The 1985–86 Calgary Flames season was the sixth season in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

and 14th for the Flames franchise in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL). It was a banner season for the Flames, who overcame a franchise record eleven game losing streak to finish 2nd in the

Smythe Division The National Hockey League's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Conn Smythe, who was a longtime owner, general manager, and he ...

and captured the franchise's first Clarence S. Campbell Bowl as

Campbell Conference Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television n ...

champions. In doing so, they became the first Calgary team to reach the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

Finals since the

Calgary Tigers The Calgary Tigers, often nicknamed the ''Bengals'', were an ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from 1920 until 1927 as members of the Big-4 League, Western Canada Hockey League and Prairie Hockey League. The Tigers were reviv ...

in 1923–24. The Flames season ended at the hands of the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

, who defeated Calgary in five games in the final. The season began with the departure of franchise leading scorer Kent Nilsson who was sent to the

Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...

in a trade. Rookie goaltender Mike Vernon emerged as the team's top goaltender and Joe Mullen was acquired in a major trade midway through the season. Gary Suter captured 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 the league's top rookie while also being named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. Additionally, Suter was the team's lone representative at the 1986 All-Star Game. Hakan Loob captured the Molson Cup. The Flames upset the heavily favoured

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

in the Smythe Division final to end the Oilers' hopes of winning a third consecutive championship. The series winning goal was scored into his own net by Oilers rookie Steve Smith. As Smith collapsed to the ice, Flames players celebrated the difference maker in what would finish as a 3–2 Calgary win. Smith's error remains one of the most legendary blunders in hockey history.

Regular season

The Flames began the year with a similar roster as finished the 1984–85 season,Mummery, 1989, p. 68 with one major exception. Kent Nilsson, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, was dealt to the

for two draft picks. Nilsson was viewed as a player with immense talent who ended each season as a perennial disappointment in the playoffs. Though he scored 99

points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...

the season before, the Flames received few offers before agreeing to send him to Minnesota. As the deal provided no immediate help for the team, co-captain Doug Risebrough anticipated that 1985–86 would be a transitional year for the Flames and the loss of Nilsson might force the team to play a more defensive style when compared to the team that finished second in league scoring the year previous. The season opened in Calgary with a game against the

Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...

, the team that eliminated the Flames in the first round of the previous spring's playoffs. It ended with an 8–3 victory for the Flames, but not before a

bench-clearing brawl A bench-clearing brawl is a form of fighting that occurs in sports, most notably baseball and ice hockey, where most or all players on both teams leave their Dugout (baseball), dugouts, bullpens, or benches, and charge onto the playing area in or ...

resulted in the ejection of five players. Calgary was one of the top teams in the league in the early going, standing third overall on December 10 with a 15–8–3 record. Four nights later, they were defeated by the

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

, 4–3, and continued losing for nearly a month. After the

Hartford Whalers The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its 25-year existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1 ...

handily defeated the Flames 9–1 on January 7, 1986, to send Calgary to its 11th consecutive defeat, a franchise record, coach Bob Johnson promised changes. Among them was the recall of goaltender Mike Vernon from the

Moncton Golden Flames The Moncton Golden Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick, playing home games at the Moncton Coliseum. The team operated in the American Hockey League between 1984–85 AHL season, 1984 and 1986–87 AHL season, ...

, who was given the start ahead of Rejean Lemelin in their next game, against Vancouver. He held the Flames in the game long enough for Jim Peplinski to score in the first minute of overtime for a 5–4 victory that ended the eighth-longest losing streak in NHL history. During the losing streak, on December 29, the Flames hosted Soviet team

Dynamo Moscow MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (), is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first institution created from the All-Union Dynamo Sports Club. Dynamo Mosco ...

in an exhibition game as part of the 1986 Super Series. Vernon was given the start for the game to let Lemelin rest and led Calgary to a 4–3 victory over Dynamo. It was the Flames' second victory in three years against a Soviet league club, and came despite what the team considered biased officiating by the Russian referee working the game. The team enjoyed greater success in the second half of the season, finishing the final 40 games with a record of 22–12–5. Vernon established himself as the starting goaltender by mid February and finished the regular season with only three losses in 15 decisions. The Flames ended the season in second place in the Smythe Division, sixth overall in the NHL, with 89 points.Mummery, 1989, p. 69 Seeking to upgrade the team's offence as the playoffs approached, general manager Cliff Fletcher completed a six-player trade with the

