Moncton Golden Flames

Last updated
Moncton Golden Flames
Moncton Golden Flames.png
City Moncton, New Brunswick
League American Hockey League
Operated 1984–1987
Home arena Moncton Coliseum
Affiliates Calgary Flames
Boston Bruins
Franchise history
1982–1984Moncton Alpines
1984–1987Moncton Golden Flames

The Moncton Golden Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick, playing home games at the Moncton Coliseum. The team operated in the American Hockey League between 1984 and 1987. The new franchise was purchased by a group of 6 local business men after the previous franchise known as the Moncton Alpines moved to Halifax to become the Nova Scotia Oilers (The Alpines were a minor league affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers). The Golden Flames were the minor league affiliate of the Calgary Flames, and for their final two seasons, had an additional affiliation with the Boston Bruins. The team boasted a number of future NHL stars including Brett Hull, Joel Otto, Mike Vernon, Bill Ranford, Bob Sweeney, Gary Roberts, Lyndon Byers, Dave Reid, Brian Bradley and others. In 1987, team marketing executive Larry Haley was awarded the Ken McKenzie Award for outstanding work.

Contents

History

Moncton Alpines
Moncton Alpines AHL.png
City Moncton, New Brunswick
League American Hockey League
Operated 1982–1984
Home arena Moncton Coliseum
Affiliate Edmonton Oilers
Franchise history
1982–1984 AHLMoncton Alpines
1984–1987 AHLMoncton Golden Flames

The New Brunswick Hawks of the American Hockey League (AHL) had been established in Moncton in 1978, and were jointly owned and operated by the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Black Hawks as their farm team. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] In the summer of 1982, with Chicago having already pulled out of New Brunswick in favour of affiliating with the Springfield Indians on their own, [2] [7] [8] [9] the Maple Leafs announced that they would not operate the team in Moncton the following year after they couldn't come to terms with the city on a new arena lease, [2] [8] [9] even though the team had the fifth-highest attendance in the league. [10] At the same AHL Board of Governors meeting that the franchise's relocation to become the St. Catharines Saints was approved, [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] the Edmonton Oilers received approval to purchase a new AHL franchise to replace the departed Hawks in Moncton, [11] [12] [14] [15] leading to establishment of the Moncton Alpines as their affiliate that fall. [15] [16] The team played for two seasons until 1984, coached by Doug Messier both seasons. Following 1984, the team was bought by the Calgary Flames and renamed the Moncton Golden Flames. The franchise folded in 1987, and was replaced by the Winnipeg Jets' affiliate, the Moncton Hawks.

Coaches

Training staff

Players

During the 1986–87 season, Brett Hull won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's rookie of the year. Sixty-three Moncton Golden Flames players including Hull, have gone on to play in the NHL. [17] Five players from the Golden Flames also went on to win the Stanley Cup with the 1988–89 Calgary Flames. They are, Joel Otto, Dave Reierson, Gary Roberts, Ken Sabourin and goaltender Mike Vernon.

Season-by-season results

Regular season

Season GamesWonLostTiedOTLPointsGoals
for		Goals
against		Standing
1982–83 8034397—753043155th, North
1983–84 8032408—722512785th, North
1984–85 8032408—722913006th, North
1985–86 80343412—802943073rd, North
1986–87 804331—6923383153rd, North

Playoffs

Season1st round2nd roundFinals
1982–83 Out of Playoffs
1983-84 Out of Playoffs
1984–85 Out of Playoffs
1985–86 W, 4-1, Maine L, 1-4, Adirondack —
1986–87 L, 2-4, Adirondack ——

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Sports roundup". The Globe and Mail . June 24, 1978.
  2. 1 2 3 "Leaf team to leave Moncton". Toronto Star . June 2, 1982.
  3. ↑ "Leafs, Hawks to Moncton". Toronto Star . June 20, 1978.
  4. ↑ Houston, William (March 31, 1982). "'Everything has price,' Ballard says; it's $50 million for Leafs. Gardens". The Globe and Mail .
  5. ↑ "Ballard wants Leafs to have own farm club". The Globe and Mail . March 21, 1980.
  6. ↑ "Across Canada: No liquor licence for Leafs-Hawks farm club". The Globe and Mail . November 9, 1978.
  7. ↑ Campbell, Neil (May 28, 1982). "It's musical chairs on ice as CHL franchises switch". The Globe and Mail .
  8. 1 2 "Leafs to move AHL franchise". The Globe and Mail . June 2, 1982.
  9. 1 2 Campbell, Neil (July 6, 1982). "AHL rejects shift of Leaf farm club". The Globe and Mail .
  10. ↑ Campbell, Neil (June 3, 1982). "Fans fail to save Hawks". The Globe and Mail .
  11. 1 2 Kane, Mike (July 24, 1982). "Red Wings return to North as AHL swells to 13 teams". Schenectady Gazette .
  12. 1 2 "AHL adds three teams in expansion". The Globe and Mail . July 24, 1982.
  13. ↑ "Leafs place AHL team in St. Kitts". The Globe and Mail . June 22, 1982.
  14. 1 2 McMillan, Tom (July 24, 1982). "Sports briefing". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
  15. 1 2 3 Leger, Normand (July 26, 1982). "Oilers a Moncton - Les details connus cette semaine". L'Évangéline.
  16. ↑ ""Les Alpines": club ferme des Oilers". L'Évangéline. August 3, 1982.
  17. ↑ "NHL Player Search: Moncton Golden Flames". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 8, 2015. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
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