Calgary Flames all-time starting lineup with one player per decade

The Calgary Flames franchise has taken the ice across six different decades. Let’s take a look at what an all-time starting lineup for the club could look like, with the interesting constraint that only one player from each decade may be selected.

1970s: G Dan Bouchard

Dan Bouchard, who was the backbone of the Atlanta Flames throughout their entire existence, is the goaltender for this starting lineup. He played 384 games for Atlanta and won 164 games with a 3.00 GAA. Securing my goaltender now is a strategic move so that I am not forced to pass up on a top-tier skater later on in favour of a netminder. I also considered Tom Lysiak, who was the top scorer of the Atlanta era and Eric Vail, who won the Calder Trophy in 1975. However, there are better options at forward in future decades.

1980s: RD Al MacInnis

Al MacInnis is the easy choice for the 1980s. The Flames were stacked with Hall of Fame talent in the 1980s. Yet, MacInnis clearly stands above them all. Blessed with one of the most feared slap shots in NHL history, MacInnis anchored Calgary’s defence throughout their golden decade. At the very end of the decade, the Flames won the 1989 Stanley Cup. MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy as Playoff MVP.

1990s: C Joe Nieuwendyk

Although Theo Fleury was the heart and soul of the Flames in the 1990s, Joe Nieuwendyk is my pick. Nieuwendyk gives this starting lineup a natural centre with elite 200-foot play and phenomenal face-off ability. He also served as team captain during the first half of the 1990s and had multiple 45-goal seasons.

2000s: RW Jarome Iginla

Jarome Iginla is the undisputed face of the Flames franchise and is the obvious pick for the 2000s. He was the premier power forward of the decade and won an Art Ross Trophy, a Lester B. Pearson Award, and two Rocket Richard Trophies during the dead-puck era. Iginla was also the decade’s top goal scorer. He famously captained the Cinderella 2003–04 Flames to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

2010s: LD Mark Giordano

Mark Giordano, who was an undrafted free agent who worked his way into becoming an elite NHL blueliner, is my choice for the 2010s. He served as team captain during the second half of the decade. Giordano earned the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s best defenceman in 2018–19. I also considered Sean Monahan, who was the team’s top goal scorer of the 2010s. However, completing the defensive tandem now is the best thing to do because there aren’t any better options for the blueline.

2020s: LW Johnny Gaudreau

Johnny Gaudreau is my selection despite only playing two seasons for the Flames in the 2020s. He delivered one of the most brilliant seasons in franchise history when he exploded for 115 points (40G, 75A) with an astonishing +64 rating during the 2021–22 season. In that same season, he also scored his iconic Game 7 overtime winner against the Dallas Stars to send the Flames to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

Conclusion

Up front, we have Gaudreau’s strong playmaking combined with Nieuwendyk’s two-way mastery and Iginla’s legendary goal scoring. On the blue line, a lethal pairing of two Norris Trophy winners in MacInnis and Giordano offers an ideal blend of offensive prowess and relentless defensive grit. Anchoring it all is Bouchard and his reliability in net. Overall, this starting lineup is formidable and successfully balances star power with positional needs.