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

that brought Joe Mullen, a player who had scored at least 40 goals each of his previous two seasons, to Calgary. A second deal in March had the Flames acquire four-time Stanley Cup champion John Tonelli from the

New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...

and initiated a war of words with

general manager and coach Glen Sather, who accused Islanders general manager Bill Torrey of trying to help Fletcher eliminate the Oilers in the upcoming playoffs.

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

, - , 1 , , October 11 , ,

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, , 3 – 8 , , Calgary , , , , 1–0–0 , , 2 , - , 2 , , October 13 , , Calgary , , 9 – 2 , ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, , , , 2–0–0 , , 4 , - , 3 , , October 16 , ,

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, , 2 – 1 , , Calgary , , , , 2–1–0 , , 4 , - , 4 , , October 19 , ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, , 6 – 3 , , Calgary , , , , 2–2–0 , , 4 , - , 5 , , October 20 , , Calgary , , 5 – 8 , , Winnipeg , , , , 2–3–0 , , 4 , - , 6 , , October 23 , , Washington , , 2 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , 3–3–0 , , 6 , - , 7 , , October 25 , , Calgary , , 3 – 5 , ,

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, , , , 3–4–0 , , 6 , - , 8 , , October 26 , ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, , 4 – 7 , , Calgary , , , , 4–4–0 , , 8 , - , 9 , , October 28 , , Calgary , , 3 – 5 , , Edmonton , , , , 4–5–0 , , 8 , - , 10 , , October 30 , , Buffalo , , 2 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , 5–5–0 , , 10 , - , 11 , , November 2 , ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, , 2 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , 6–5–0 , , 12 , - , 12 , , November 5 , , Calgary , , 4 – 4 , , NY Islanders , , OT , , 6–5–1 , , 13 , - , 13 , , November 6 , , Calgary , , 5 – 2 , ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, , , , 7–5–1 , , 15 , - , 14 , , November 9 , , Calgary , , 5 – 4 , , Washington , , , , 8–5–1 , , 17 , - , 15 , , November 10 , , Calgary , , 1 – 5 , , Buffalo , , , , 8–6–1 , , 17 , - , 16 , , November 13 , , Winnipeg , , 3 – 3 , , Calgary , , OT , , 8–6–2 , , 18 , - , 17 , , November 16 , , New Jersey , , 2 – 7 , , Calgary , , , , 9–6–2 , , 20 , - , 18 , , November 17 , , Calgary , , 5 – 4 , , Winnipeg , , , , 10–6–2 , , 22 , - , 19 , , November 19 , ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, , 3 – 3 , , Calgary , , OT , , 10–6–3 , , 23 , - , 20 , , November 23 , , Calgary , , 3 – 4 , ,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, , , , 10–7–3 , , 23 , - , 21 , , November 26 , , Calgary , , 3 – 1 , ,

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

, , , , 11–7–3 , , 25 , - , 22 , , November 27 , , Calgary , , 5 – 2 , , NY Rangers , , , , 12–7–3 , , 27 , - , 23 , , November 30 , , NY Islanders , , 3 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , 13–7–3 , , 29 , - , 24 , , December 1 , , Calgary , , 3 – 5 , , Edmonton , , , , 13–8–3 , , 29 , - , 25 , , December 4 , ,

Hartford Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, , 5 – 8 , , Calgary , , , , 14–8–3 , , 31 , - , 26 , , December 6 , ,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, , 2 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , 15–8–3 , , 33 , - , 27 , , December 10 , , Los Angeles , , 5 – 6 , , Calgary , , , , 16–8–3 , , 35 , - , 28 , , December 12 , , Los Angeles , , 0 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , 17–8–3 , , 37 , - , 29 , , December 14 , , Calgary , , 3 – 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 cit ...

