The 2003–04

Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...

season was the 24th

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

, 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 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2003–04 season, and the culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western C ...

. The Flames were defeated in the finals by the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...

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 Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

-like" atmosphere as up to 80,000 people celebrated in the streets after each playoff game. Cofred2

Head coach Darryl Sutter succeeded

Craig Button Craig J. Button (born January 3, 1963) is currently a ice hockey analyst for TSN and a former National Hockey League (NHL) executive. Early life and hockey family Born in Rochester, New York, Button entered the world of hockey at birth. His fa ...

as the Flames' general manager. 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 Rhett Adam Warrener (born January 27, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played over 700 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florida Panthers, Buffalo Sabres and Calgary Flames between 1995 an ...

and

Steve Reinprecht Steven Edward Reinprecht (born May 7, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward. Undrafted into the NHL, he was signed as a free agent following his NCAA career with the Wisconsin Badgers by the Los Angeles Kings. During his roo ...

before the season began. A knee injury to starting goaltender

Roman Turek Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

led Sutter to trade for

Miikka Kiprusoff Miikka Sakari Kiprusoff (; born October 26, 1976), nicknamed "Kipper", is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played for the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames during his National Hockey League (NHL) career. He was selected in ...

, a player he knew from his days with the

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...

. Kiprusoff responded to the deal by posting an NHL record low

goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending on s ...

of 1.69. The Flames were led offensively by

Jarome Iginla Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (; born July 1, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. He played over 1500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Br ...

, who tied

Ilya Kovalchuk Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (russian: Илья Валерьевич Ковальчук; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montrea ...

and

Rick Nash Richard McLaren Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected first overal ...

for the league lead with 41 goals as the trio shared the

Rocket Richard Trophy A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

. Iginla represented the Flames at the

54th National Hockey League All-Star Game The 2004 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on February 8, 2004, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, home of the Minnesota Wild. The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference 6–4. This was the final All-Star Game until ...

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

After struggling with an injury to starting goaltender

in the first game of the season, an early November trade for

third stringer

sparked the Flames, as Kiprusoff led Calgary into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Calgary Flames Green HardHat

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.

Craig Conroy Craig Michael Conroy (born September 4, 1971) is an American former professional ice hockey player and the current assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). A sixth-round selection of the Montreal Canadi ...

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

Season standings

Playoffs

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

President's Trophy The Presidents' Trophy (french: Trophée des présidents) is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e. best record) during the NHL regular season. If two teams are tied for the mo ...

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. 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 Final. 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 Final for the first time since winning it in ; this was the first Finals appearance by a Canadian team since the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

lost to the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...

. 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 Final (which was only repeated in 2012 by the Los Angeles Kings). Cofred

The Final versus Tampa Bay became known for controversy. First, referee

Kerry Fraser Kerry Fraser (born May 30, 1952) is a hockey analyst, broadcaster and former senior referee in the National Hockey League. During his career, he called 1,904 regular season games, 12 Stanley Cup Finals, and over 261 Stanley Cup playoff games. ...

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. The officiating in game four prompted a rant by Sutter, in which he alleged that the NHL did not want Calgary to win. Late in game six, with the score tied, a shot that deflected off of Gelinas' skate was stopped by Tampa Bay goaltender

Nikolai Khabibulin Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...

on the goal line. Later replays indicated that the puck may have crossed the line, 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. Instead, the Lightning would win in double overtime, and go on to win game seven by a 2–1 score.No cup, but Flames' season still a success
cbc.ca, June 8, 2004. Retrieved November 29, 2006. Despite the game seven loss, the playoff run lifted the city to a new high. Over 30,000 fans celebrated the Flames run at a rally at

Olympic Plaza ''Olympic Plaza'' may refer to one of the following: *Olympic Plaza (Calgary) – A downtown city park and gathering place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada *Pyeongchang Olympic Plaza – Public square situated on the site of the former Olympic Stadium i ...

shortly after the Final had ended.

Schedule and results

Regular season

, - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 1 , , October 9 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

, , , ,

Turek Turek is a town in central Poland with 31,282 inhabitants . It is the capital of Turek County in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. History Turek is first mentioned in the historical record 1136, when it was listed as belonging to the archbishop ...

