2003–04 Calgary Flames season
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The 2003–04
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
season was the 24th
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
in Calgary, and the 32nd for the franchise in the NHL. The Flames ended a seven-year playoff drought, qualifying for the post-season for the first time since 1996. The Flames defeated three division winners en route to an appearance in the
2004 Stanley Cup Finals The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2003–04 season, and the culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western ...
. The Flames were defeated in the finals by the
Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
in seven games. The run to the finals captured the imagination of the city, while the
Red Mile The Red Mile is the name given to a stretch of 17 Avenue SW in Calgary, Alberta, Canada during the Calgary Flames 2004 Stanley Cup playoff run, which ended with a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games in the finals. It gained worldwide ...
celebrations gained international attention for the " Mardi Gras-like" atmosphere as up to 80,000 people celebrated in the streets after each playoff game. Head coach
Darryl Sutter Darryl John Sutter (born August 19, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ( Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and ...
succeeded Craig Button as the Flames' general manager. Sutter made numerous changes to the roster as he worked to remake the Flames into a fast, physical club.
Chris Drury Christopher Ellis Drury (born August 20, 1976) is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He has served as the president and general manager for the New York Rangers since May 5, 2021. He previously served as the genera ...
was dealt to Buffalo for Rhett Warrener and Steve Reinprecht before the season began. A knee injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek led Sutter to trade for Miikka Kiprusoff, a player he knew from his days with the San Jose Sharks. Kiprusoff responded to the deal by posting an NHL record low
goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending ...
of 1.69. The Flames were led offensively by Jarome Iginla, who tied
Ilya Kovalchuk Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (russian: Илья Валерьевич Ковальчук; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montrea ...
and
Rick Nash Richard McLaren Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected first overal ...
for the league lead with 41 goals as the trio shared the
Rocket Richard Trophy A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely f ...
. Iginla represented the Flames at the 54th National Hockey League All-Star Game in Minnesota, and was named a second team all-star for his performance during the season. Iginla's charity work and leadership both on and off the ice led to his also being awarded the
King Clancy Memorial Trophy The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is a sports award given annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and who has made a significant humanitarian contribution to his community. The ...
and
NHL Foundation Player Award The NHL Foundation Player Award was awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) player "who applies the core values of (ice) hockey—commitment, perseverance and teamwork—to enrich the lives of people in his community". The winner is ...
.


Regular season

After struggling with an injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek in the first game of the season, an early November trade for San Jose Sharks third stringer Miikka Kiprusoff sparked the Flames, as Kiprusoff led Calgary into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Defenceman
Mike Commodore Michael W. Commodore (born November 7, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Commodore played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). In 2006, he won the Stanley Cup as part of the Carolina Hurricanes. Commodor ...
became a cult hero for his unruly red mop of hair during the playoffs, leading many fans to wear red afro wigs to playoff games. Craig Conroy brought a team building idea from his days with the
St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
, having the team award a green hard hat to the hardest working player each time the Flames won. As the exercise gained popularity, fans also began wearing green hard hats to the arena themselves. The Flames allowed the fewest short-handed goals during the regular season, with just 2.


