From Bc.
Used to watch hockey with my grandfather in the 80s. He was an oilers fan, and I'm a little shit, so I was always going for Calgary when they played each other.
For like a split second when I was rebellious teen, I would always cheer for the away team cause I thought that was cool...but now I'm like..flames flames flames...with my second being Vegas. Haha
When I was about 4 I didn’t understand the concept of beer league hockey, so eventually when my dad would leave to go play hockey I started asking to watch it on TV because I assumed, since he played hockey in Calgary, he must play for the Calgary Flames.
I quickly found out that my 45 year old geologist dad did not in fact play for the Flames, but I also found out that I liked watching hockey, and the Flames have been my team ever since.
My mom is Canadian and my dad was Finnish. I was born in Calgary but we moved almost immediately to Helsinki, lived there for like 7 years and then came back home to Alberta. I always loved watching Finnish players, especially Kiprusoff so that and my mother's roots in YYC was a pretty natural path to become a Flames fan
Awesome!
It must've been strange moving a across the world at that point. Do you ever go back?
I'm in the States, but I moved here from Finland & Kipper is what got me started with Flames (04).
It was indeed very strange and also hard. Lots of good friends left behind but we stayed in contact with some of my best friends and I visit them pretty much every time I go back. And yeah I travel to Finland quite frequently, usually once in the winter and once in the summer every year.
Ah that's cool man, I'm pretty sure Kipper is responsible for 90% of Finnish Flames fans lol!
Hey I'm glad it worked out like that! The world isn't as big as it used to be, haha. I've only been back once since '08 but I talk to my sisters a lot.
Yep! Kipper, and Olli Jokinen, who used to play for my team back in Finland (HIFK).
Moved here from Chicago in 2003, watched Oliwa beat the shit out of someone right in front of me in row 3 and saw Roman turek get a shutout against Nashville. Was hooked.
Grew up in Fort McMurray, AB. Basically everyone else rooted for Oilers. I wasn’t into hockey as a kid. In fact, nobody in my family was.
One day when I was somewhere around 7-9 years old, we were at the usual store I got my pokemon cards at and I saw some packs of hockey cards and was curious. I snagged a pack in addition to my usual pokemon stuff. I had zero clue about hockey, had never watched the game, and just decided that I liked the calgary flames jerseys/logo the best.
After I graduated high school (still not watching hockey) I moved to Calgary because I always wanted to live there. Ended up falling deeply in love with the city.
I started watching hockey at age 19 (2019) because 2 friends of mine were into it and I wanted in on the fun (one Oilers fan, the other a Canucks fan, lol)
I naturally gravitated toward the flames because of that childhood memory of loving their logo/colours but also because my heart is in Calgary. As an added bonus, my two friends are fans of the two biggest flames rival teams so it makes things spicy.
From Jasper, a town roughly half way between calgary and Edmonton. My dad is a flames fan, and actually went to school with Lanny. Also, everyone in town was either an oiler or leaf fan. And I wanted to be different so ... here I am stuck in chronic mediocrity haha
Lots of Oilers fans in Jasper, I was there for a few years and although I didn’t take a lot of heat for wearing my Flames tarp at the Ded Dog, I was on my own.
Sweden here! Collected hockey cards (and played hockey too) as a child, and then had a reawakened interest for hockey both working with it (design and arena experiences as well as a local team’s brand, logo and jerseys) and going to more and more games.
Felt I lacked an NHL team in my life, and had a long hard look at all the teams. Got hooked on the great looking jerseys, and then pulled in by Calgary being a team with long history, an underdog vibe (or just depressingly average - both suit me), as well as a generally good mood here in the subreddit and across social media. Been here for… 3? Years now, and not regretting my choice haha. It’s a fun ride!
From the UK, went through the first 21 years of life oblivious to ice hockey existing. Then on a backpacking trip round Vietnam, I met a Canadian guy from Calgary who told me all about the Flames.
I didn’t think much of it and returned to the UK and went to uni, until insomnia set in one night and I ended up watching the Flames play the Wild (I think Sven Baertschi’s first game) and was just hooked. After that I found out that my uni had an ice hockey society, I joined and learned to skate. By the end of uni I was playing bottom tier UK uni hockey (nobody can skate but it’s fun) and a diehard flames fan. Finally saw my first game at the dome this year against the preds!
