The 2003–04 Calgary Flames season was the 24th

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL)

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 axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, 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 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

. The Flames defeated three division winners en route to an appearance in the

2004 Stanley Cup Finals The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was the Stanley Cup Finals, championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2003–04 NHL season, 2003–04 season, and the culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Eastern Conference (NHL), Easter ...

. 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. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

in seven games. The run to the finals captured the imagination of the city, while the Red Mile 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 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 was dealt 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 (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Con ...

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 The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. The Sharks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Con ...

. Kiprusoff responded to the deal by posting an NHL record low

goals against average Goals against average (GAA), also known as average goals against (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 on spo ...

of 1.69. The Flames were led offensively by

Jarome Iginla Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla (; born July 1, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger (ice hockey), winger. He played over 1,500 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Calgary Flames, Pittsbu ...

, who tied

Ilya Kovalchuk Ilya Valeryevich Kovalchuk (; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian former professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), winger. He played for the Atlanta Thrashers, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings, Montreal Canadiens, and Washington Capitals in ...

and

Rick Nash Richard 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 List of first overall ...

for the league lead with 41 goals as the trio shared the

Rocket Richard Trophy A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

. 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 and NHL Foundation Player Award.

Regular season

After struggling with an injury to starting goaltender Roman Turek in the first game of the season, an early November trade for

third stringer Miikka Kiprusoff sparked the Flames, as Kiprusoff led Calgary into the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Calgary Flames Green HardHat

Defenceman Mike Commodore 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 Craig Michael Conroy (born September 4, 1971) is an Americans, American former professional ice hockey player and the current general manager of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). A sixth-round selection of the Montreal Cana ...

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 (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

, 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 The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

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

Presidents' Trophy The Presidents' Trophy () is an award presented by the National Hockey League (NHL) to the team that finishes with the most points (i.e., best overall record) during the regular season. If two teams are tied for the most points, then the Trophy ...

winning

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

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 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 Finals. 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 Finals for the first time since winning it in ; this was the first Finals appearance by a Canadian team since the

lost to the

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

. 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 Finals (which was only repeated in 2012 by the Los Angeles Kings). Cofred

The Final versus

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 i ...

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 ''Olympic Plaza'' may refer to one of the following: *Olympic Plaza (Calgary) – A downtown city park and gathering place in Calgary, Alberta, Canada *Pyeongchang Olympic Plaza – Public square situated on the site of the former Olympic Stadium ...

shortly after the Final had ended.

Schedule and results

Regular season

, - , 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 cit ...

, , , , Turek , , 18,630 , , 0–1–0–0 , , 0 , , , - , 2 , , October 11 , , San Jose , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 17,039 , , 1–1–0–0 , , 2 , , , - , 3 , , October 14 , ,

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 16,009 , , 2–1–0–0, , 4 , , , - , 4 , , October 18 , , Buffalo , , 2–0 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 14,139 , , 2–2–0–0 , , 4 , , , - , 5 , , October 21 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

, , , , McLennan , , 18,064 , , 3–2–0–0 , , 6 , , , - , 6 , , October 24 , ,

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

, , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,454 , , 3–3–0–0 , , 6 , , , - , 7 , , October 25 , , Calgary , , 4–2 , , Edmonton , , , , McLennan , , 16,839 , , 4–3–0–0 , , 8 , , , - , 8 , , October 28 , , Calgary , , 2–4 , ,

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

, , , , McLennan , , 18,007 , , 4–4–0–0 , , 8 , , , - , 9 , , October 29 , , Calgary , , 3–4 , ,

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

, , OT , , Sabourin , , 18,209 , , 4–4–0–1 , , 9 , , , - , - , 10 , , November 1 , , Columbus , , 0–3 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 14,539 , , 5–4–0–1 , , 11 , , , - , 11 , , November 4 , ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,259 , , 5–5–0–1 , , 11 , , , - , 12 , , November 7 , , Minnesota , , 3–0 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 13,839 , , 5–6–0–1 , , 11 , , , - , 13 , , November 9 , , Calgary , , 3–4 , , Columbus , , , , Sabourin , , 17,957 , , 5–7–0–1 , , 11 , , , - , 14 , , November 12 , , Calgary , , 6–2 , ,

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, , , , McLennan , , 11,988 , , 6–7–0–1 , , 13 , , , - , 15 , , November 13 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, , , , Sabourin , , 9,630 , , 6–8–0–1 , , 13 , , , - , 16 , , November 15 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Edmonton , , OT , , McLennan , , 16,839 , , 6–8–0–2 , , 14 , , , - , 17 , , November 18 , ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, , 2–3 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 17,509 , , 7–8–0–2 , , 16 , , , - , 18 , , November 20 , ,