Season standings


Playoffs

Calgary's defeat of the Vancouver Canucks in the first round was the first playoff series victory for the Flames since they won the Cup in 1989. Jarome Iginla scored two goals and assisted on Martin Gelinas' overtime winner in game seven, sending fans in Calgary into the streets to celebrate the victory. The Flames pulled off an even bigger upset in round two, knocking off the President's Trophy winning Red Wings in six, including back-to-back 1–0 shutouts in the final two games. Once again, Gelinas scored the overtime winner on a rebound on a play set up by Iginla. In doing so, Gelinas became the first player in NHL history to record three career OT winners to end a series. The third round series pitted the Flames against head coach
Darryl Sutter Darryl John Sutter (born August 19, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ( Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and ...
and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff's old team – the San Jose Sharks. After jumping out to a 2–0 series lead on the road, the Sharks returned the favour, defeating Calgary twice at home. After blanking the Sharks in San Jose in game five, the Flames returned home with a chance to go to the Stanley Cup Final. Led once again by Iginla and Gelinas, the Flames cruised to a 3–1 victory. Gelinas once again scored the series-clinching goal, this time in the second period, to return the Flames to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it in ; this was the first Finals appearance by a Canadian team since the
Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
lost to the
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
. In addition, the Flames became the first team to defeat the 1st, 2nd and 3rd seeded teams in their conference en route to the Stanley Cup Final (which was only repeated in 2012 by the Los Angeles Kings). The Final versus Tampa Bay became known for controversy. First, referee Kerry Fraser was pulled from his game six assignment in Calgary after drawing the ire of Flames fans following several calls in game four that upset the local fans. Fraser would instead officiate game seven in Tampa. The officiating in game four prompted a rant by Sutter, in which he alleged that the NHL did not want Calgary to win. Late in game six, with the score tied, a shot that deflected off of Gelinas' skate was stopped by Tampa Bay goaltender
Nikolai Khabibulin Nikolai Alexandrovich Khabibulin (; rus, Николай Александрович Хабибулин, p=xəbʲɪˈbulʲɪn, born January 13, 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Known by the nickname "The Bulin Wall", h ...
on the goal line. Later replays indicated that the puck may have crossed the line, however the play was not reviewed at the time, and the NHL would later rule the video was inconclusive, since the puck was in the air, not on the ice. Instead, the Lightning would win in double overtime, and go on to win game seven by a 2–1 score.No cup, but Flames' season still a success
cbc.ca, June 8, 2004. Retrieved November 29, 2006.
Despite the game seven loss, the playoff run lifted the city to a new high. Over 30,000 fans celebrated the Flames run at a rally at Olympic Plaza shortly after the Final had ended.