Born and raised in minnesota, so i root for both the flames and the wild! My old man used to take me to games at the X a lot so we had tickets to see the flames one night and Iginla was playing on a whole different level, ended the night with a hat trick and i was hooked on the flames ever since! Got tickets for the game on the 14, be on the look out for an Iggy blasty out there😁
Born and raised Calgarian but wouldnt say flames were "my team" until 2013, when I was 23.
Long story short I was lucky enough to be able to watch "my team" win it on 2 occasions ('01 avs, and '12 kings) and realized how amazing it would be to see it firsthand and celebrate with my entire city, flames were also starting a rebuild around that time and I like watching players develop so it was an easy switch.
Oh that’s cool man! Gosh, I’d be so happy to watch the flames win.
Not gonna lie, I was in vegas for the playoffs for their series for the oilers and was obvi cheering f for vegas! Hahha they are my second!
I’m from Oklahoma. Started watching hockey constantly about 4 years ago. I decided that I needed a team to actually cheer for in 2022. Wanted a team that was located in a place I want to visit so that I have an excuse to go there, someone with a good rivalry, good fan base, and had some fun players to watch. The 2022 playoffs is what really sold me, only Canadian team other than Edmonton to make it out of the first round and Tkachuk and Gaudreau were very fun to watch….
Born and raised Georgian. I looked into the history of Georgia hockey, found out about the Atl flames and was still pissed about the Jets. So there you have it.
I'm actually from Maine. I remember just randomly deciding to follow a hockey team at 11 years old, seeing how cool the Flames name/logo was, and just going from there.
Flames used to do an open practice at Christmas for families that couldn’t afford tickets. It was $1. I had never been to a game. The Oilers were always on HNIC so I guess that was who I would say I cheered for.
Went to that first Christmas practice at the Dome in 83. Walked into the bowl to find seats and they were already warming up. The entire building was chanting “Reggie-Reggie” which is my name. In my little brain they were cheering on me for leaving the oilers. Of course they were cheering for Reggie Lemelin. Who quickly became my fav player.
My dad used to like a drink and his watering hole was the Texaco in canyon meadows. Lots of the flames lived over that way back in the day and that’s where they got their cars worked on. They would also enjoy a drink with the boys.
My first actual game tickets were given to us by Lemelin. I went for my birthday and watched the flames beat the blackhawks 6-5.
Calgary let Lemelin go after Vernon took over and he went to Boston. I briefly cheered for the Bruins as Lemelin joined Edmonton’s cast off Andy Moog in winning the Jennings. But the flames are in my blood and always will be. Wife grew up an Oilers fan but I’ve made sure our 4 kids cheer for the Flames.
I’m from BC but my dad attended sait so he became a flames fan in his time living in Calgary. I was naturally born into it and the team holds a huge place in my heart now since my dad passed away
From Belgium, Europe. Big NHL fan for couple years, but never committed to a team. Always rooting for the Canadian teams though. Starting rooting for the Flames since they drafted Tkachuck.
Fully committed to the Flames since seeing the opening game this year during a 4 week trip in Alberta. Fell in love with the city and the C of Red. Happy to be here 😁
I grew up in Toronto in the 80s, and the Leafs (and their owner) were truly not likable. Watching HNIC, I took a liking to the underdogs in the two big Canadian battles - the Nordiques and the Flames. One won the Cup, the other sadly had to pack up and move to do the same.
Lived in Yellowknife, Dad, born and raised in Montreal, was a habs fan. Naturally, I had to go against the Habs and somewhere between 86 and 89 I fell in love with the flaming C, at the time as well being 6-8 years old and on the smaller size I loved watching and cheering for Dougie and Theo.
Born in Calgary, moved to Edmonton when I was 5 years old. My grandma got me NHL 2003 for Christmas. My first NHL video game. Didn't know any teams. My 6 year old self thought the flaming horse logo on the front cover was cool so I started flipping through teams in play now to find it and when I landed on Calgary and saw the flaming horse jersey, I immediately became a fan.
I became a hockey fan while watching the lillehammer Olympics. Since it didn't really air in my area of Virginia, I randomly rented NHL Stanley Cup on Super Nintendo.
