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Josh Bell The Hockey Writers

Published on Tuesday, February 18, 2020

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Flames With 100-Point Seasons

Since entering the league in 1972 at the Atlanta Flames, the organization has built an incredible list of Hall of Famers to have played for the organization. In 1980, they relocated to Calgary, Alberta and immediately became a force in the ’80s. That was in no small part due to the immense talent that the team held through that decade.

Calgary Flames 100-point season Theo Fleury, Kent Nilsson, and Al MacInnis

The Flames have had eight players through their history hit the 100-point milestone in a single-season. Of those players, all of them were either in the 1980s or at the very least, one season removed. They’ve had quite a few players come close to the mark since then, but for now, those players from the first decade in Calgary lead the pack.

Flames Almost-100-Point Seasons

While the majority of the Flames 100-point scorers have come in that single decade, it hasn’t been from a lack of trying. The organization has had a number of players come very close to joining this club. In 1982-83, NHL legend Lanny McDonald was extremely close – hitting 98 points in 80 games. Later in the decade, a young Joe Nieuwendyk was just five points away, with 95 in 79 games in 1989-90.

Fast forward to the next millennium, one of the greatest Flames of all time came extremely close – twice. Jerome Iginla hit 96 points in 2001-02 before getting even closer in 2007-08, with 98 points. The Flames are in a new era now, and they have new stars. One of those stars came as close as you can get to 100 points in 2018-19, as Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau racked up 99 points.

Bob MacMillan

100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 37 goals, 108 points in 79 games during the 1978-79 season.

The first member of the Flames 100-point club came while the team was still in Atlanta. In the organization’s second last campaign in Atlanta, Georgia, the team had their best season ever. The club went 41-31-8, and that was largely on the back of two players.

The first was Bob MacMillan. After being acquired from the St. Louis Blues the season before, the right-winger went on to have a season for the ages in 1978-79, scoring 37 goals, 71 assists, and 108 points in 79 games. The closest to that mark in his career – both before and after – was 71 points between the Blues and the Flames in 1977-78.

MacMillan was awarded the Lady Byng Trophy that season, the only award of his 11-year NHL career. While this season was by far his best, MacMillan should be remembered for one other aspect of his career, his trade away from the Flames. He was sent to the Colorado Avalanche in 1981 along with Don Lever for someone the Flames organization would forever love – Lanny McDonald.

Guy Chouinard

100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 50 goals, 107 points in 80 games during the 1978-79 season.

That other player who helped lead the 1978-79 Flames was Guy Chouinard. This season for the Flames organization goes down in history, not just for producing the first-two 100-point scorers, but the first 50-goal scorer in Chouinard. He collected 50 goals, 57 assists, and 107 points through his 800 games played.

Similar to MacMillan, this campaign was by far the best of his career. His closest to this mark game two seasons later in Calgary, with 83 points. While his 1978-19 season stands out as the best, Chouinard had a good career, albeit a short one. He played 10 years in the NHL and finished just under a point-per-game with 575 points in 578 games.

Related: Calgary Flames’ 50-Goal Scorers

For his 1978-79 season, he will forever remain a Flames’ legend. He and MacMillan helped the club transfer from Atlanta to Calgary and were the only two players to hit the century mark in a season while in Georgia – until the Atlanta Thrashers came to town.

Kent Nilsson

Two-Time 100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 49 goals, 131 points in 80 games during the 1980-81 season.

Scored 46 goals, 104 points in 80 games during the 1982-83 season.

We’re in Calgary, Alberta now. We’re into the 1980s and arguably peak Flames history. One player who fed into that history a great deal is Kent Nilsson. Everyone knew Nilsson could rack up the points when he came into the league. Prior to making his NHL debut in 1979-80, he played in the WHA where he put up 107 points in back-to-back seasons.

He first came to the NHL while the Flames were still in Atlanta, just for one season in 1979-80. He scored 40 goals, 53 assists and 93 points. But he was just getting started. His second season was his best and remains the best season for a Flames player for both assists and points. He scored 49 goals this season, adding 82 assists and 131 points. Despite that high total, he finished third in the league in points – behind Wayne Gretzky (164 points) and Marcel Dionne (135 points).

Reggie Lemelin Paul Reinhart Kent Nilsson Calgary Flames
Goalie Reggie Lemelin #31, Paul Reinhart #23 and Kent Nilsson #14 of the Calgary Flames. (Photo by Graig Abel Collection/Getty Images)

He played just 41 games the next season, but still managed 55 points. He hit the century mark for the second time in 1982-83, where he had a full season again, collecting 46 goals, 58 assists, and 104 points. He spent two more seasons with the Flames, hitting 80 points and nearly hitting the 100-point mark for a third time with 99 points in 1984.

Nilsson saw his tenure with the Flames come to an end in 1985, but like MacMillan, this was a critical trade in bringing in another Flames legend. He was sent to the Minnesota North Stars along with a pick (Brad Turner) in exchange for two picks that turned into Joe Nieuwendyk and Stephane Matteau. He finished his five years with the Flames with 469 points in just 345 games.

Hakan Loob

100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 50 goals, 106 points in 80 games during the 1987-88 season.

Hakan Loob defied all expectations. He was drafted in the ninth round, 181st overall, and he was 5-foot-9, 170 pounds. An undersized player with a late draft pick? The odds were against him. But wait, he made it and despite playing just six seasons with the Flames – he excelled. And it started as soon as he made the jump to the NHL in 1983-84.

In his first three seasons in the league, the right winger hit the 30-goal plateau every season, hitting 37 goals and 72 points in his sophomore campaign. He had a bit of a down year in 1986-87, scoring just 18 goals and 44 points, which obviously didn’t meet his standards. He came back ready to bounce back in 1987-88.

