came alive scoring two in the first, two in the second, and adding on three in third, including Jarome Iginla’s empty net goal which proved to be the eventual winner.

The line of Iginla, Jokinen, and Brendan Morrison combined for 10 points on the night and were the driving force behind a much needed win – regardless of how ugly it got in the dying seconds.

The Flames also threw the 10,000 pound gorilla off their back when Mikael Backlund scored on the power play halfway through the third to break a string of 27 straight chances at home on the man advantage without a single goal – a streak that dates back to October 26^th.

A trophy by any other name would smell as sweet

by Bryan Wright

Just imagine how glorious a July it would be, if the Calgary Flames invited four other NHL teams, of their choosing, to play in a round-robin tournament following the Stanley Cup Finals.  The five teams would each play each other a couple of times, before moving into some kind of playoff format, eventually crowning a champion for the 'mini-season.'  They could get a couple of sponsors on board, say Imperial Oil, donate a lot of money to charity, and make it an annual affair.  It could become known as the Esso Flames Challenge.  How exciting would that be?

What would be even more exciting, is if the Flames were able to win their own 'challenge.'  The press in Calgary, and the Flames' legions of fans could celebrate as if their team had just won the Stanley Cup, because let's face it, that would be as exciting.  The City could host the Esso Flames Challenge Champions parade and everybody could really let loose for a few days, to revel in their glory.

The Beginning of the End

By Nick Symon

Sometimes reality isn’t what people want to hear, it can be good at times but harsh at times. Never has it been more apparent that the Flames should re-build after their mediocre 10-12-2 start, including two losses to the last place Columbus Blue Jackets. It’s the same story over and over again: consistency, competing, playing the system etc. etc. etc. 

Quite frankly as a Flames fan I am sick and tired of watching, listening and talking about it constantly.

I really thought the Flames were in a stage a couple seasons ago much the same the Philadelphia Flyers were in, in 2006-07. That year the Flyers were horrible, much worse than the Flames have been in recent seasons.  Then, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren swung three deals (essentially two) which helped turn the franchise back into a contender as fast as you can say ‘top cheese’. 

A New Low: Flames Lose to Jackets

By Derrick Newman

Really?

It isn’t hard enough being a Calgary Flames fan right now and they go and pull a stunt like this...

Up 3-1 with less than five minutes left against the WORST team in the NHL and the Flames somehow find a way to lose.

Is this 1999 all over again? Where are the young guns? Is Todd Simpson the captain? Where’s Sasha Lakovic when you need him?

This has gone from embarrassing to downright laughable.

The Flames, who claim to be a veteran laden professional hockey team, continue to exhibit traits of an inexperienced pre-pubescent novice division-five team that can’t form a functional power play and can’t shut a team down if their life depended on it.

They haven’t scored a power play goal since last week in Detroit and haven’t scored a power play goal on home ice since, get this, October 26^th , when they managed to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2.  

Talk about long time no eat.

Book Review: 'A Course Called Ireland' by Tom Coyne

by Bryan Wright

Now that Calgary is firmly into the winter season, I thought it time to talk about my summer passion, golf.  Well, not necessarily about golf, but rather a book about golf.  Several months ago I read a book entitled A Course Called Ireland by Tom Coyne.  With the sub-title ‘A Long Walk in Search of a Country, a Pint, and the Next Tee,’ it chronicles the author’s four month journey golfing and drinking in Ireland.  Of course there are no shortage of books on the subject, so Coyne threw in a tiny caveat; he walked from course to course, circling Ireland, over 1,000 miles, on foot.

Obviously this book is aimed at the golfer in the crowd, but it’s as much about Ireland as it is about golf and could be classified as a travelogue as much as a golf book.  Instead of a shot by shot account of his over 55 rounds, he instead focuses more on the people he meets, the towns he visits, and the rigors of walking such a distance.