Schedule and results


Regular season

, - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 1 , , October 9 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
, , , , Turek , , 18,630 , , 0–1–0–0 , , 0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 2 , , October 11 , , San Jose , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 17,039 , , 1–1–0–0 , , 2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 3 , , October 14 , ,
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
, , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 16,009 , , 2–1–0–0, , 4 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , October 18 , , Buffalo , , 2–0 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 14,139 , , 2–2–0–0 , , 4 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , October 21 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, , , , McLennan , , 18,064 , , 3–2–0–0 , , 6 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 6 , , October 24 , ,
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,454 , , 3–3–0–0 , , 6 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 7 , , October 25 , , Calgary , , 4–2 , , Edmonton , , , , McLennan , , 16,839 , , 4–3–0–0 , , 8 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 8 , , October 28 , , Calgary , , 2–4 , ,
Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...
, , , , McLennan , , 18,007 , , 4–4–0–0 , , 8 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;" , 9 , , October 29 , , Calgary , , 3–4 , ,
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, , OT , , Sabourin , , 18,209 , , 4–4–0–1 , , 9 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 10 , , November 1 , , Columbus , , 0–3 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 14,539 , , 5–4–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 11 , , November 4 , ,
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,259 , , 5–5–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 12 , , November 7 , , Minnesota , , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 13,839 , , 5–6–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 13 , , November 9 , , Calgary , , 3–4 , , Columbus , , , , Sabourin , , 17,957 , , 5–7–0–1 , , 11 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 14 , , November 12 , , Calgary , , 6–2 , ,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, , , , McLennan , , 11,988 , , 6–7–0–1 , , 13 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 15 , , November 13 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Nashville , , , , Sabourin , , 9,630 , , 6–8–0–1 , , 13 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;" , 16 , , November 15 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Edmonton , , OT , , McLennan , , 16,839 , , 6–8–0–2 , , 14 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 17 , , November 18 , ,
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, , 2–3 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 17,509 , , 7–8–0–2 , , 16 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 18 , , November 20 , ,
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,139 , , 8–8–0–2 , , 18 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 19 , , November 22 , , Chicago , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,549 , , 9–8–0–2 , , 20 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fdd;" , 20 , , November 27 , , Colorado , , 6–5 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , ?? , , 9–8–0–3 , , 21 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 21 , , November 29 , , Vancouver , , 4–4 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 18,159 , , 9–8–1–3 , , 22 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 22 , , December 2 , , San Jose , , 1–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 13,059 , , 10–8–1–3 , , 24 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 23 , , December 4 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , 11–8–1–3 , , 26 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 24 , , December 5 , , Minnesota , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 14,669 , , 12–8–1–3 , , 28 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 25 , , December 7 , ,
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
, , 1–6 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,009 , , 13–8–1–3 , , 30 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 26 , , December 9 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Minnesota , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,568 , , 13–9–1–3 , , 30 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 27 , , December 11 , , Carolina , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 14,119 , , 14–9–1–3 , , 32 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 28 , , December 13 , , Colorado , , 1–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 16,809 , , 14–9–2–3 , , 33 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 29 , , December 16 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,931 , , 15–9–2–3 , , 35 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 30 , , December 18 , , Calgary , , 5–0 , ,
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, , , , McLennan , , 10,659 , , 16–9–2–3 , , 37 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 31 , , December 19 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Columbus , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,561 , , 17–9–2–3 , , 39 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 32 , , December 23 , , Edmonton , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,389 , , 18–9–2–3 , , 41 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 33 , , December 26 , , Vancouver , , 2–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 18–10–2–3 , , 41 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 34 , , December 28 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Edmonton , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,839 , , 19–10–2–3 , , 43 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 35 , , December 29 , , Minnesota , , 2–2 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 16,279 , , 19–10–3–3 , , 44 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 36 , , December 31 , , Colorado , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 18,469 , , 19–11–3–3 , , 44 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 37 , , January 3 , , Vancouver , , 3–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 18,269 , , 19–12–3–3 , , 44 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 38 , , January 5 , , Calgary , , 5–0 , , NY Rangers , , , , McLennan , , 18,200 , , 20–12–3–3 , , 46 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 39 , , January 6 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,
NY Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...
, , , , McLennan , , 12,576 , , 21–12–3–3 , , 48 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 40 , , January 8 , , Calgary , , 1–3 , , Chicago , , , , McLennan , , 10,865 , , 21–13–3–3 , , 48 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 41 , , January 10 , ,
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 16,809 , , 22–13–3–3 , , 50 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 42 , , January 13 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Toronto , , , , McLennan , , 19,310 , , 22–14–3–2 , , 50 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 43 , , January 14 , , Calgary , , 3–3 , ,
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, , OT , , McLennan , , 14,537 , , 22–14–4–3 , , 51 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 44 , , January 17 , , Dallas , , 3–2 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,909 , , 22–15–4–3 , , 51 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 45 , , January 19 , , Calgary , , 5–1 , , Anaheim , , , , Turek , , 13,146 , , 23–15–4–3 , , 53 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 46 , , January 20 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, , , , Turek , , 18,118 , , 23–16–4–3 , , 53 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 47 , , January 22 , , Nashville , , 0–4 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 16,629 , , 24–16–4–3 , , 55 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 48 , , January 24 , ,
Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...
, , 6–2 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,109 , , 24–17–4–3 , , 55 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 49 , , January 27 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Phoenix , , , , Turek , , ?? , , 25–17–4–3 , , 57 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 50 , , January 28 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , San Jose , , , , Turek , , 15,119 , , 25–18–4–3 , , 57 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 51 , , January 30 , , Chicago , , 5–3 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,139 , , 25–19–4–3 , , 57 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 52 , , February 1 , , Anaheim , , 4–6 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,189 , , 26–19–4–3 , , 59 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 53 , , February 3 , , Los Angeles , , 4–4 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 14,169 , , 26–19–5–3 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 54 , , February 5 , , St. Louis , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 15,389 , , 26–20–5–3 , , 60 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 55 , , February 10 , ,
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, , 2–5 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,549 , , 27–20–5–3 , , 62 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 56 , , February 11 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Vancouver , , , , Turek , , 18,630 , , 28–20–5–3 , , 64 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 57 , , February 13 , , Anaheim , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,749 , , 29–20–5–3 , , 66 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 58 , , February 15 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Minnesota , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,568 , , 30–20–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 59 , , February 19 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Montreal , , , , Kiprusoff , , 21,273 , , 30–21–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 60 , , February 21 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Ottawa , , , , Turek , , 18,500 , , 30–22–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 61 , , February 22 , , Calgary , , 1–3 , ,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,733 , , 30–23–5–3 , , 68 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 62 , , February 24 , , Calgary , , 2–0 , , Colorado , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,007 , , 31–23–5–3 , , 70 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 63 , , February 26 , , Detroit , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,862 , , 31–24–5–3 , , 70 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 64 , , February 29 , , Phoenix , , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,579 , , 32–24–5–3 , , 72 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 65 , , March 2 , , Calgary , , 4–2 , , St. Louis , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,571 , , 33–24–5–3 , , 74 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 66 , , March 3 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Detroit , , , , Turek , , 20,066 , , 33–25–5–3 , , 74 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 67 , , March 5 , , Calgary , , 1–5 , , Dallas , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,532 , , 33–26–5–3 , , 74 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 68 , , March 7 , , Calgary , , 7–1 , , Colorado , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,007 , , 34–26–5–3 , , 76 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 69 , , March 9 , , Edmonton , , 1–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,479 , , 34–26–6–3 , , 77 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 70 , , March 11 , , Ottawa , , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,869 , , 35–26–6–3 , , 79 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#ffb;" , 71 , , March 13 , , Calgary , , 4–4 , , Nashville , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 17,113 , , 35–26–7–3 , , 80 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 72 , , March 14 , , Calgary , , 3–0 , , St. Louis , , , , Turek , , 19,523 , , 36–26–7–3 , , 82 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 73 , , March 16 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , 37–26–7–3 , , 84 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 74 , , March 18 , , Columbus , , 0–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,479 , , 38–26–7–3 , , 86 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 75 , , March 20 , , Nashville , , 3–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,439 , , 38–27–7–3 , , 86 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 76 , , March 22 , , Dallas , , 4–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,729 , , 38–28–7–3 , , 86 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 77 , , March 24 , , Calgary , , 4–0 , , Phoenix , , , , Turek , , 18,496 , , 39–28–7–3 , , 88 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 78 , , March 25 , , Calgary , , 2–3 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,588 , , 39–29–7–3 , , 88 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 79 , , March 27 , , Los Angeles , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 40–29–7–3 , , 90 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 80 , , March 31 , , Phoenix , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 41–29–7–3 , , 92 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 81 , , April 2 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Los Angeles , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,247 , , 42–29–7–3 , , 94 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 82 , , April 4 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Anaheim , , , , Turek , , 17,174 , , 42–30–7–3 , , 94 , , , - , - , ''Legend'':


