It’s been a nightmare scenario for fans of the Calgary Flames. They have the pleasure of watching their number one rival in the Edmonton Oilers make the Stanley Cup Finals for two straight seasons. In other words, it’s only been adding to the pain Flames fans have been experiencing these last few years.
The thought of the Oilers winning the Stanley Cup will make any diehard Flames fan cringe. Not only will they have bragging rights, but the nonstop media coverage will be a constant source of reminders that the Flames are not even close to where the Oilers are.
Speaking of which, with the Flames currently being in a rebuild and missing the playoffs for three seasons, will the idea of “irrelevancy” begin to haunt the franchise’s executives? Fans are totally on board with this team taking some years to build a winning core, but is ownership as patient? With the Battle of Alberta being as prestigious as it is, if the Oilers do indeed win the cup, how would it affect the Flames’ rebuild timeline?
Will Flames ownership express impatience if the Oilers win it all?
Like it or not, the Oilers fanbase is significantly larger than the Flames’. With the recent success the Oilers have experienced, they’ve had no trouble attracting new fans.
The Flames fanbase is tight-knit and passionate, but the team hasn’t experienced the same type of success throughout their history. Ever since their Cup win in 1989, the franchise has made the Conference Finals once and has two series wins over the last 20 years. The Flames have been in a cycle of mediocrity, something fans are just sick of.
In our latest Sunday Census poll, we asked fans how an Oilers cup win would affect the Flames’ plans moving forward. Would ownership realize that a full rebuild is needed? Or would they rather rush the process in an attempt to be competitive again?
Does an Oilers cup win:
— James 🔥 (@JamesJohnsonYYC) June 5, 2025
A: cause Flames ownership/management to realize they’ve been building a team wrong for the last 15-20 years and finally rebuild
B: make them rush their ‘whatever-the-fuck-they’re-doing’ plan to try and ‘compete’ now
C: it’s all good, we got the culture!
Almost 40% of voters believe that ownership will try to rush the process. To be honest, it’s a valid fear to have. Seeing the Oilers win the cup could cause the Flames to get antsy, living with the fact that their biggest rival won the most prestigious trophy in the sport. Additionally, we don’t know the internal timeline Craig Conroy and his staff have until ownership wants the team to be competitive again.
The Oilers’ run shouldn’t affect the Flames’ plans
Even though they’re rivals, both teams are at very different stages right now. Calgary isn’t even close to contention, as they need to focus on building a perennial playoff team.
Yeah, I get it; it sucks to watch other teams, especially your biggest rival, bask in glory while your team sits on the sidelines. But I’d rather the Flames miss the playoffs while building a true contending team, rather than squeaking in every couple of seasons. Barely making the playoffs is all this team has ever known, and it’s led nowhere. Mediocrity is truly the definition of peak pain with this franchise.
Therefore for the Flames, it shouldn’t matter what the Oilers are doing in the playoffs. Instead, focus on how you can be in their position in the next 3-5 years. That’ll require a proper rebuild where the team doesn’t cut corners in an attempt to rush the process.
Ownership needs to take the backseat
For this rebuild to be a success, a significant part of it will depend on ownership’s willingness to accept their fate. Conroy can do all the convincing in the world, but if ownership doesn’t let him do his thing, it’ll all be for nothing. After all, ownership has been a major reason why the team has been stuck in mediocrity, due to their meddling and desire to always stay competitive despite the team not being in that position.
Focus shouldn’t be on what the Oilers are up to. Who cares if people view the team as “irrelevant” or “the Oilers’ little brother”? That shouldn’t affect how the team is run. At the end of the day, Flames fans want to see a team that can consistently do damage in the playoffs every year. Meaningful success is what the fanbase is starved for, and it’ll open the eyes of others for them to realize that “sneaking in” every season isn’t how you run a team.