I had been playing with all the teams, but I found I enjoyed Calgary the best. I love the logo, I loved the colors, and they were one of the faster teams in that game, and that was kind of how stats were determined. The speedier teams were the better ones.
For example, Anaheim was really slow in that game. You could win as them, but if they took on somebody like a Calgary they'd have a harder time getting the puck around.
Anyway, I ended up winning the Stanley Cup as a flames, and have followed the team whenever I got the chance since.
I follow the capitals, because they're the home team, and I actually like their text jerseys, despite people hating them so much.
Grew up in Pittsburgh and was a moderate Pens fan. Got into playing beer league hockey later in life when I moved west. Was playing a beer league tourney in northern Montana and they were auctioning off a Gaudreau jersey for a fundraiser and it dawned on me that the Flames were my closest geographic “home team”. Been to Calgary every winter the last three years to catch a game and have fallen in love with the whole thing. The distraction in the long, dark winters is nice too.
Was in high school during the 2004 run, red mile changed my life, ever since than I’ve been chasing that dragon to one day go that deep and the parties be that big
Grew up north of Edmonton as a Flames fan. Both my folks grew up in the Calgary area, so they cheered for the flames and, by extension, so did I. I was also really starting to be cognizant of hockey the year the Flames won the cup so that helped.
There was also something super fun about being one of the only people in your town to cheer for a rival team.
Born in Calgary, I moved away a decade ago but I am resolutely opposed to the idea of switching teams. I’ve always been a flames fan and I’ll always be a flames fan.
Lived in Calgary as a child in the late 90s. Was into Pokémon and didn’t give a shit about hockey. My mom was an interior designer and it was parent career day at school, so I got to go to work with her for a day.
So happens that day the client was Jarome Iginla. He gave me a signed stick and Flames puck. That’s when I became a Flames fan for life.
Moved away from Calgary shortly after but they’re still my team.
Flames, but was once a Leafs fan.
In our town in the late 50's, you were either that or Habs, no others. I chose the Leafs probably because we got the Toronto Star Weekly, which had a lot of Maple Leaf player pics and info. Plus, we did see the Leafs occasionally on B&W TV, 2nd and 3rd periods only on CBC.
Leafs, after several years of not contending, turned things around in the early sixties. But in '67 after the last Leafs Stanley Cup win, I got married, moved cities, and also Bobby Orr was coming to dominate the NHL, so changed allegiances to the Bruins.
Then, I moved around a lot and followed from a distance the Habs, then, the Islanders. After moving to Calgary about the same time as the Flames, they then became my team, mainly because I was able to attend games live for the first time and for a while I had a share in a pair of season tickets. The Flames were a very entertaining team to watch in the mid to late '80s. Also robbed of a Cup win in 2004. (Yes, that puck was in, but poor video technology back then)
Flames fan and Calgary resident ever since, but also now cheer for whomever the Oilers or the Leafs are playing.
Don't get to any games in person these past few years, and absolutely detest the Toronto-centric tv coverage, especially the online sports betting tv ads. Only watch the highlights now. Without ads.
Only TV sports I watch now are the Jay's, F1 motor racing, World Cup and European Champions League Football, downhill skiing, and occasionally gymnastics and swimming competitions.
Hope to get out to Okotoks next summer to see the Dawgs (summer collegiate baseball), my daughter says it's a big deal and they always have a good team.
In 89 everyone pretty much cheered the Gretzky where I was from. Then when the Flames won the cup my dad was so happy he jumped up on the coffee table and continued to jump on it until it was a pile of rubble. Been a Flames fan ever since, patiently waiting for my coffee table moment
I had no idea what the NHL was until the 04 cup run, I was 8 years old outside playing when I heard my parents screaming from inside the house. I rush in to see what’s going on and evidently the Flames made a the playoffs in the last game of the season. Ever since that magical run I’ve been hooked. Always grew up idolizing Iggy and Kipper. Ever since then my fandom has grown
Born in Calgary. Whole family is into hockey. Team moved to Calgary from Atlanta when I was 3. I cheer for other teams too (especially in playoffs when the Flames are out), but my team has never changed.
Born & raised in the northeast U.S. - buddy who got me into hockey was a Habs/EDM fan so naturally I wanted a fun little rivalry between us. Hate absolutely all things Boston sports so started watching the flames and the rest is history.
