We are only six days away from the start of the NHL Playoffs, and although the Calgary Flames won’t be in them, you can bet that Flames fans will be tuning in to watch the action. Many players have departed the Flames team as the franchise decided to change their direction to a rebuild/retool. As a result, many former Flames will be competing for the Stanley Cup with their new teams. As Flames fans tune in, which of these players will they be rooting for the most to win the Cup? We asked, you answered.
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Former Flames in the playoffs
We posed the question of which recently traded Flame would you root for to win the Cup the most on Twitter, and the options were Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov with the Vancouver Canucks, Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli with the Winnipeg Jets, Noah Hanifin with the defending Cup champions the Vegas Golden Knights, and Chris Tanev and the Dallas Stars.
Lindholm and Zadorov
Well this isn’t surprising at all, but less than 5% of votes went towards the Vancouver duo. Firstly, it would be a tougher sell to get Flames fans to cheer for a division rival. The rivalry isn’t as strong as it used to be, but Flames fans have strong memories, and they still have some level of hate towards the Canucks.
Secondly, Zadorov and Lindholm didn’t leave on the best terms. Nikita Zadorov left after his agent tweeted a very public trade request after the Flames played against Toronto. Elias Lindholm was asking for the moon from Craig Conroy during his negotiations for a contract extension, got traded for Andrei Kuzmenko and more, ended up in trade rumours two weeks again after joining Vancouver, and then preceded to put up fewer points for his new team than Kuzmenko has goals for Calgary. Yeah, I think Flames fans are finding some joy in this situation.
Monahan and Toffoli
It’s no secret that Flames fans have nothing but love for Sean Monahan. He wasn’t playing his best hockey near the end of his tenure in Calgary; however, much (if not all) of that was due to the horrible injury luck that he had. He was getting worn down due to his injuries and the team felt that they had to move on. However, once he left, Monahan resurged, and Flames fans have been cheering him on every step of the way.
Toffoli didn’t spend too much time in Calgary, but fans had nothing but love for him as well. He was brought in during the 2021–22 season and became a fan favourite. He followed it up with being the leading scorer for the Flames in 2022–23. He was a reliable player for Calgary, and it’s clear that fans recognize that.
Rooting for both these players would be easy and seeing the Cup come to Canada for a non-Pacific Division team wouldn’t be the worst outcome at all.
Noah Hanifin
Similar to Lindholm and Zadorov, Hanifin didn’t leave on great terms with the fan base and he was moved to a division rival. Hanifin made it clear that he wouldn’t re-sign with the team after being offered a large amount of money and term, and was then traded for a 2026 unprotected first-round draft pick, Daniil Miromanov, and a conditional 2025 third-round pick.
However, Flames fans may want to be a little more open to cheering for Hanifin (at least for a Round 1), as if Vegas wins a round in the playoffs this year, the 2025 third-round pick becomes a second-round pick.
Chris Tanev
Another fan favourite. Chris Tanev constantly put his body on the line for the team, made every single one of his teammates better, and provided elite defensive results. Many questioned the UFA signing at the time, however, Tanev provided incredible value for his contract.
Flames fans have nothing but love for Tanev, and it was a sad day for the fan base when he inevitably got traded to Dallas. Fans are cheering for Tanev for who he is as a person and hockey player, but also for the future of the Flames if the Stars advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the Flames receive a 2026 third-round pick too.
Playoffs are near
Although the Flames aren’t in the playoffs, the results of the playoffs very much matter to the fans of the Flames, and the franchise as a whole. Fans would much rather cheer for their own team in the playoffs, but if it means one of their old favourite players wins a Cup, or that the Flames get an additional pick, some seem to be willing to switch allegiances temporarily. Also, if there is one thing that’s good about not making the playoffs, it’s that May and June will be a lot less stressful.
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