, , 18,630 , , 0–1–0–0 , , 0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 2 , , October 11 , , San Jose , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 17,039 , , 1–1–0–0 , , 2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 3 , , October 14 , ,

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

, , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 16,009 , , 2–1–0–0, , 4 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , October 18 , , Buffalo , , 2–0 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 14,139 , , 2–2–0–0 , , 4 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , October 21 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, , , , McLennan , , 18,064 , , 3–2–0–0 , , 6 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 6 , , October 24 , , St. Louis , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,454 , , 3–3–0–0 , , 6 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 7 , , October 25 , , Calgary , , 4–2 , , Edmonton , , , , McLennan , , 16,839 , , 4–3–0–0 , , 8 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 8 , , October 28 , , Calgary , , 2–4 , ,

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

, , , , McLennan , , 18,007 , , 4–4–0–0 , , 8 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;" , 9 , , October 29 , , Calgary , , 3–4 , ,

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, , OT , , Sabourin , , 18,209 , , 4–4–0–1 , , 9 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 10 , , November 1 , ,

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, , 0–3 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 14,539 , , 5–4–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 11 , , November 4 , ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,259 , , 5–5–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 12 , , November 7 , , Minnesota , , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 13,839 , , 5–6–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 13 , , November 9 , , Calgary , , 3–4 , , Columbus , , , , Sabourin , , 17,957 , , 5–7–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 14 , , November 12 , , Calgary , , 6–2 , ,

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , , , McLennan , , 11,988 , , 6–7–0–1 , , 13 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 15 , , November 13 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, , , , Sabourin , , 9,630 , , 6–8–0–1 , , 13 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;" , 16 , , November 15 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Edmonton , , OT , , McLennan , , 16,839 , , 6–8–0–2 , , 14 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 17 , , November 18 , ,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, , 2–3 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 17,509 , , 7–8–0–2 , , 16 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 18 , , November 20 , ,

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,139 , , 8–8–0–2 , , 18 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 19 , , November 22 , , Chicago , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,549 , , 9–8–0–2 , , 20 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;" , 20 , , November 27 , , Colorado , , 6–5 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , ?? , , 9–8–0–3 , , 21 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 21 , , November 29 , , Vancouver , , 4–4 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 18,159 , , 9–8–1–3 , , 22 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 22 , , December 2 , , San Jose , , 1–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 13,059 , , 10–8–1–3 , , 24 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 23 , , December 4 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , 11–8–1–3 , , 26 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 24 , , December 5 , , Minnesota , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 14,669 , , 12–8–1–3 , , 28 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 25 , , December 7 , ,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, , 1–6 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,009 , , 13–8–1–3 , , 30 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 26 , , December 9 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Minnesota , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,568 , , 13–9–1–3 , , 30 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 27 , , December 11 , ,

Carolina Carolina may refer to: Geography * The Carolinas, the U.S. states of North and South Carolina ** North Carolina, a U.S. state ** South Carolina, a U.S. state * Province of Carolina, a British province until 1712 * Carolina, Alabama, a town in ...

, , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 14,119 , , 14–9–1–3 , , 32 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 28 , , December 13 , , Colorado , , 1–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 16,809 , , 14–9–2–3 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 29 , , December 16 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,931 , , 15–9–2–3 , , 35 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 30 , , December 18 , , Calgary , , 5–0 , ,

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, , , , McLennan , , 10,659 , , 16–9–2–3 , , 37 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 31 , , December 19 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Columbus , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,561 , , 17–9–2–3 , , 39 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 32 , , December 23 , , Edmonton , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,389 , , 18–9–2–3 , , 41 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 33 , , December 26 , , Vancouver , , 2–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 18–10–2–3 , , 41 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 34 , , December 28 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Edmonton , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,839 , , 19–10–2–3 , , 43 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 35 , , December 29 , , Minnesota , , 2–2 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 16,279 , , 19–10–3–3 , , 44 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 36 , , December 31 , , Colorado , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 18,469 , , 19–11–3–3 , , 44 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 37 , , January 3 , , Vancouver , , 3–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 18,269 , , 19–12–3–3 , , 44 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 38 , , January 5 , , Calgary , , 5–0 , ,

NY Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Borough (New York City), New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

, , , , McLennan , , 18,200 , , 20–12–3–3 , , 46 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 39 , , January 6 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , NY Islanders , , , , McLennan , , 12,576 , , 21–12–3–3 , , 48 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 40 , , January 8 , , Calgary , , 1–3 , , Chicago , , , , McLennan , , 10,865 , , 21–13–3–3 , , 48 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 41 , , January 10 , ,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 16,809 , , 22–13–3–3 , , 50 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 42 , , January 13 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Toronto , , , , McLennan , , 19,310 , , 22–14–3–2 , , 50 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 43 , , January 14 , , Calgary , , 3–3 , ,

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

, , OT , , McLennan , , 14,537 , , 22–14–4–3 , , 51 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 44 , , January 17 , , Dallas , , 3–2 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,909 , , 22–15–4–3 , , 51 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 45 , , January 19 , , Calgary , , 5–1 , ,

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most p ...