, , , , 17–9–3 , , 37 , - , 30 , , December 17 , , Calgary , , 3 – 4 , ,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, , , , 17–10–3 , , 37 , - , 31 , , December 18 , , Calgary , , 3 – 4 , , Hartford , , , , 17–11–3 , , 37 , - , 32 , , December 20 , , Calgary , , 2 – 5 , , St. Louis , , , , 17–12–3 , , 37 , - , 33 , , December 22 , , Calgary , , 4 – 5 , , Chicago , , OT , , 17–13–3 , , 37 , - , 34 , , December 28 , ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, , 6 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , 17–14–3 , , 37 , - , – , , December 29 , ,

, , 3 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , colspan="2", Exhibition , - , 35 , , December 31 , , Calgary , , 3 – 6 , , Minnesota , , , , 17–15–3 , , 37 , - , 36 , , January 2 , , Edmonton , , 4 – 3 , , Calgary , , , , 17–16–3 , , 37 , - , 37 , , January 4 , , Montreal , , 6 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , 17–17–3 , , 37 , - , 38 , , January 5 , , Calgary , , 3 – 6 , , Edmonton , , , , 17–18–3 , , 37 , - , 39 , , January 7 , , Hartford , , 9 – 1 , , Calgary , , , , 17–19–3 , , 37 , - , 40 , , January 9 , , Vancouver , , 4 – 5 , , Calgary , , OT , , 18–19–3 , , 39 , - , 41 , , January 12 , , Calgary , , 0 – 3 , , Philadelphia , , , , 18–20–3 , , 39 , - , 42 , , January 14 , , Calgary , , 4 – 3 , , Washington , , , , 19–20–3 , , 41 , - , 43 , , January 16 , , Calgary , , 2 – 3 , , Boston , , , , 19–21–3 , , 41 , - , 44 , , January 18 , , Calgary , , 7 – 4 , , Detroit , , , , 20–21–3 , , 43 , - , 45 , , January 19 , , Calgary , , 9 – 5 , , Toronto , , , , 21–21–3 , , 45 , - , 46 , , January 22 , , New Jersey , , 6 – 6 , , Calgary , , OT , , 21–21–4 , , 46 , - , 47 , , January 25 , , Pittsburgh , , 2 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , 22–21–4 , , 48 , - , 48 , , January 27 , , Los Angeles , , 3 – 6 , , Calgary , , , , 23–21–4 , , 50 , - , 49 , , January 29 , , Calgary , , 4 – 4 , , Vancouver , , OT , , 23–21–5 , , 51 , - , 50 , , January 31 , , Calgary , , 4 – 7 , , Edmonton , , , , 23–22–5 , , 51 , - , 51 , , February 1 , , Edmonton , , 4 – 4 , , Calgary , , OT , , 23–22–6 , , 52 , - , 52 , , February 6 , , Los Angeles , , 2 – 7 , , Calgary , , , , 24–22–6 , , 54 , - , 53 , , February 9 , , Calgary , , 7 – 3 , , Los Angeles , , , , 25–22–6 , , 56 , - , 54 , , February 12 , , Winnipeg , , 2 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , 26–22–6 , , 58 , - , 55 , , February 14 , , Buffalo , , 3 – 3 , , Calgary , , OT , , 26–22–7 , , 59 , - , 56 , , February 16 , , Quebec , , 6 – 3 , , Calgary , , , , 26–23–7 , , 59 , - , 57 , , February 18 , , Boston , , 4 – 7 , , Calgary , , , , 27–23–7 , , 61 , - , 58 , , February 20 , , Toronto , , 7 – 6 , , Calgary , , OT , , 27–24–7 , , 61 , - , 59 , , February 21 , , Calgary , , 4 – 0 , , Vancouver , , , , 28–24–7 , , 63 , - , 60 , , February 23 , , Calgary , , 2 – 6 , , Chicago , , , , 28–25–7 , , 63 , - , 61 , , February 25 , , Calgary , , 4 – 1 , , St. Louis , , , , 29–25–7 , , 65 , - , 62 , , February 27 , , Philadelphia , , 4 – 7 , , Calgary , , , , 30–25–7 , , 67 , - , 63 , , March 1 , , Vancouver , , 2 – 3 , , Calgary , , , , 31–25–7 , , 69 , - , 64 , , March 2 , , Calgary , , 5 – 1 , , Los Angeles , , , , 32–25–7 , , 71 , - , 65 , , March 4 , , Pittsburgh , , 3 – 6 , , Calgary , , , , 33–25–7 , , 73 , - , 66 , , March 6 , , NY Rangers , , 5 – 2 , , Calgary , , , , 33–26–7 , , 73 , - , 67 , , March 9 , , Calgary , , 3 – 3 , , Detroit , , OT , , 33–26–8 , , 74 , - , 68 , , March 11 , , Calgary , , 4 – 8 , , NY Islanders , , , , 33–27–8 , , 74 , - , 69 , , March 12 , , Calgary , , 3 – 2 , , NY Rangers , , , , 34–27–8 , , 76 , - , 70 , , March 14 , , Calgary , , 2 – 6 , , Quebec , , , , 34–28–8 , , 76 , - , 71 , , March 15 , , Calgary , , 5 – 3 , , Montreal , , , , 35–28–8 , , 78 , - , 72 , , March 19 , , Calgary , , 5 – 6 , , Minnesota , , , , 35–29–8 , , 78 , - , 73 , , March 21 , , Vancouver , , 5 – 5 , , Calgary , , OT , , 35–29–9 , , 79 , - , 74 , , March 23 , , Calgary , , 7 – 4 , , Winnipeg , , , , 36–29–9 , , 81 , - , 75 , , March 26 , , Calgary , , 3 – 7 , , Los Angeles , , , , 36–30–9 , , 81 , - , 76 , , March 28 , , Winnipeg , , 3 – 6 , , Calgary , , , , 37–30–9 , , 83 , - , 77 , , March 30 , , Calgary , , 2 – 4 , , Vancouver , , , , 37–31–9 , , 83 , - , 78 , , April 1 , , Vancouver , , 5 – 6 , , Calgary , , , , 38–31–9 , , 85 , - , 79 , , April 4 , , Edmonton , , 3 – 9 , , Calgary , , , , 39–31–9 , , 87 , - , 80 , , April 6 , , Calgary , , 6 – 4 , , Winnipeg , , , , 40–31–9 , , 89 , - , - , ''Legend'':