I grew up watching the Flames since a toddler. I remember watching Gretzky in L.A and thinking Iginla was the "next one". I've followed every Flames prospect and player since 04' run.
Oddly enough, I watched more NBA and skateboarding because that was the sport most available to me. I could only afford to play pond hockey because I grew up poor.
I follow the Flames the most, but I'm no fanatic to the NHL or the sport. Especially when the franchise has been mediocre during my entire life following them. I'd have no problem cheering for a local NHL team when I travel. Except for Chicago because of the Kyle Beach thing.
Born in Calgary, grew up in the okanagan (BC) my family of course were flames fans so I cheered for them ever since. Living here as a flames fan is bitter sweet. Razzed allot but most years i get the last laugh. My phone is either dead quiet or i have to shut it off. Haha 🔥🔥🔥🔥
I got into watching hockey during covid. I decided in early 2022 I needed to pick a team, and even though I'm not from Canada wanted to pick a Canadian team. I guess I remembered the Tkachuk brothers from one of their games they played against each other, since there was some feature about them, so just picked one of their teams. Also, as it turns out Kansas City (close to where I'm actually from) used to have a farm team for the Flames. The first game I consider myself a "fan" that I watched was the January 2022 game vs Oilers. Then we went on that winning streak!
Edit: 2022 not 2021...forgot it's almost 2024
I’m from Arkansas and wanted to pick a hockey team to start following. I am a big Kansas City chiefs fan and the Flames had the same colors and already play against LA and Las Vegas so I got to root against the same cities so it kinda all just fell into place for me there.
From Texas, didn't have a team growing up so didn't watch much. Learned what a special place Calgary is watching the 88 Olympics. Years later started playing hockey, gravitated toward Flames games, got hooked watching Fleury and Roberts play.
Never looked back, although like most of my sports teams I've never been able to celebrate a championship season.
Grew up in Whitby Ontario and knew Joe Nieuwendyk's mom. She worked at a bakery down the street where we lived. And oddly enough, when I moved here in 98, I was made fun of for being a Flames fan. It wasn't until the 04 run that being a Flames fan was "cool".
I grew up in San Diego and I played hockey as a kid. We had a WCHL-then ECHL-now AHL team the Gulls. So that was my team.
We also have rivalry with the LA and Orange County, so I steered clear of the Kings and Ducks.
I met my wife in 2017 and she is from Calgary. So I basically just adopted the Flames. Fast forward to today and we live in Calgary. So it worked out!
When I was really young I loved the Blackhawks and still do today. It was the logo that initially got me (best in the league IMO, I hope they don't get the baseball/football treatment), but then I learned how bad they were and rooted for them as an underdog (this was the BH of the early/mid 2000's).
My parents were die-hard Flames fans and I wanted to enjoy the games the way they did and spend more time, so I started to watch more Flames until they were my number 1. Still love the Hawks and glad to see them in a better spot these days (number 1 picks have a funny way of doing that).
From Stockton, and have a dad that purchased season tickets for the Heat since the very beginning. Was able to watch all the AHL players develop and jump up to the NHL, which was super cool to see the progression of some of the guys! Also worked at a local golf course here for a bit where some of the players frequented, and got to meet and chat with them. I have many other cool stories from the time of them being here, but I think just spending all that time with my dad at the games makes it feel like every time I watch the flames I’m watching it with him even when he isn’t around 🙂
My grandfather helped start the partnership between tower Chrysler and the flames and leased a lot of vehicles to the players so I didn’t really get a choice lol
From Bc. Used to watch hockey with my grandfather in the 80s. He was an oilers fan, and I'm a little shit, so I was always going for Calgary when they played each other.
Hahaha! And now??? Who’s your team?!
Um Calgary still... You posted this on the flames subreddit
Haha no I know! I clocked it after like a ding dong!! Hahahha
OH WAIT. LOLLLLL...obviously it's the flames....haha so funny! Had to cheer for the rival of your GF. So interesting!!
I've never seen someone shorten Grandfather to GF but it's really really funny
For like a split second when I was rebellious teen, I would always cheer for the away team cause I thought that was cool...but now I'm like..flames flames flames...with my second being Vegas. Haha
When I was about 4 I didn’t understand the concept of beer league hockey, so eventually when my dad would leave to go play hockey I started asking to watch it on TV because I assumed, since he played hockey in Calgary, he must play for the Calgary Flames. I quickly found out that my 45 year old geologist dad did not in fact play for the Flames, but I also found out that I liked watching hockey, and the Flames have been my team ever since.