He did just that, hitting the 50-goal mark while adding 56 assists and 106 points. He was the first Swedish player to ever hit the 50-goal mark. For his efforts, he was named to the First All-Star Team. He came down to earth slightly in 1988-89, collecting 85 points. However, he did help the Flames to their first and only Stanley Cup. After that season, he chose to return to Sweden. Loob is a member of the Triple Gold Club, winning a Stanley Cup, World Championship gold (twice) and Olympic gold. In fact, he was one of the first three members of the illustrious club.

Mike Bullard

100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 48 goals, 103 points in 79 games during the 1987-88 season.

Along with Loob, Mike Bullard was yet another Flame to his the century mark in the 1987-88 season. The ninth overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1980, Bullard spent seven seasons before being traded to the Flames for Dan Quinn in the 1986-87 season.

It paid off for the Flames. In his only full season with the Flames, the centreman put up 48 goals, 55 assists and 103 points. Then, just before the 1988-89 Stanley Cup-winning season, the Flames took advantage of Bullard’s stellar season, trading him to the St. Louis Blues along with Craig Coxe and Tim Corkery in exchange for Mark Hunter, Doug Gilmour, Steve Bozek, and Michael Dark. If Bullard didn’t score 103 points in 1987-88, would the Flames have still won the Cup in 1989?

Joe Mullen

100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 51 goals, 110 points in 79 games during the 1988-89 season.

Speaking of that Stanley Cup winning-season, a large part of that campaign was Joe Mullen. Mullen spent five seasons with the Flames, helping them to the Stanley Cup, winning two Lady Byng Awards, and a First Team All-Star. He was one of the team’s best players over his time there, collecting 190 goals and 388 points in 345 games.

But that 1988-89 season stands out. He racked up 51 goals, 59 assists and 110 points, won one of his Lady Byng Trophies and was named to the All-Star team. He then added a playoff-leading 16 goals as part of his 24 points en route to the Flames Stanley Cup.

Mullen spent one more season with the Flames before being traded to the Penguins for a draft pick (Nicolas Perreault), where he helped them to two more Stanley Cups. His 1988-89 season needs to go down as one of the best ever for Flames players, and capping it off with a Cup is simply the cherry on top.

Theoren Fleury

Two-Time 100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 51 goals, 104 points in 79 games during the 1990-91 season.

Scored 34 goals, 100 points in 83 games during the 1992-93 season.

In 1987, the Flames took a chance on another small player, 5-foot-6 Theo Fleury, with the 166th pick in the NHL Draft. He saw 36 games in 1988-89, before playing through the playoffs, collecting five goals and 11 points and the Stanley Cup. He made the jump full time in 1998-90 before breaking out in 1990-91.

Theo Fleury
Theo Fleury celebrates a goal. (Photo: Perry Mah / Postmedia Network)

Fleury joined the 50-goal club this season, scoring 51 in 79 games. He also joined the 100-point club, with 104 points. He finished fifth in both Hart and Selke voting this season. He hit 73 points in 1991-92 before becoming just the second Flames’ player to hit the century mark twice in his career.

Related: Theo Fleury – It’s the Size of the Heart That Matters!

In 1992-93, Fleury scored 34 goals and hit 100 points for the second and last time in his career. Throughout his time with the Flames, he piled up the points. He spent 11 seasons in Calgary, playing 791 games, scoring 364 goals, 466 assists, and 830 points. His goals and points are second all-time behind Jarome Iginla, while his assists are third behind Iginla and the final player on this list.

Al MacInnis

100-Point Scorer for Flames

Scored 28 goals, 103 points in 78 games during the 1990-91 season.

The last Flames’ player to hit 100 points, just might be the most impressive. Al MacInnis, in case you weren’t aware, was a defenseman. One of the best defenders to ever play the game, and it all started when the Flames drafted him 15th overall in 1981.

Related: Flames’ 5 Most Productive Defensemen of All-Time

He finally jumped to the NHL full-time in the 1984-85 season and quickly proved that he could produce. He played 67 games in that season, collecting 66 points. That total turned out to be the second-lowest of his Calgary tenure. He continued to improve for the next three seasons, and while his numbers dropped in the fourth season (74 points in 1988-89), he had one of the best seasons of his career.

That season, he finished third in Norris voting as the league’s best defender, but it was in the postseason that he really impressed. MacInnis lead the playoffs in games played (22), assists (24), and points (33) – while scoring seven goals. On top of leading the team to the Stanley Cup, he was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames, Conn Smythe Trophy
Ryan’s father Al MacInnis won a Conn Smythe in 1989. (puckpassion/flickr)

MacInnis came back the next season and set career-highs in goals (28), assists (62) and points (90). After already being twice named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Teams, he was named to the First Team this season. But he was just warming up. He came back the following season hitting 28 goals again but adding 75 assists and hitting 103 points. Once again, he was a First Team All-Star.

As mentioned, MacInnis hitting the 100-point plateau is an incredible achievement. On top of being the only defender on this list, he’s one of only five defensemen in NHL history to hit the milestone. MacInnis was the fourth to do so, joining Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Paul Coffey and in the following season was joined by Brian Leetch. That’s quite the company.

MacInnis was traded to the St. Louis Blues in 1994 along with a fourth-round pick (Didier Tremblay) in exchange for Phil Housley and two draft picks (Steve Begin and John Tripp). He ended his Flames career with 213 goals, a franchise-leading 609 assists, and 822 points in 803 games.

The post Flames With 100-Point Seasons appeared first on The Hockey Writers.


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