Playoffs

The Flames began the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs with a Smythe semi-final match-up against the

, the team that eliminated them in the first round the previous season. Calgary won the best-of-five series in three consecutive games, eliminating the Jets on a Lanny McDonald overtime goal in the third game.Mummery, 1989, p. 72 The victory set up a best-of-seven Smythe Division final against the two-time defending champion

who swept the

in the opening round. The Flames opened the series in Edmonton with a 4–1 victory, the first loss the Oilers had suffered on home ice in 18 playoff games. The two teams traded victories through the first six games, leading to a deciding seventh game in Edmonton.Mummery, 1989, p. 73 The Flames stepped out to an early 2–0 lead before the Oilers tied it. Disaster then struck Edmonton at the 5:14 mark of the third period. Oilers' rookie defenceman Steve Smith, attempting to play the puck from behind his own goal line, accidentally shot the puck off Oilers goaltender

Grant Fuhr Grant Scott Fuhr (born September 28, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League (NHL) and former goaltending coach for the Arizona Coyotes, who played for the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s during wh ...

's skate and into his own net. As Smith collapsed to the ice in shock, the Flames celebrated the goal that was ultimately credited to

Perry Berezan Perry Edmund Berezan (born December 5, 1964) is a Canadian former ice hockey centre who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1985 and 1993. He was a third round selection, 55th overall, of the Calgary Flames at the 19 ...