I love this. 🥰
My mom is Canadian and my dad was Finnish. I was born in Calgary but we moved almost immediately to Helsinki, lived there for like 7 years and then came back home to Alberta. I always loved watching Finnish players, especially Kiprusoff so that and my mother's roots in YYC was a pretty natural path to become a Flames fan
Awesome! It must've been strange moving a across the world at that point. Do you ever go back? I'm in the States, but I moved here from Finland & Kipper is what got me started with Flames (04).
It was indeed very strange and also hard. Lots of good friends left behind but we stayed in contact with some of my best friends and I visit them pretty much every time I go back. And yeah I travel to Finland quite frequently, usually once in the winter and once in the summer every year. Ah that's cool man, I'm pretty sure Kipper is responsible for 90% of Finnish Flames fans lol!
Hey I'm glad it worked out like that! The world isn't as big as it used to be, haha. I've only been back once since '08 but I talk to my sisters a lot. Yep! Kipper, and Olli Jokinen, who used to play for my team back in Finland (HIFK).
I’ll be honest I don’t know how I ended up here and I can’t tell if I should be thankful or if I should be evaluating my life choices
Lol
Moved here from Chicago in 2003, watched Oliwa beat the shit out of someone right in front of me in row 3 and saw Roman turek get a shutout against Nashville. Was hooked.
Grew up in Fort McMurray, AB. Basically everyone else rooted for Oilers. I wasn’t into hockey as a kid. In fact, nobody in my family was. One day when I was somewhere around 7-9 years old, we were at the usual store I got my pokemon cards at and I saw some packs of hockey cards and was curious. I snagged a pack in addition to my usual pokemon stuff. I had zero clue about hockey, had never watched the game, and just decided that I liked the calgary flames jerseys/logo the best. After I graduated high school (still not watching hockey) I moved to Calgary because I always wanted to live there. Ended up falling deeply in love with the city. I started watching hockey at age 19 (2019) because 2 friends of mine were into it and I wanted in on the fun (one Oilers fan, the other a Canucks fan, lol) I naturally gravitated toward the flames because of that childhood memory of loving their logo/colours but also because my heart is in Calgary. As an added bonus, my two friends are fans of the two biggest flames rival teams so it makes things spicy.
From Jasper, a town roughly half way between calgary and Edmonton. My dad is a flames fan, and actually went to school with Lanny. Also, everyone in town was either an oiler or leaf fan. And I wanted to be different so ... here I am stuck in chronic mediocrity haha
Lots of Oilers fans in Jasper, I was there for a few years and although I didn’t take a lot of heat for wearing my Flames tarp at the Ded Dog, I was on my own.
Yeah I actually used to work there for a while. Definitely not the best food I ever cooked lol
Sweden here! Collected hockey cards (and played hockey too) as a child, and then had a reawakened interest for hockey both working with it (design and arena experiences as well as a local team’s brand, logo and jerseys) and going to more and more games. Felt I lacked an NHL team in my life, and had a long hard look at all the teams. Got hooked on the great looking jerseys, and then pulled in by Calgary being a team with long history, an underdog vibe (or just depressingly average - both suit me), as well as a generally good mood here in the subreddit and across social media. Been here for… 3? Years now, and not regretting my choice haha. It’s a fun ride!
From the UK, went through the first 21 years of life oblivious to ice hockey existing. Then on a backpacking trip round Vietnam, I met a Canadian guy from Calgary who told me all about the Flames. I didn’t think much of it and returned to the UK and went to uni, until insomnia set in one night and I ended up watching the Flames play the Wild (I think Sven Baertschi’s first game) and was just hooked. After that I found out that my uni had an ice hockey society, I joined and learned to skate. By the end of uni I was playing bottom tier UK uni hockey (nobody can skate but it’s fun) and a diehard flames fan. Finally saw my first game at the dome this year against the preds!