Playoffs

, - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 1 , , April 7 , , Calgary , , 3–5 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Vancouver leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 2 , , April 9 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Series tied 1–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 3 , , April 11 , , Vancouver , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Vancouver leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 4 , , April 13 , , Vancouver , , 0–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , April 15 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 6 , , April 17 , , Vancouver , , 5–4 , , Calgary , , 3OT , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 3–3 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 7 , , April 19 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Vancouver , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , Calgary wins 4–3 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 1 , , April 22 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Detroit , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , Calgary leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 2 , , April 24 , , Calgary , , 2–5 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , Series tied 1–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 3 , , April 27 , , Detroit , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , April 29 , , Detroit , , 4–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , May 1 , , Calgary , , 1–0 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066, , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 6 , , May 3 , , Detroit , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary wins 4–2 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 1 , , May 9 , , Calgary , , 4–3 , , San Jose , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 17,496 , , Calgary leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 2 , , May 11 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,496 , , Calgary leads 2–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 3 , , May 13 , , San Jose , , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , May 16 , , San Jose , , 4–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , May 17 , , Calgary , , 3–0 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,496 , , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 6 , , May 19 , , San Jose , , 1–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,289 , , Calgary wins 4–2 , , , - , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 1 , , May 25 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Tampa Bay , , , , Kiprusoff , , 21,674 , , Calgary leads 1–0 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 2 , , May 27 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Tampa Bay , , , , Kiprusoff , , 22,222 , , Series tied 1–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 3 , , May 29 , , Tampa Bay , , 0–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,221 , , Calgary leads 2–1 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 4 , , May 31 , , Tampa Bay , , 1–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 19,221 , , Series tied 2–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#bfb;" , 5 , , June 3 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Tampa Bay , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 22,426 , , Calgary leads 3–2 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 6 , , June 5 , , Tampa Bay , , 3–2 , , Calgary , , 2OT , , Kiprusoff , , 19,221 , , Series tied 3–3 , , , - style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" , 7 , , June 7 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Tampa Bay , , , , Kiprusoff , , 22,717 , , Tampa Bay wins 4–3 , , , - , - , ''Legend'':


Player statistics

Jarome Iginla's 41 goals placed him in a tie for the league lead, earning him his second
Rocket Richard Trophy A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely f ...
. Iginla shared the award with Atlanta's
Ilya Kovalchuk Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (russian: Илья Валерьевич Ковальчук; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montrea ...
and Columbus'
Rick Nash Richard McLaren Nash (born June 16, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who serves as the director of player development for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). After being selected first overal ...
, both of whom also scored 41 goals. Iginla also led the league in playoff goals, as his total of 13 was one better than Tampa's Brad Richards and Ruslan Fedotenko. Iginla led the team in scoring for the fourth consecutive season, Miikka Kiprusoff, acquired from the San Jose Sharks early in the season, set a modern NHL record low
goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending ...
of 1.69 in 39 games played. He recorded five shutouts in the playoffs, a franchise record. Kiprusoff's performance with the Flames led to his being named the starting goaltender for team Finland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, where he led the Finns to the championship final.