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,139 , , 8–8–0–2 , , 18 , , , - , 19 , , November 22 , , Chicago , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,549 , , 9–8–0–2 , , 20 , , , - , 20 , , November 27 , , Colorado , , 6–5 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , ?? , , 9–8–0–3 , , 21 , , , - , 21 , , November 29 , , Vancouver , , 4–4 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 18,159 , , 9–8–1–3 , , 22 , , , - , - , 22 , , December 2 , , San Jose , , 1–3 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 13,059 , , 10–8–1–3 , , 24 , , , - , 23 , , December 4 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Vancouver , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,630 , , 11–8–1–3 , , 26 , , , - , 24 , , December 5 , , Minnesota , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 14,669 , , 12–8–1–3 , , 28 , , , - , 25 , , December 7 , ,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

, , 1–6 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,009 , , 13–8–1–3 , , 30 , , , - , 26 , , December 9 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Minnesota , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,568 , , 13–9–1–3 , , 30 , , , - , 27 , , December 11 , , Carolina , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 14,119 , , 14–9–1–3 , , 32 , , , - , 28 , , December 13 , , Colorado , , 1–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 16,809 , , 14–9–2–3 , , 33 , , , - , 29 , , December 16 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,931 , , 15–9–2–3 , , 35 , , , - , 30 , , December 18 , , Calgary , , 5–0 , ,

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, , , , McLennan , , 10,659 , , 16–9–2–3 , , 37 , , , - , 31 , , December 19 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Columbus , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,561 , , 17–9–2–3 , , 39 , , , - , 32 , , December 23 , , Edmonton , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,389 , , 18–9–2–3 , , 41 , , , - , 33 , , December 26 , , Vancouver , , 2–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 18–10–2–3 , , 41 , , , - , 34 , , December 28 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Edmonton , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,839 , , 19–10–2–3 , , 43 , , , - , 35 , , December 29 , , Minnesota , , 2–2 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 16,279 , , 19–10–3–3 , , 44 , , , - , 36 , , December 31 , , Colorado , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 18,469 , , 19–11–3–3 , , 44 , , , - , - , 37 , , January 3 , , Vancouver , , 3–1 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 18,269 , , 19–12–3–3 , , 44 , , , - , 38 , , January 5 , , Calgary , , 5–0 , , NY Rangers , , , , McLennan , , 18,200 , , 20–12–3–3 , , 46 , , , - , 39 , , January 6 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , NY Islanders , , , , McLennan , , 12,576 , , 21–12–3–3 , , 48 , , , - , 40 , , January 8 , , Calgary , , 1–3 , , Chicago , , , , McLennan , , 10,865 , , 21–13–3–3 , , 48 , , , - , 41 , , January 10 , ,

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 16,809 , , 22–13–3–3 , , 50 , , , - , 42 , , January 13 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Toronto , , , , McLennan , , 19,310 , , 22–14–3–2 , , 50 , , , - , 43 , , January 14 , , Calgary , , 3–3 , , Washington , , OT , , McLennan , , 14,537 , , 22–14–4–3 , , 51 , , , - , 44 , , January 17 , , Dallas , , 3–2 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,909 , , 22–15–4–3 , , 51 , , , - , 45 , , January 19 , , Calgary , , 5–1 , ,

Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...

, , , , Turek , , 13,146 , , 23–15–4–3 , , 53 , , , - , 46 , , January 20 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , ,

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, , , , Turek , , 18,118 , , 23–16–4–3 , , 53 , , , - , 47 , , January 22 , , Nashville , , 0–4 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 16,629 , , 24–16–4–3 , , 55 , , , - , 48 , , January 24 , ,

, , 6–2 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,109 , , 24–17–4–3 , , 55 , , , - , 49 , , January 27 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Phoenix , , , , Turek , , ?? , , 25–17–4–3 , , 57 , , , - , 50 , , January 28 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , San Jose , , , , Turek , , 15,119 , , 25–18–4–3 , , 57 , , , - , 51 , , January 30 , , Chicago , , 5–3 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 17,139 , , 25–19–4–3 , , 57 , , , - , - , 52 , , February 1 , , Anaheim , , 4–6 , , Calgary , , , , McLennan , , 15,189 , , 26–19–4–3 , , 59 , , , - , 53 , , February 3 , , Los Angeles , , 4–4 , , Calgary , , OT , , McLennan , , 14,169 , , 26–19–5–3 , , 60 , , , - , 54 , , February 5 , , St. Louis , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Turek , , 15,389 , , 26–20–5–3 , , 60 , , , - , 55 , , February 10 , ,

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, , 2–5 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 16,549 , , 27–20–5–3 , , 62 , , , - , 56 , , February 11 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Vancouver , , , , Turek , , 18,630 , , 28–20–5–3 , , 64 , , , - , 57 , , February 13 , , Anaheim , , 1–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,749 , , 29–20–5–3 , , 66 , , , - , 58 , , February 15 , , Calgary , , 2–1 , , Minnesota , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,568 , , 30–20–5–3 , , 68 , , , - , 59 , , February 19 , , Calgary , , 1–4 , , Montreal , , , , Kiprusoff , , 21,273 , , 30–21–5–3 , , 68 , , , - , 60 , , February 21 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , ,

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, , , , Turek , , 18,500 , , 30–22–5–3 , , 68 , , , - , 61 , , February 22 , , Calgary , , 1–3 , ,

