The NHL Draft Lottery officially took place on Tuesday night. It was a highly anticipated night for many Flames fans, as the team hopes to get a new young star player. Unfortunately, the night did not go as well as they’d hoped. The Toronto Maple Leafs ended up winning the Draft Lottery and will select first overall. Meanwhile, the Sharks won the second overall pick. This means that the Flames fall to 6th in the draft, after finishing in fourth last this season. Even though the Flames wanted a higher pick, they do have some history of picking 6th overall. The most recent two turned out to be awesome players. Let’s take a look at the Flames’ history of picking 6th overall.
Cory Stillman, 1992
The first pick the Flames ever had at 6th overall resulted in Cory Stillman. Stillman was a strong player coming out of the OHL and went on to have some decent seasons as a Flame. His best season came in 1998–99, when he posted 27 goals and 57 points. Stillman only saw action in two playoff games as a Flame in 1996, but was never a part of another run.
The Flames traded Stillman in March of 2001 to the St. Louis Blues. This became a solid trade for the Flames as they acquired forward (now GM) Craig Conroy. Most of Stillman’s career success came outside of Calgary. He had his best seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes. Stillman won two Stanley Cups, the first coming in 2004 with the Lightning, and the second in 2006 with the Hurricanes. Stillman helped defeat the Flames in the 2004 final, which still causes so much pain to think about.
Daniel Tkaczuk, 1997
The next time the Flames drafted at 6th overall was in the 1997 draft. Here, they selected centreman Daniel Tkaczuk out of the OHL. Tkaczuk was a star in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. He had multiple point-per-game seasons and was a star at the 1999 World Juniors. Tkaczuk made his NHL debut during the 2000–01 season, appearing in 19 games. In those 19 games, he scored four goals and eleven points. Little did Flames fans know that this would be his only NHL experience.
In the offseason of 2001, the Flames traded Tkaczuk to the St. Louis Blues. After this, he never saw NHL ice again. The forward spent a couple of seasons in the AHL before departing to play overseas. Tkaczuk spent some time playing in Italy and Germany before returning briefly to the AHL. The last time he was seen playing professional hockey was in the 2010–11 season.
Rico Fata, 1998
Just a year after selecting Tkaczuk at 6th overall, the Flames had the exact same opportunity in the 1998 draft. This time, they selected right winger Rico Fata, also out of the OHL. Like Tkaczuk, Fata was a great player in Junior hockey. He certainly did not pan out to be an NHL star, but at least he had a stable career for a while. Fata played in three separate seasons with the Flames, playing 27 games and recording one assist. After this, he was claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers.
Fata developed in the AHL and had some extremely strong seasons. His best season came in 2001–02, when he scored 35 goals and 71 points in only 61 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. The following season, he earned a part-time role with the Rangers and stuck in the NHL for a while. He bounced around between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Thrashers, and Washington Capitals before heading overseas. He spent most of his remaining hockey years playing in Switzerland.
Sean Monahan, 2013
The biggest fan favourite on this list is none other than Sean Monahan. The Flames drafted him in the 2013 NHL draft. Monahan would make the jump from the OHL to the NHL directly after his draft, making a strong effort in his rookie season. Monahan scored 22 goals and 34 points in his rookie campaign, which was good for the second most on the team, just behind Mike Cammalleri.
After this, Monahan went on to have six consistent seasons as a Calgary Flame. For seven straight years, Monahan posted 20 goals or more in a season. He was a force alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm for a couple of seasons. This was a new era for Flames hockey that brought Flames fans many awesome memories. Unfortunately, due to injuries, Monahan really fell off in 2020 and never really found his game again as a Flame.
The legendary 2021–22 season was the last for Monahan as a Flame. Injuries took their toll on Monahan, as his play really fell off. In this offseason, Monahan was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, he has also played for the Winnipeg Jets and Columbus Blue Jackets. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2025 for bringing the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.
Matthew Tkachuk, 2016
The most significant name on this list, of course, is Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames drafted him in the 2016 draft, which turned out to be a turning point for the Flames franchise. Tkachuk turned into a superstar in Calgary and helped lead the team back into the playoffs. He played in six full seasons as a Flame, making an immediate impact from his rookie season.
Tkachuk was always a near-point-per-game type player with the Flames until the 2021–22 season. Here, he found fantastic chemistry alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm. This line turned out to be one of, if not the best, forward lines in Calgary Flames history. This trio dominated on both sides of the ice and scored almost every game. Tkachuk finished the season with 104 points in 82 games.
Tkachuk’s time as a Calgary Flame ended on a down note. The team was eliminated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the rival Edmonton Oilers, and Tkachuk decided that it was time to move on. Brad Treliving sent Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-round pick (Cullen Potter). To this day, the trade still haunts the Flames. Tkachuk has won two Stanley Cups, while the Flames have not made the playoffs since his departure. Flames fans will get to see Tkachuk team up with Matt Coronato on Team USA at the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.
Who should the Flames draft this year at 6th overall?
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