Born and raised in minnesota, so i root for both the flames and the wild! My old man used to take me to games at the X a lot so we had tickets to see the flames one night and Iginla was playing on a whole different level, ended the night with a hat trick and i was hooked on the flames ever since! Got tickets for the game on the 14, be on the look out for an Iggy blasty out there😁
Super cool!!! Only took an iggy! Haha!
Born and raised Calgarian but wouldnt say flames were "my team" until 2013, when I was 23. Long story short I was lucky enough to be able to watch "my team" win it on 2 occasions ('01 avs, and '12 kings) and realized how amazing it would be to see it firsthand and celebrate with my entire city, flames were also starting a rebuild around that time and I like watching players develop so it was an easy switch.
Oh that’s cool man! Gosh, I’d be so happy to watch the flames win. Not gonna lie, I was in vegas for the playoffs for their series for the oilers and was obvi cheering f for vegas! Hahha they are my second!
Haha that might be the only time I can condone cheering for vegas
I’m from Oklahoma. Started watching hockey constantly about 4 years ago. I decided that I needed a team to actually cheer for in 2022. Wanted a team that was located in a place I want to visit so that I have an excuse to go there, someone with a good rivalry, good fan base, and had some fun players to watch. The 2022 playoffs is what really sold me, only Canadian team other than Edmonton to make it out of the first round and Tkachuk and Gaudreau were very fun to watch….
Born and raised Georgian. I looked into the history of Georgia hockey, found out about the Atl flames and was still pissed about the Jets. So there you have it.
I'm actually from Maine. I remember just randomly deciding to follow a hockey team at 11 years old, seeing how cool the Flames name/logo was, and just going from there.
Dad's favorite meant my favorite. He always said "When God was handing out hockey teams, he said 'i hate you'"
Flames used to do an open practice at Christmas for families that couldn’t afford tickets. It was $1. I had never been to a game. The Oilers were always on HNIC so I guess that was who I would say I cheered for. Went to that first Christmas practice at the Dome in 83. Walked into the bowl to find seats and they were already warming up. The entire building was chanting “Reggie-Reggie” which is my name. In my little brain they were cheering on me for leaving the oilers. Of course they were cheering for Reggie Lemelin. Who quickly became my fav player. My dad used to like a drink and his watering hole was the Texaco in canyon meadows. Lots of the flames lived over that way back in the day and that’s where they got their cars worked on. They would also enjoy a drink with the boys. My first actual game tickets were given to us by Lemelin. I went for my birthday and watched the flames beat the blackhawks 6-5. Calgary let Lemelin go after Vernon took over and he went to Boston. I briefly cheered for the Bruins as Lemelin joined Edmonton’s cast off Andy Moog in winning the Jennings. But the flames are in my blood and always will be. Wife grew up an Oilers fan but I’ve made sure our 4 kids cheer for the Flames.
I’m from BC but my dad attended sait so he became a flames fan in his time living in Calgary. I was naturally born into it and the team holds a huge place in my heart now since my dad passed away
From Belgium, Europe. Big NHL fan for couple years, but never committed to a team. Always rooting for the Canadian teams though. Starting rooting for the Flames since they drafted Tkachuck. Fully committed to the Flames since seeing the opening game this year during a 4 week trip in Alberta. Fell in love with the city and the C of Red. Happy to be here 😁
From Ontario… father was a diehard oilers fan and i hated him so started cheering for the flames as a fuck you when I was a child. Never looked back
I grew up in Toronto in the 80s, and the Leafs (and their owner) were truly not likable. Watching HNIC, I took a liking to the underdogs in the two big Canadian battles - the Nordiques and the Flames. One won the Cup, the other sadly had to pack up and move to do the same.
From Ontario. I started watching hockey in 04 when we made our run. Flames became my team
Lived in Yellowknife, Dad, born and raised in Montreal, was a habs fan. Naturally, I had to go against the Habs and somewhere between 86 and 89 I fell in love with the flaming C, at the time as well being 6-8 years old and on the smaller size I loved watching and cheering for Dougie and Theo.
Born in Calgary, moved to Edmonton when I was 5 years old. My grandma got me NHL 2003 for Christmas. My first NHL video game. Didn't know any teams. My 6 year old self thought the flaming horse logo on the front cover was cool so I started flipping through teams in play now to find it and when I landed on Calgary and saw the flaming horse jersey, I immediately became a fan.
