Calgary Flames News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Yegor Sharangovich, Calgary Flames (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Calgary Flames’ Culture Is Under the Microscope

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 11:05 AM ET

On Hockey Night in Canada (Oct. 18), the camera caught what every coach dreads — a player skating like the outcome no longer mattered. Down 6-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights, Calgary Flames‘ skater Yegor Sharangovich half-heartedly glided toward the puck, easing up before a check on William Karlsson.

On the panel, Kevin Bieksa didn’t hold back: “Watch this effort right here, down 6–1. I think he apologized for almost running into him. I’d lose my mind if I saw that. It’s one thing to lose, but it’s how you lose that tells you about your culture.”

On Monday night (Oct. 20), that word — culture — hung in the air like cold smoke over the Saddledome. Bieksa’s comment wasn’t just a TV soundbite; it was a mirror held up to a team that looks like it’s lost the fire that used to define it. Before the game against the Winnipeg Jets started, the team knew it would reveal whether the malaise that manifested itself in the 6-1 loss was still a skeleton in the closet.

Although the Flames lost 2-1, they out-hit the Jets 22-15 but were goalied by the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 32 of 33 shots. No shame in that. Perhaps the team turned a corner.

Have the Flames Moved From “Hard to Play Against” to Hard to Watch?

Maybe that little moment from that one game is something no one will see again: a player drifting through the final minutes, a check not finished, a shrug when the game was clearly gone. That clip isn’t the story. It’s a symptom that could become a smaller part of a bigger story. The real question up for grabs is: who in the Flames’ room sets the standard anymore? And maybe, more importantly, does anyone still expect one?

The Flames used to have a clear identity. Hard to play against wasn’t just something fans said; it was who they were. Guys like Jarome Iginla didn’t always win, but nobody ever accused them of coasting. These nights, though? The meaning’s blurry. Perhaps the Jets’ game was a move in the right direction.

When a club spends more time talking about being tough than showing it, that’s when you know something’s slipped. It’s not about analytics or X’s and O’s; it’s about having a pulse. Somewhere between the first (and only) win of the season and the fifth loss in a row, the pulse seems to have faded.

Team Culture Is More Than Saying the Right Words

Every time the topic of culture comes up, you hear the right words. The staff’s been great. The players have bought in. The culture’s strong. But culture isn’t built by saying it’s strong; it’s built when the score’s 6-1 against you and someone still finishes a check.

The truth is, the Flames have been living in no-man’s land: not bad enough to rebuild, not good enough to win with regularity. Loyalty’s a good virtue, but when it turns into comfort, it becomes a problem. You start rewarding years of service instead of hunger. That’s how you end up with a team that feels stable but plays stale.

When the Standard Slips, It’s There for Everyone to See

Leadership doesn’t start in the locker room or a press conference; it starts on the ice. Every coach I’ve ever known can live with mistakes, but never with indifference. And right now, there’s a question hanging over this team: has a bit of indifference crept in?

The only way to chase it out is through effort that’s impossible to ignore; the kind that makes everyone else on the bench raise their standard. When a player digs in, finishes every check, and battles like the score still matters, that’s when leadership shows up without saying a word. If the Flames truly want to be hard to play against, it has to start with someone setting that tone shift by shift.

Connor Zary, Calgary Flames (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

The Flames have young players like Connor Zary and Adam Klapka who play like they’re trying to earn something. Those are the guys who should lead the next culture wave, because culture starts with the ones who hate to lose, not the ones who’ve learned to live with it.

Last Night Was a Chance for the Flames to Show Some Fire

Calgary fans forgive a lot; a rebuild, a rough stretch, even an occasional loss. What they don’t forgive is apathy. Last night against the Jets, the Flames had a chance to show that the fire is still there. A strong effort every shift can remind fans and the team what it means to play hard and compete together.

The Flames don’t need slogans. They need visible standards; the kind that show in the final minutes, in every puck battle, in every effort to make the right play, even when the score doesn’t go your way. That’s how identity is rebuilt, shift by shift.

Until someone in that room stands up and shows the way, the team drifts. Last night was a chance to stop drifting. It was a chance to remind Calgary what the Flames can be — competitive, engaged, and full of fire. Maybe the Jets game, although it was a loss, was a game that turned the corner.