, , , , Turek , , 13,146 , , 23–15–4–3 , , 53 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 46 , , January 20 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, , , , Turek , , 18,118 , , 23–16–4–3 , , 53 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 47 , , January 22 , , Nashville , , 0–4 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 16,629 , , 24–16–4–3 , , 55 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 48 , , January 24 , , Tampa Bay , , 6–2 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,109 , , 24–17–4–3 , , 55 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 49 , , January 27 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Phoenix , , , , Turek , , ?? , , 25–17–4–3 , , 57 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 50 , , January 28 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , San Jose , , , , Turek , , 15,119 , , 25–18–4–3 , , 57 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 51 , , January 30 , , Chicago , , 5–3 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,139 , , 25–19–4–3 , , 57 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 52 , , February 1 , , Anaheim , , 4–6 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,189 , , 26–19–4–3 , , 59 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 53 , , February 3 , , Los Angeles , , 4–4 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 14,169 , , 26–19–5–3 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 54 , , February 5 , , St. Louis , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 15,389 , , 26–20–5–3 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 55 , , February 10 , ,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, , 2–5 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,549 , , 27–20–5–3 , , 62 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 56 , , February 11 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Vancouver , , , , Turek , , 18,630 , , 28–20–5–3 , , 64 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 57 , , February 13 , , Anaheim , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,749 , , 29–20–5–3 , , 66 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 58 , , February 15 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Minnesota , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,568 , , 30–20–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 59 , , February 19 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Montreal , , , , Kiprusoff , , 21,273 , , 30–21–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 60 , , February 21 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , ,

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, , , , Turek , , 18,500 , , 30–22–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 61 , , February 22 , , Calgary , , 1–3 , ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,733 , , 30–23–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 62 , , February 24 , , Calgary , , 2–0 , , Colorado , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,007 , , 31–23–5–3 , , 70 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 63 , , February 26 , , Detroit , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,862 , , 31–24–5–3 , , 70 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 64 , , February 29 , , Phoenix , , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,579 , , 32–24–5–3 , , 72 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 65 , , March 2 , , Calgary , , 4–2 , , St. Louis , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,571 , , 33–24–5–3 , , 74 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 66 , , March 3 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Detroit , , , , Turek , , 20,066 , , 33–25–5–3 , , 74 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 67 , , March 5 , , Calgary , , 1–5 , , Dallas , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,532 , , 33–26–5–3 , , 74 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 68 , , March 7 , , Calgary , , 7–1 , , Colorado , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,007 , , 34–26–5–3 , , 76 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 69 , , March 9 , , Edmonton , , 1–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,479 , , 34–26–6–3 , , 77 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 70 , , March 11 , , Ottawa , , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,869 , , 35–26–6–3 , , 79 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 71 , , March 13 , , Calgary , , 4–4 , , Nashville , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 17,113 , , 35–26–7–3 , , 80 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 72 , , March 14 , , Calgary , , 3–0 , , St. Louis , , , , Turek , , 19,523 , , 36–26–7–3 , , 82 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 73 , , March 16 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , 37–26–7–3 , , 84 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 74 , , March 18 , , Columbus , , 0–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,479 , , 38–26–7–3 , , 86 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 75 , , March 20 , , Nashville , , 3–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,439 , , 38–27–7–3 , , 86 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 76 , , March 22 , , Dallas , , 4–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,729 , , 38–28–7–3 , , 86 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 77 , , March 24 , , Calgary , , 4–0 , , Phoenix , , , , Turek , , 18,496 , , 39–28–7–3 , , 88 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 78 , , March 25 , , Calgary , , 2–3 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,588 , , 39–29–7–3 , , 88 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 79 , , March 27 , , Los Angeles , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 40–29–7–3 , , 90 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 80 , , March 31 , , Phoenix , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 41–29–7–3 , , 92 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 81 , , April 2 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Los Angeles , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,247 , , 42–29–7–3 , , 94 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 82 , , April 4 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Anaheim , , , , Turek , , 17,174 , , 42–30–7–3 , , 94 , , , - , - , ''Legend'':