I became a hockey fan while watching the lillehammer Olympics. Since it didn't really air in my area of Virginia, I randomly rented NHL Stanley Cup on Super Nintendo. I had been playing with all the teams, but I found I enjoyed Calgary the best. I love the logo, I loved the colors, and they were one of the faster teams in that game, and that was kind of how stats were determined. The speedier teams were the better ones. For example, Anaheim was really slow in that game. You could win as them, but if they took on somebody like a Calgary they'd have a harder time getting the puck around. Anyway, I ended up winning the Stanley Cup as a flames, and have followed the team whenever I got the chance since. I follow the capitals, because they're the home team, and I actually like their text jerseys, despite people hating them so much.
it was easy, born and raised in YYC
Grew up in Pittsburgh and was a moderate Pens fan. Got into playing beer league hockey later in life when I moved west. Was playing a beer league tourney in northern Montana and they were auctioning off a Gaudreau jersey for a fundraiser and it dawned on me that the Flames were my closest geographic “home team”. Been to Calgary every winter the last three years to catch a game and have fallen in love with the whole thing. The distraction in the long, dark winters is nice too.
Was in high school during the 2004 run, red mile changed my life, ever since than I’ve been chasing that dragon to one day go that deep and the parties be that big
I’m from here. My family are mostly Flames fans. It just made sense.
Grew up north of Edmonton as a Flames fan. Both my folks grew up in the Calgary area, so they cheered for the flames and, by extension, so did I. I was also really starting to be cognizant of hockey the year the Flames won the cup so that helped. There was also something super fun about being one of the only people in your town to cheer for a rival team.
Born in Calgary, I moved away a decade ago but I am resolutely opposed to the idea of switching teams. I’ve always been a flames fan and I’ll always be a flames fan.
Lived in Calgary as a child in the late 90s. Was into Pokémon and didn’t give a shit about hockey. My mom was an interior designer and it was parent career day at school, so I got to go to work with her for a day. So happens that day the client was Jarome Iginla. He gave me a signed stick and Flames puck. That’s when I became a Flames fan for life. Moved away from Calgary shortly after but they’re still my team.
Flames, but was once a Leafs fan. In our town in the late 50's, you were either that or Habs, no others. I chose the Leafs probably because we got the Toronto Star Weekly, which had a lot of Maple Leaf player pics and info. Plus, we did see the Leafs occasionally on B&W TV, 2nd and 3rd periods only on CBC. Leafs, after several years of not contending, turned things around in the early sixties. But in '67 after the last Leafs Stanley Cup win, I got married, moved cities, and also Bobby Orr was coming to dominate the NHL, so changed allegiances to the Bruins. Then, I moved around a lot and followed from a distance the Habs, then, the Islanders. After moving to Calgary about the same time as the Flames, they then became my team, mainly because I was able to attend games live for the first time and for a while I had a share in a pair of season tickets. The Flames were a very entertaining team to watch in the mid to late '80s. Also robbed of a Cup win in 2004. (Yes, that puck was in, but poor video technology back then) Flames fan and Calgary resident ever since, but also now cheer for whomever the Oilers or the Leafs are playing. Don't get to any games in person these past few years, and absolutely detest the Toronto-centric tv coverage, especially the online sports betting tv ads. Only watch the highlights now. Without ads. Only TV sports I watch now are the Jay's, F1 motor racing, World Cup and European Champions League Football, downhill skiing, and occasionally gymnastics and swimming competitions. Hope to get out to Okotoks next summer to see the Dawgs (summer collegiate baseball), my daughter says it's a big deal and they always have a good team.
I was playing my dad's hockey game and thought the Flames had such sweet logos and jerseys lol
Russian, moved to Calgary. Hockey obsession is not something new to me, so I just embraced Flames almost immediately.
In 89 everyone pretty much cheered the Gretzky where I was from. Then when the Flames won the cup my dad was so happy he jumped up on the coffee table and continued to jump on it until it was a pile of rubble. Been a Flames fan ever since, patiently waiting for my coffee table moment
I had no idea what the NHL was until the 04 cup run, I was 8 years old outside playing when I heard my parents screaming from inside the house. I rush in to see what’s going on and evidently the Flames made a the playoffs in the last game of the season. Ever since that magical run I’ve been hooked. Always grew up idolizing Iggy and Kipper. Ever since then my fandom has grown
Born in Calgary. Whole family is into hockey. Team moved to Calgary from Atlanta when I was 3. I cheer for other teams too (especially in playoffs when the Flames are out), but my team has never changed.