. He was the last Flame to touch the puck, though he was no longer on the ice when it went in. The Oilers were unable to come back, losing the game, 3–2, series, 4–3, and ending their hopes of winning a third consecutive

. Smith's blunder remains one of the most legendary errors in NHL history. The Campbell Conference Final against the St. Louis Blues was also a back and forth affair in which the Flames take a 3–2 series lead into the sixth game in St. Louis. Calgary led the sixth game 5–2 with 12 minutes to play before three quick goals by the Blues sent the game into overtime. Doug Wickenheiser scored to win the game for the Blues.Mummery, 1989, p. 78 The comeback came to be known as the Monday Night Miracle in St. Louis. The Flames rebounded in game seven, winning 2–1 to claim the first Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in franchise history as Campbell Conference champions. The victory also sent the Flames to their first

Stanley Cup Finals The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, ) is the annual championship series of the National Hockey League (NHL). The winner is awarded the Stanley Cup, North America's oldest professional spo ...

. It was the first time a team representing the city played in the final since the

lost to the

in the

1924 Stanley Cup Finals The 1924 Stanley Cup Finals saw the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Montreal Canadiens defeat the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) champion Calgary Tigers two games to none in the best-of-three-game series. It was Montreal's fourth appe ...

. Their opponent in 1986 was also the Canadiens in what constituted the first all-Canadian final since 1967. Calgary opened the series with a 5–2 victory at home in the battle of rookie goaltenders: Vernon against

Patrick Roy Patrick Jacques Roy (; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach, executive and former player who is the head coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Roy previously served as head coach for ...

. Montreal evened the series with a 3–2 overtime victory in game two in which Brian Skrudland set an NHL record for the fastest overtime goal in playoff history when he scored nine seconds into the extra frame. Already missing three key players in Carey Wilson, Colin Patterson and Nick Fotiu due to injury, the Flames lost their top scorer in Joe Mullen to a neck injury during a game two loss.Mummery, 1989, p. 80 The Canadiens also won the third game as the series shifted to Montreal, and 1–0 Calgary loss in game four pushed the Flames to the brink of elimination. Montreal broke out to a 4–1 lead in the fifth game, at Calgary, before the Flames made a comeback attempt. They scored with less than four minutes remaining, and then moved within one goal when Mullen – who returned for game five wearing a neck brace – scored with 46 seconds remaining. A desperate push for the tying goal fell short when Roy made several key saves as time expired. Montreal celebrated the 23rd Stanley Cup championship in their franchise history as the fans loudly chanted "thank you Flames, thank you Flames" in appreciation of their team's efforts. , - , 1 , , April 9 , , Winnipeg , , 1 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , Calgary leads 1–0 , - , 2 , , April 10 , , Winnipeg , , 4 – 6 , , Calgary , , , , Calgary leads 2–0 , - , 3 , , April 12 , , Calgary , , 4 – 3 , , Winnipeg , , OT , , Calgary wins 3–0 , - , 1 , , April 18 , , Calgary , , 4 – 1 , , Edmonton , , , , Calgary leads 1–0 , - , 2 , , April 20 , , Calgary , , 5 – 6 , , Edmonton , , OT , , Series tied 1–1 , - , 3 , , April 22 , , Edmonton , , 2 – 3 , , Calgary , , , , Calgary leads 2–1 , - , 4 , , April 24 , , Edmonton , , 7 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , Series tied 2–2 , - , 5 , , April 26 , , Calgary , , 4 – 1 , , Edmonton , , , , Calgary leads 3–2 , - , 6 , , April 28 , , Edmonton , , 5 – 2 , , Calgary , , , , Series tied 3–3 , - , 7 , , April 30 , , Calgary , , 3 – 2 , , Edmonton , , , , Calgary wins 4–3 , - , 1 , , May 2 , , St. Louis , , 3 – 2 , , Calgary , , , , St. Louis leads 1–0 , - , 2 , , May 4 , , St. Louis , , 2 – 8 , , Calgary , , , , Series tied 1–1 , - , 3 , , May 6 , , Calgary , , 5 – 3 , , St. Louis , , , , Calgary leads 2–1 , - , 4 , , May 8 , , Calgary , , 2 – 5 , , St. Louis , , , , Series tied 2–2 , - , 5 , , May 10 , , St. Louis , , 2 – 4 , , Calgary , , , , Calgary leads 3–2 , - , 6 , , May 12 , , Calgary , , 5 – 6 , , St. Louis , , OT , , Series tied 3–3 , - , 7 , , May 14 , , St. Louis , , 1 – 2 , , Calgary , , , , Calgary wins 4–3 , - , 1 , , May 16 , , Montreal , , 2 – 5 , , Calgary , , , , Calgary leads 1–0 , - , 2 , , May 18 , , Montreal , , 3 – 2 , , Calgary , , OT , , Series tied 1–1 , - , 3 , , May 20 , , Calgary , , 3 – 5 , , Montreal , , , , Montreal leads 2–1 , - , 4 , , May 22 , , Calgary , , 0 – 1 , , Montreal , , , , Montreal leads 3–1 , - , 5 , , May 24 , , Montreal , , 4 – 3 , , Calgary , , , , Montreal wins 4–1 , - , - , ''Legend'':