Playoffs

, - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 1 , , April 7 , , Calgary , , 3–5 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Vancouver leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 2 , , April 9 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Series tied 1–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 3 , , April 11 , , Vancouver , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Vancouver leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 4 , , April 13 , , Vancouver , , 0–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , April 15 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 6 , , April 17 , , Vancouver , , 5–4 , , Calgary , , 3OT , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 3–3 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 7 , , April 19 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Vancouver , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Calgary wins 4–3 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 1 , , April 22 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Detroit , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , Calgary leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 2 , , April 24 , , Calgary , , 2–5 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , Series tied 1–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 3 , , April 27 , , Detroit , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , April 29 , , Detroit , , 4–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , May 1 , , Calgary , , 1–0 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066, , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 6 , , May 3 , , Detroit , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary wins 4–2 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 1 , , May 9 , , Calgary , , 4–3 , , San Jose , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 17,496 , , Calgary leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 2 , , May 11 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,496 , , Calgary leads 2–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 3 , , May 13 , , San Jose , , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , May 16 , , San Jose , , 4–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , May 17 , , Calgary , , 3–0 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,496 , , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 6 , , May 19 , , San Jose , , 1–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary wins 4–2 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 1 , , May 25 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Tampa Bay , , , , Kiprusoff , , 21,674 , , Calgary leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 2 , , May 27 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Tampa Bay , , , , Kiprusoff , , 22,222 , , Series tied 1–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 3 , , May 29 , , Tampa Bay , , 0–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,221 , , Calgary leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , May 31 , , Tampa Bay , , 1–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,221 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , June 3 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Tampa Bay , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 22,426 , , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 6 , , June 5 , , Tampa Bay , , 3–2 , , Calgary , , 2OT , , Kiprusoff , , 19,221 , , Series tied 3–3 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 7 , , June 7 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Tampa Bay , , , , Kiprusoff , , 22,717 , , Tampa Bay wins 4–3 , , , - , - , ''Legend'':

Player statistics

's 41 goals placed him in a tie for the league lead, earning him his second

. Iginla shared the award with Atlanta's

and Columbus'

, both of whom also scored 41 goals. Iginla also led the league in playoff goals, as his total of 13 was one better than Tampa's

Brad Richards Bradley Glen Richards (born May 2, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. Richards was drafted in the third round, 64th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and played for the Lightning, New York Ra ...

and

Ruslan Fedotenko Ruslan Viktorovych Fedotenko ( uk, Руслан Вікторович Федотенко; born 18 January 1979) is a Ukrainian former professional ice hockey winger. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, in his National Hockey League (NHL) career he ...

. Iginla led the team in scoring for the fourth consecutive season,

, acquired from the

early in the season, set a modern NHL record low

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 The 2004 World Cup of Hockey was an international ice hockey tournament. It was the second installment of the National Hockey League (NHL)-sanctioned competition, eight years after the inaugural 1996 World Cup of Hockey. It was held from August 3 ...

, where he led the Finns to the championship final.

Scoring

* ''Position abbreviations: C =

Centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

; D =

Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

; G =

Goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

; LW =

Left Wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

; 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.

Goaltending

* '' = 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.

Awards and records

Awards

Milestones

Transactions

Prior to the season, the Flames sent restricted free agent Chris Drury to the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...

for defenceman

and forward

, whom the Sabres had acquired from the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...

, then included in the Drury trade. Warrener especially was seen as being a key player for the Flames as they attempted to qualify for the playoffs. The acquisition of

proved to be a significant turning point for the Flames' season. Darryl Sutter dealt for Kiprusoff after starting goaltender

suffered a knee injury that left him unable to play for several months. Kiprusoff stabilized the Flames' goaltending situation, producing a league record low

Trades

Players acquired

Players lost

Signings

Draft picks

The

2003 NHL Entry Draft The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was the 41st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21 and 22, 2003. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This was ...

was held in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

on June 21–22, 2003. The Flames selected nine players in the draft. 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." 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 The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...

as top rookie. Phaneuf was nominated for the

Norris Trophy The James Norris Memorial Trophy, or simply the Norris Trophy, is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's top " defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position". It is named after Jam ...

as top defenceman in 2007–08, just his third year in the NHL. :Statistics are updated to the end of the

2014–15 NHL season The 2014–15 NHL season was the 98th season of operation (97th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Los Angeles Kings became the first team to miss the playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup the previous season since the C ...

. ^† denotes player was on an NHL roster in 2014–15.

Farm teams

Lowell Lockmonsters

After shutting down the

Saint John Flames The Saint John Flames were a Canadian 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. History The Saint J ...

, the Flames entered into an agreement to share an affiliation with the Lowell Lockmonsters with the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

. 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

The Las Vegas Wranglers entered the

ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...

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.

Notes

References

* Player stats: 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide – 2003–04 stats, pg. 108. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 Calgary Flames Season Calgary Flames seasons Calgary Flames Season, 2003-04 Western Conference (NHL) championship seasons

Cal Cal or CAL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty * "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov * ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...

Regular season

Season standings

Playoffs

Schedule and results

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

Scoring

Goaltending

Awards and records

Awards

Milestones

Transactions

Trades

Players acquired

Players lost

Signings

Draft picks

Farm teams

Lowell Lockmonsters

Las Vegas Wranglers

See also

Notes

References