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,733 , , 30–23–5–3 , , 68 , , , - , 62 , , February 24 , , Calgary , , 2–0 , , Colorado , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,007 , , 31–23–5–3 , , 70 , , , - , 63 , , February 26 , , Detroit , , 2–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,862 , , 31–24–5–3 , , 70 , , , - , 64 , , February 29 , , Phoenix , , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,579 , , 32–24–5–3 , , 72 , , , - , - , 65 , , March 2 , , Calgary , , 4–2 , , St. Louis , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,571 , , 33–24–5–3 , , 74 , , , - , 66 , , March 3 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Detroit , , , , Turek , , 20,066 , , 33–25–5–3 , , 74 , , , - , 67 , , March 5 , , Calgary , , 1–5 , , Dallas , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,532 , , 33–26–5–3 , , 74 , , , - , 68 , , March 7 , , Calgary , , 7–1 , , Colorado , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,007 , , 34–26–5–3 , , 76 , , , - , 69 , , March 9 , , Edmonton , , 1–1 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,479 , , 34–26–6–3 , , 77 , , , - , 70 , , March 11 , , Ottawa , , 2–4 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,869 , , 35–26–6–3 , , 79 , , , - , 71 , , March 13 , , Calgary , , 4–4 , , Nashville , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 17,113 , , 35–26–7–3 , , 80 , , , - , 72 , , March 14 , , Calgary , , 3–0 , , St. Louis , , , , Turek , , 19,523 , , 36–26–7–3 , , 82 , , , - , 73 , , March 16 , , Calgary , , 4–1 , , Detroit , , , , Kiprusoff , , 20,066 , , 37–26–7–3 , , 84 , , , - , 74 , , March 18 , , Columbus , , 0–2 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,479 , , 38–26–7–3 , , 86 , , , - , 75 , , March 20 , , Nashville , , 3–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,439 , , 38–27–7–3 , , 86 , , , - , 76 , , March 22 , , Dallas , , 4–0 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 17,729 , , 38–28–7–3 , , 86 , , , - , 77 , , March 24 , , Calgary , , 4–0 , , Phoenix , , , , Turek , , 18,496 , , 39–28–7–3 , , 88 , , , - , 78 , , March 25 , , Calgary , , 2–3 , , San Jose , , , , Kiprusoff , , 15,588 , , 39–29–7–3 , , 88 , , , - , 79 , , March 27 , , Los Angeles , , 2–3 , , Calgary , , OT , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 40–29–7–3 , , 90 , , , - , 80 , , March 31 , , Phoenix , , 0–1 , , Calgary , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,419 , , 41–29–7–3 , , 92 , , , - , - , 81 , , April 2 , , Calgary , , 3–2 , , Los Angeles , , , , Kiprusoff , , 18,247 , , 42–29–7–3 , , 94 , , , - , 82 , , April 4 , , Calgary , , 1–2 , , Anaheim , , , , Turek , , 17,174 , , 42–30–7–3 , , 94 , , , - , - , ''Legend'':

Playoffs

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

Player statistics

's 41 goals placed him in a tie for the league lead, earning him his second

. Iginla shared the award with

and Columbus'

, 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 Bradley Ray Richards (born May 2, 1980) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre (ice hockey), centre. Richards was drafted in the third round, 64th overall, by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft and played for the Li ...

and Ruslan Fedotenko. Iginla led the team in scoring for the fourth consecutive season, Miikka Kiprusoff, acquired from the

early in the season, set a modern NHL record low

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 eccentricity ...

; D = Defence; G =

Goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...

; LW = Left wing; RW =

Right wing Right-wing politics is 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 position b ...

'' * '' = 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 to the

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. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

, 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 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

Trades

Players acquired

Players lost

Signings

Draft picks

The 2003 NHL entry draft was held in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

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 defence (ice hockey), defenseman who played for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). H ...

with their first pick, ninth overall. Phaneuf's coach with the Red Deer Rebels 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 top rookie. Phaneuf was nominated for the Norris Trophy as top defenceman in 2007–08, just his third year in the NHL.

Farm teams

Lowell Lockmonsters

After shutting down the

Saint John Flames The Saint John Flames were a Canadian ice hockey team in the American Hockey League from 1993 to 2003 in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The Calgary Flames bought and relocated the Utica Devils, to be their AHL affiliate. History The Saint ...

, 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. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...

. 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 minor professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams across the United States and Canada. Competitively, 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.

Notes

References

* Player stats: 2006–07 Calgary Flames Media Guide – 2003–04 stats, pg. 108. * * {{DEFAULTSORT:2003-04 Calgary Flames Season Calgary Flames seasons 2000s in Calgary

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. The ...

Cal Cal or CAL may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty * "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov * ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...

Calgary Flames Season, 2003-04

Western Conference (NHL) championship seasons

Regular season

Season standings

Playoffs

Schedule and results

Regular season

Playoffs

Player statistics

Scoring

Goaltending

Awards and records

Awards

Milestones

Transactions

Trades

Players acquired

Players lost

Signings

Draft picks

Farm teams

Lowell Lockmonsters

Las Vegas Wranglers

See also

Notes

References