The Atlanta Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta from 1972 until 1980. They played home games in the Omni Coliseum and were members of the West and later Patrick divisions of the National Hockey League (NHL). Along with the New York Islanders, the Flames were created in 1971 as part of the NHL's conflict with the rival World Hockey Association (WHA). The team enjoyed modest success on the ice, qualifying for the playoffs in six of its eight seasons, but failed to win a playoff series and won only two post-season games total. The franchise struggled to draw fans and, after averaging only 10,000 per game by the 1979–80 season and was sold and relocated to Alberta to become the Calgary Flames.
Thomas James Lysiak was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Selected in the first round, second overall, of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Flames, he was additionally selected by the Houston Aeros in the second round of the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft at 23rd overall.
The Edmonton Oil Kings were a Canadian junior ice hockey team, and founding member of the Western Hockey League. They played at Edmonton Gardens in Edmonton, Alberta, and later Northlands Coliseum. In 1976, they moved to Portland, Oregon to become the Portland Winter Hawks. A second incarnation of the team played only one season in 1977–78 before moving to Great Falls, Montana.
The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers, and Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL, bringing the total to 21 teams. The other two WHA teams were paid to fold.
The 1972–73 NHL season was the 56th season of the National Hockey League. Sixteen teams each played 78 games. Two new teams, the New York Islanders and the Atlanta Flames, made their debuts. The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup by beating the Chicago Black Hawks four games to two in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Willi Plett is a Paraguayan-born Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played 834 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, Minnesota North Stars and Boston Bruins. He reached the 1981 NHL playoff semifinals with the Flames and the 1984 NHL playoff semifinals with the North Stars.
Ivan Boldirev is a Yugoslavian-born Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Boldirev played fifteen seasons and over 1000 games in the National Hockey League from 1970 through 1985. He featured in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks. Boldirev was noted during his career as one of the sport's best stickhandlers.
Darcy Irwin Rota is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent eleven seasons in the National Hockey League. He featured in the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks.
Ronald Andrew Sedlbauer is a former professional ice hockey left winger who played seven seasons in the National Hockey League.
Richard John Redmond is a Canadian former professional National Hockey League (NHL) defenceman. He featured in the 1973 Stanley Cup Finals with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Stewart Randall Holt is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known as one of the toughest players in the sport during his career, he still holds the NHL single-game record for penalty minutes.
Randy Ireland is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played two games in the National Hockey League with the Buffalo Sabres during the 1978–79 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1977 to 1983, was spent in various minor leagues.
Ernest Allan Hicke is a Canadian former professional ice hockey forward who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Oakland Seals, Atlanta Flames, New York Islanders, Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings.
Ralph Leo Klassen was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 497 games in the National Hockey League. In Klassen's ten-year career, he played for the California Golden Seals, Cleveland Barons, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Blues.
Michael Edward Baumgartner is an American former ice hockey defenseman who played 17 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Kansas City Scouts during the 1974–75 season. A native of Minnesota, Baumgartner played high school hockey there before attending the University of North Dakota. He was selected by the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft, though was traded from the team before playing for them. Baumgartner made his professional debut in 1971 in the Central Hockey League, and spent three seasons there before he made his NHL debut in 1974, but an eye injury forced him to stop after 17 games. He played one final game in the minor American Hockey League before retiring from playing in 1976.
Robert Alan Tudor is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent parts of three seasons in the National Hockey League, playing 28 games for the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues. The bulk of his career spent in the minor Central Hockey League. Tudor played major junior hockey for the Regina Pats of the Western Canada Hockey League before being selected by the Canucks in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He made his professional debut that year and first played in the NHL in 1978.
Duane Steven Wylie is Canadian-American former ice hockey center. He played 14 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1974–75 and 1976–77 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1970 to 1978, was spent in the minor leagues.
David George Logan is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey player.
Miles Zaharko is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player whose career lasted from 1977 to 1984. He played in the National Hockey League with the Atlanta Flames and Chicago Black Hawks.
Trevor Lynn Powis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Powis played for several teams in the National Hockey League, World Hockey Association and the German Eishockey-Bundesliga between 1970 and 1983.