Battle of Alberta

The

Battle of Alberta The Battle of Alberta is a term applied to the intense rivalry between the Canada, Canadian cities of Calgary, the province's most populous city (since 1976), and Edmonton, the capital of the province of Alberta (since 1905). Most often it is us ...

dominated the Flames' focus late in the season as they continued to struggle against their provincial rival. The two-time defending champion Oilers were nearly unbeatable against Calgary, losing just five of 31 matchups over three years. Calgary's frustration against Edmonton was highlighted by a mid-season game where, after a large brawl that resulted in the ejection of five players from the game, Calgary's Doug Risebrough ended up in the penalty box with

Marty McSorley Martin James McSorley (born May 18, 1963) is a Canadian former professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1983 to 2000. A versatile player, he could play both the forward and defense positions. He was also hea ...

's Oilers jersey. Risebrough shredded the jersey with his skates before tossing it back onto the ice. Oilers' coach Glen Sather, enraged by the act, called Risebrough "childish" and threatened to send him a $1000 bill to replace the sweater. Realizing Calgary's path to the Stanley Cup would go through Edmonton, coach Bob Johnson devised a seven-point plan for beating the Oilers that focused on limiting

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

Paul Coffey Paul Patrick Coffey (born June 1, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time ...

and

Jari Kurri Jari Pekka Kurri (; born 18 May 1960) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1980, he played Winger (ice hockey), right wing for five National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Edmonton Oilers, the Los Angeles Kings, the N ...

's creativity, limiting access to the left side of the ice where the Oilers' top stars liked to skate, leaving their physical players on the ice by not engaging them and utilizing Neil Sheehy and Colin Patterson in roles designed to frustrate the Oiler players.Mummery, 1989, p. 77 Johnson first utilized the strategy in a late season game that ended in a 4–4 tie. The Flames then defeated the Oilers 9–3 in their final regular season meeting, a game that ended with another brawl and accusations by both teams that the other was sending their goons out after talented players. The rivalry extended into the stands in the second game of the Smythe Division final in Edmonton. During the game, trainer Bearcat Murray went into the stands to rescue his son Al, also a trainer for the Flames, and tore ligaments in his leg in the process. Al had gone into the stands in an attempt to retrieve Gary Suter's stick, which had been knocked into the crowd and was being hidden by Oiler fans. Fearing for his son's safety, Bearcat jumped into the fray himself, suffering the injury. While being wheeled into an ambulance, Murray blew kisses for the cameras. The incident caught the attention of a group of fans in Boston, who formed the "Bearcat Murray Fan Club", and began showing up at the

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (later ...

wearing skull caps and oversized moustaches mimicking Murray's looks when the Flames played there. The Flames lost players on the ice during the physical series as well, as Carey Wilson required surgery to remove his spleen after he was "skewered" by Steve Smith, according to Johnson. Suter had his season ended after suffering torn ligaments in his knee following a low hit by

Mark Messier Mark John Douglas Messier (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Forward (ice hockey), forward. His playing career in the National Hockey League (NHL) lasted 25 seasons (1979–80 NHL season, 1979–2003–04 NHL ...

