Kipper makes it official

[WesM44]

Just saw this on TSN.ca, not a shocking bit of news, but now it's signed sealed and delivered rather than just innuendo.

Finnished Up

Would love to hear from Flames fans on where they think they're team is headed this year.

 

[Orca Pod]

Definitely not a Flamingo fan in the absolute least - I guess you could say they are my 31st favourite NHL team...

But, I do have a lot of friends that are Flamingo fans, and I truly feel sorry for them this upcoming season. It is going to be a looooooooooonnngggggg season in Calgary.

No Iggy
No Tangs
No JayBo
No Kipper

That leaves Cammalerri to do it all himself, unless you count Hudler and Stajan as names that strike fear in opponents.

When SOB is your number 3 defenceman, you are in trouble. Hell, when Wides is your second best d-man, things are not going to go well.

Your starting goaltender (as of now) has a whole 48 games of NHL experience and last played in the NHL in 2009. Your backup goaltender has played 101 NHL games, with seven teams, over seven years. think about that. Your two goaltenders don't even have two full years expereince between the two of them.

I feel sorry for some Flamingo fans, for sure. Others, I will laugh at hysterically.

 

[bigzippy]

So, a long season ahead.

As a team we have ignored the decline for far too long, Iggy and Kipper propped us up and made and average team look good.

$4m a year contracts were handed out to any journeyman who wanted to call Calgary his home for a short period but not to play the best hockey that they could (looking at you Ollie).

We ignored drafting potential good players and traded down to get first shot at average proven players and it got us nowhere, other than one spot of the playoffs.

Now we have to build, I think Glencross will have a lot to prove and I believe he deserves the C vacated by a true legend of the game. There will be pain, I would expect to see a low finish with a win ratio of around 1 in 3. However the manor of the loss is what will tell me what I need to know about the future. I want to see fight on the ice every period and a passion for the game that the team has lacked in seasons gone by.

I sat and watched us lose 9-1 against the sharks and still believed we could win that game up until the last 5 mins of the third.

I still believe we can win a cup again. 2018 would be the aim

Pete

 

[Kong]

Interesting experiment going on Calgary. Fielding an AHL team against NHL teams. The league might have to implement a mercy rule after this season.

 

[chadsexington]

Your starting goaltender (as of now) has a whole 48 games of NHL experience and last played in the NHL in 2009. Your backup goaltender has played 101 NHL games, with seven teams, over seven years. think about that. Your two goaltenders don't even have two full years expereince between the two of them.

Ramo is seriously their projected starter right now? I seriously just made the Arnold Drummond face shown below while trying to process that:

How did they let BOTH Irving and Karlsson just walk when they knew about the possibility of Kipper retiring? That astounds me

 

[re-ac-tor]

Teams are better off bottoming out than being that team who barely makes or misses the playoffs each year. Hopefully(for them) that can draft a few stars and be back into contention by 2020.

My best,

ken

 

[Frendo]

It was awesome when he played in sweden during 96-98 with AIK along with that czech trio which won WC-1996 in Vienna, he quickly established itself as 2nd best goalie in swedish elitserien during that time (only Petter Rönnquist was better then) not bad!

Who heck can forget his stunning rat mask!?
Thanks for all memories Kipper!

Soon all who was playing during 90's has retired, it's pretty sad...

 

[IrbeFan4Life]

With all due respect to everyone belittling Kari Ramo and Joey MacDonald, when Kiprusoff originally joined the Flames, he only had 47 games of NHL experience and 14 career wins. Look what he did. Finished with 319 career wins and a total of 623 games of NHL experience.

Having said that, Johan Hedberg is still on the market right now and could do probably the best job of any goalie available right now.

 

[re-ac-tor]

With all due respect to everyone belittling Kari Ramo and Joey MacDonald, when Kiprusoff originally joined the Flames, he only had 47 games of NHL experience and 14 career wins. Look what he did. Finished with 319 career wins and a total of 623 games of NHL experience.

Having said that, Johan Hedberg is still on the market right now and could do probably the best job of any goalie available right now.

Hedberg is at the Rangers camp right now, but just on a pro tryout basis.

My best,

Ken