Scoring

* ''Position abbreviations: C =
Centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics * Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentri ...
; D =
Defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indus ...
; G =
Goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...
; LW = Left Wing; RW =
Right Wing Right-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that view certain social orders and Social stratification, hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this pos ...
''
* '' = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.'' * '' = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.'' * Bold text denotes league leader.


Goaltending

* '' = Joined team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, signing) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.'' * '' = Left team via a transaction (e.g., trade, waivers, release) during the season. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.'' *Bold text denotes league record. ''Italics'' denotes franchise record.


Awards and records


Awards


Milestones


Transactions

Prior to the season, the Flames sent restricted free agent
Chris Drury Christopher Ellis Drury (born August 20, 1976) is an American professional ice hockey executive and former player. He has served as the president and general manager for the New York Rangers since May 5, 2021. He previously served as the genera ...
to the
Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
for defenceman Rhett Warrener and forward Steve Reinprecht, whom the Sabres had acquired from the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...
, then included in the Drury trade. Warrener especially was seen as being a key player for the Flames as they attempted to qualify for the playoffs. The acquisition of Miikka Kiprusoff proved to be a significant turning point for the Flames' season.
Darryl Sutter Darryl John Sutter (born August 19, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Calgary Flames. He is one of seven Sutter brothers, six of whom made the NHL ( Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich, and ...
dealt for Kiprusoff after starting goaltender Roman Turek suffered a knee injury that left him unable to play for several months. Kiprusoff stabilized the Flames' goaltending situation, producing a league record low
goals against average Goals against average (GAA) also known as "average goals against" or "AGA" is a statistic used in field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender or goalkeeper (depending ...
.


Trades


Players acquired


Players lost


Signings


Draft picks

The
2003 NHL Entry Draft The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was the 41st NHL Entry Draft. It was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21 and 22, 2003. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins. This wa ...
was held in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
on June 21–22, 2003. The Flames selected nine players in the draft. Calgary selected offensive minded defenceman
Dion Phaneuf Dion Phaneuf (born 10 April 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted ninth overal ...
with their first pick, ninth overall. Phaneuf's coach with the
Red Deer Rebels The Red Deer Rebels are a Western Hockey League junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The Rebels play at the Peavey Mart Centrium. History A "Name the Team" contest ran in Red Deer from October 7 to 17, 1991. The top t ...
described him as being a physical player on draft day. "This kid doesn't hit to hit. He hits to hurt. It's a mind-set that's rare in the game. At any level. You can't teach it, you can't fake it. You're either born with it, or you're not." Phaneuf quickly made an impact in the NHL, scoring 20 goals as a rookie in 2005–06, earning a nomination for the
Calder Memorial Trophy The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League (NHL)." It is named after Frank Calder, the first president of the NHL. Serving as ...
as top rookie. Phaneuf was nominated for the Norris Trophy as top defenceman in 2007–08, just his third year in the NHL. :Statistics are updated to the end of the
2014–15 NHL season The 2014–15 NHL season was the 98th season of operation (97th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Los Angeles Kings became the first team to miss the playoffs after winning the Stanley Cup the previous season since the C ...
. denotes player was on an NHL roster in 2014–15.


Farm teams


Lowell Lockmonsters

After shutting down the Saint John Flames, the Flames entered into an agreement to share an affiliation with the Lowell Lockmonsters with the
Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
. The Lockmonsters posted a 32–36–6–6 record, out of the playoffs with a 6th-place finish in the Atlantic Division.


Las Vegas Wranglers

The Las Vegas Wranglers entered the
ECHL The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The ...
as an expansion team, immediately entering an affiliation agreement with the Flames. The team was immediately competitive, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 43–22–7 record. This did not translate into the playoffs however, as the Wranglers lost in the divisional semifinals.


See also

*
2003–04 NHL season The 2003–04 NHL season was the 87th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup champions were the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won the best of seven series four games to three against the Calgary Flames. For the fourth time in ...


Notes


References

* Player stats: 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide – 2003–04 stats, pg. 108. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 Calgary Flames Season Calgary Flames seasons Calgary Flames Season, 2003-04 Western Conference (NHL) championship seasons Cal Cal