. When the seventh game ended in victory, Flames fans in both Calgary and at

Northlands Coliseum Northlands Coliseum is a defunct indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta. It was used for sports events and concerts, and was home to the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) and National Hockey League (NHL), and the Edmonton Oil Kin ...

in Edmonton spilled onto the streets in celebration. The " C of Red" was born in that playoff series as fans responded to a promotion to wear the colour with such enthusiasm that many stores across the city sold out of red clothing. The effect was most pronounced during games, where nearly every fan in the Saddledome was in red. The C of Red inspired the Winnipeg Jets to create their White Out the following year.

Player statistics

Skaters

''Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes'' Mullen scored 44 goals and 90 points combined between St. Louis and Calgary, both totals led the Flames over a full season.
Eaves came out of retirement May 4, 1986, to replace Carey Wilson, who was injured in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Calgary. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
^‡Traded mid-season.

Goaltenders

''Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average''

Awards and honours

Listed at five feet, nine inches tall by NHL Central Scouting, defenceman Gary Suter was considered too small for the NHL and went unselected at both the

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...

and

1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...

NHL entry drafts. Suter moved on to the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

where Flames scouts noted that he had grown two inches and was a leading player for his team. Calgary selected him with their 9th round selection in

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...

. He joined the Flames in 1985–86 and quickly established himself as the team's top defenceman in the eyes of his coaches and teammates. Suter finished the season with 18 goals and 68 points and was awarded the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie in addition to being named to the All-Rookie Team. Additionally, Suter was the Flames' lone representative at the 1986 All-Star Game. Suter's 68 points was the second highest total by a rookie defenceman in league history, behind Larry Murphy's 76.

Transactions

The draft-day trade that sent franchise scoring leader Kent Nilsson to Minnesota, along with a third round selection, for second round draft picks in 1985 and 1987 was immediately controversial in Calgary as players and fans were divided on the merit of dealing Nilsson. While some players felt the trade was inevitable, others expressed their disappointment at the move, including co-captain Lanny McDonald, who wondered how the team would replace Nilsson's offensive production. Former teammate Willi Plett supported the trade, noting Nilsson's inconsistency: "Maybe I shouldn't be saying this, but trading a player like him, it never hurts you." The Flames completed a second significant trade in February, acquiring scoring forward Joe Mullen along with defencemen Terry Johnson and Rik Wilson from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Ed Beers, Charlie Bourgeois and Gino Cavallini. The Flames had targeted Mullen, who had scored 40+ goals each of his previous two seasons and had 28 for the Blues at the time of the deal, believing he could be a game breaker for them heading into the playoffs.

Trades

Free agents

Draft picks

The 1985 NHL entry draft was held in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

on June 15. The Flames used their first round pick, 17th overall, on American defenceman Chris Biotti. The team was surprised that he had fallen to them, believing Biotti to be the best defenceman available and expressing confidence he would be a star in the NHL. Their predictions ultimately proved unfounded. After spending two seasons at

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, Biotti played three seasons for their minor league team in

Salt Lake A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water that has a concentration of salts (typically sodium chloride) and other dissolved minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least three grams of salt per liter). I ...

and another two in Europe before retiring. He never appeared in a National Hockey League game. With the second round pick acquired from Minnesota in the Nilsson trade, Calgary selected East Coast Athletic Conference rookie of the year Joe Nieuwendyk from

Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...

. Labeled "Joe who?" by media and fans unsure of his potential, Nieuwendyk ultimately had the longest NHL career of any Flames' selection in this draft. He appeared in 1,257 games, scoring 1,126 points and won the

with Calgary in 1989, the

Dallas Stars The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...

in 1999 and the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

in 2003, in addition to a gold medal at the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

. He was elected to the

Hockey Hall of Fame The Hockey Hall of Fame () is a museum and hall of fame located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League (NHL) records, memorabilia and National Hockey Le ...

in 2011.

References

;General * Player stats: * Game log: * Team standings:
1985–86 NHL standings
at The Internet Hockey Database * * * ;Footnotes

External links

Steve Smith's own-goal
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:1985-86 Calgary Flames season Calgary Flames seasons Calgary Flames season, 1985-86 Calgary Flames season, 1985-86 Western Conference (NHL) championship seasons Calg

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. The ...

1980s in Calgary