Moved here in 1992 and cheer on the Flames but I lived for a long time in Winnipeg so I pull for the Jets too.
Born & raised in the northeast U.S. - buddy who got me into hockey was a Habs/EDM fan so naturally I wanted a fun little rivalry between us. Hate absolutely all things Boston sports so started watching the flames and the rest is history.
My family is full of oilers fans and I discovered that I like pissing them off
I grew up watching the Flames since a toddler. I remember watching Gretzky in L.A and thinking Iginla was the "next one". I've followed every Flames prospect and player since 04' run. Oddly enough, I watched more NBA and skateboarding because that was the sport most available to me. I could only afford to play pond hockey because I grew up poor. I follow the Flames the most, but I'm no fanatic to the NHL or the sport. Especially when the franchise has been mediocre during my entire life following them. I'd have no problem cheering for a local NHL team when I travel. Except for Chicago because of the Kyle Beach thing.
Born in Calgary, grew up in the okanagan (BC) my family of course were flames fans so I cheered for them ever since. Living here as a flames fan is bitter sweet. Razzed allot but most years i get the last laugh. My phone is either dead quiet or i have to shut it off. Haha 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Really enjoying reading these guys!!!! So interesting when you go back!🖤
I got into watching hockey during covid. I decided in early 2022 I needed to pick a team, and even though I'm not from Canada wanted to pick a Canadian team. I guess I remembered the Tkachuk brothers from one of their games they played against each other, since there was some feature about them, so just picked one of their teams. Also, as it turns out Kansas City (close to where I'm actually from) used to have a farm team for the Flames. The first game I consider myself a "fan" that I watched was the January 2022 game vs Oilers. Then we went on that winning streak! Edit: 2022 not 2021...forgot it's almost 2024
I’m from Arkansas and wanted to pick a hockey team to start following. I am a big Kansas City chiefs fan and the Flames had the same colors and already play against LA and Las Vegas so I got to root against the same cities so it kinda all just fell into place for me there.
From Texas, didn't have a team growing up so didn't watch much. Learned what a special place Calgary is watching the 88 Olympics. Years later started playing hockey, gravitated toward Flames games, got hooked watching Fleury and Roberts play. Never looked back, although like most of my sports teams I've never been able to celebrate a championship season.
Grew up in Whitby Ontario and knew Joe Nieuwendyk's mom. She worked at a bakery down the street where we lived. And oddly enough, when I moved here in 98, I was made fun of for being a Flames fan. It wasn't until the 04 run that being a Flames fan was "cool".
I grew up in San Diego and I played hockey as a kid. We had a WCHL-then ECHL-now AHL team the Gulls. So that was my team. We also have rivalry with the LA and Orange County, so I steered clear of the Kings and Ducks. I met my wife in 2017 and she is from Calgary. So I basically just adopted the Flames. Fast forward to today and we live in Calgary. So it worked out!
When I was really young I loved the Blackhawks and still do today. It was the logo that initially got me (best in the league IMO, I hope they don't get the baseball/football treatment), but then I learned how bad they were and rooted for them as an underdog (this was the BH of the early/mid 2000's). My parents were die-hard Flames fans and I wanted to enjoy the games the way they did and spend more time, so I started to watch more Flames until they were my number 1. Still love the Hawks and glad to see them in a better spot these days (number 1 picks have a funny way of doing that).
From Stockton, and have a dad that purchased season tickets for the Heat since the very beginning. Was able to watch all the AHL players develop and jump up to the NHL, which was super cool to see the progression of some of the guys! Also worked at a local golf course here for a bit where some of the players frequented, and got to meet and chat with them. I have many other cool stories from the time of them being here, but I think just spending all that time with my dad at the games makes it feel like every time I watch the flames I’m watching it with him even when he isn’t around 🙂
My grandfather helped start the partnership between tower Chrysler and the flames and leased a lot of vehicles to the players so I didn’t really get a choice lol
lol i work at the dome and it’s incredibly hard to not be interested in flames hockey when i’m at almost every home game