As incredible as it is catching a game with the C of Red at the Scotiabank Saddledome, it is a special experience going deep into enemy territory and catching a game in another barn. Not only is a great opportunity to cheer on the Calgary Flames across North America, it also is a great opportunity to check out a new city.
Unlike in previous years, this year’s schedule leaves something to be desired in terms of weekend getaways. The Flames tend to be at home on the weekends more often, and have few back-to-backs on the road this year on weekends. And when the Flames do have games that span over a weekend on the road, they are often with a day in the middle, meaning an extra day away from work or school.
That being said, there are still some incredible opportunities to catch the Flames on the road this season. Let’s take a look at the best chances this season in order.
Best road weekends
Pittsburgh Penguins/Washington Capitals – October 14 and 16
Starting off nice and early, the Flames hit the road on the Eastern Seaboard, playing in Pittsburgh on Saturday and Washington on Monday. The two cities are a four hour drive away from each other by road and can also be done by Amtrak rail.
The upside is that Washington DC is a lovely city to see and spending an extra day there is not a bad thing at all. The downsides are multiple though. First, it is a two-flight trip, with no direct flights from Calgary to either DC or Pittsburgh. Because the game is on Monday, it means you are guaranteed to have to take the Monday and Tuesday off as part of this trip. Obviously less ideal than a true weekend trip.
Second, there is no football in either city that weekend, as Washington plays on the road and Pittsburgh is on a bye-week. There may be a basketball game in Washington, but that schedule has yet to be released.
That being said, you can do worse than seeing two great cities and also two great teams. This is an opportunity to see both Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in the same weekend. You could do much worse.
Toronto Maple Leafs/Ottawa Senators – November 10 and 11
The one true weekend trip this year. The Flames play at 7 p.m. EST in Toronto on Friday the 10th, which is a holiday for most people, then play 24 hours later on Remembrance Day in Ottawa, just four hours down the road. You can then head home either from Ottawa or Toronto on Sunday, meaning you don’t have to really take any time off work.
Both teams would be a blast to watch right now. Toronto is loaded with star power, despite their inability to turn that into success in the playoffs, and Ottawa has a ton of potential stars down the road, including Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot.
Ottawa and Toronto both offer lots to do beyond hockey, including the CN Tower, Aga Khan Park, Casa Loma and more in Toronto, as well as the Canadian Parliament buildings, Royal Canadian Mint, Byward Market, and more in Ottawa. A great opportunity to see the rest of the country. Plus there are numerous direct flights from Calgary to both Toronto and Ottawa.
Arizona Coyotes/Vegas Golden Knights – January 11 and 13
Probably the most pleasant trip to take weatherwise. The Flames play the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night then head to Vegas to take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champions on Saturday night.
While suburban Phoenix isn’t really the most exciting city in the world, it is an opportunity to see an NHL game in an NCAA barn, something that will likely never happen again. Plus it’s an opportunity to enjoy the weather (and golf) in Arizona.
From there, it’s a five-hour drive up to Las Vegas, which can be extended to include a trip to see the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam on route. Vegas itself is an exciting city, with tons to do on and off the Strip, plus the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena is always exciting. From there, it’s a quick trip home, with direct flights to both cities. With warm weather and an opportunity to see a game in Vegas, this is probably the best weekend trip.
New York Islanders/New York Rangers – February 10 and 12
The Flames head back to the Eastern Seaboard in February to play the Islanders on Saturday the 10th and the Rangers on Monday the 12th. They also play the Devils on Thursday the 8th if you want to extend the trip to see all three games.
While there is no football at that point of the year, there should be basketball that weekend, which gives you some sports to catch while on the road. You can also go and explore New York, which I hear has a few interesting sights and monuments.
The downside to this trip is that it’s going to be quite cold. New York is not going to be pleasant at that time of year, but to go see both the Rangers and Islanders is an exciting trip to take. With direct flights from Calgary, you can do worse than this trip.
Tampa Bay Lightning/Florida Panthers – March 7 and 9
One of the most fun trips to take is the annual trip to Florida. The Flames play on Thursday night in Tampa and Saturday afternoon in Sunrise. With warm weather and a quick jaunt between the two cities, this is a great trip to take. Both Miami area and Tampa offer tons to see and do, and both teams should be interesting to see. Catching Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov one night and Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett the next is an exciting proposition.
The downside is that the game is Thursday night in Tampa, which is two flights away, and is going to be a risky proposition to try and fly out Thursday monring. This could mean taking three days off work as opposed to two. This is less than ideal.
The good news is that there is also the option to add the Sunday game in Carolina against the Hurricanes, but this one is a flight away and may be cumbersome. However, taking a few days and leaning into this as a vacation to Florida in March would be lovely, and you’ll likely come back with a nice tan along with some great memories.
Best mid-week getaways
Boston Bruins/New Jersey Devils February 6 and 8
If you want to take a proper vacation during the week, you could go really big and take Boston and New Jersey on to a trip to see the Rangers and Islanders. This would be a fun week to go and explore the East Coast of the United States, and drive or train across the region. Boston offers a ton to see and also has a basketball team to catch while you’re there.
San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings/Anaheim Ducks April 9, 11, and 12
The Flames’ annual trip through California this year takes place right at the end of the season. starting on a Tuesday and ending on Friday night in Anaheim. This is always a great trip with lots to see and do in California, including the opportunity to go see Disneyland. From a hockey perspective, you get to see what should be an easier game against San Jose, a good game against Los Angeles, plus the opportunity to see a lot of future stars in Anaheim. A truly excellent hockey week.
The downside is that this trip means a full week away from work or school. While it is doable, it’s a bit of a stretch to sneak away for that long to go see hockey. But if you are able to get the time away, this trip is manageable in a weekend, gives you an opportunity to watch lots of great hockey, and is a chance to drive along the California coast.
The Californian arenas are home to some of the most famed franchises in sports, such as the Crypto.com arena (formerly known as the Staples Center). The arena is also home to not one but two major NBA franchises in the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, as well as the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. The arena underwent a name change back in December 2021 when the naming rights were acquired by Crypto.com, which was a market move to match with the times where many avenues in cryptocurrency were booming, such as poker sites accepting Solana. These currencies may be further involved in the future of the the sports industry as spending, betting, and gaming are all considered use cases.
Off-the-board road trip for Flames fans
The best opportunity to see high quality Flames’ prospect action outside of going to see the Wranglers is to go to Vancouver to see Samuel Honzek and Jaden Lipinski’s Giants play in the WHL. They faceoff against Parker Bell and the Tri City Americans on November 25th (Saturday) and March 12th (Tuesday). They also play Axel Hurtig and the Calgary Hitmen on Wednesday January 3rd.
An off-the-board pick may be to see Arseni Sergeev’s University of Connecticut take on Aydar Suniev University of Massachusetts (Amherst) next year in the NCAA. Unfortunately the schedule has not yet been released, but they will be playing each other at least once this coming season.
Calgary Flames: Far From Home
The 2023–24 season is going to be an interesting one for the Flames, with plenty of opportunity for the team to bounce back after a rough last season. In any event, win or lose, it’s always an experience to catch the Flames in another city. Fans of other teams are generally very pleasant to be around, and make you feel welcomed in the arena.
No matter how you consume Flames hockey, there will be plenty of storylines all season long to follow. Catching some games on the road is just one way to enjoy the upcoming season.
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire
