Creating a Calgary Flames all-time 1990s lineup

Continuing our series building all-time Flames rosters for each decade, next up is the 1990s. If the 1980s were the golden era of Flames hockey, the 1990s were the complete opposite. The decade is widely regarded as the worst in franchise history, with the team failing to win a single playoff series throughout the entire decade. Needless to say, the organization didn’t have a lot of standout talent throughout the 90s.

There were, however, still a handful of star players who posted impressive results in Calgary during the 90s. Below is the all-time ’90s lineup.

The forwards

The pickings here were, in a word, slim. The Flames had just three forwards post a point per game rate or better during the entire decade, and just 15 players played over 100 games with the franchise.

Line 1: Gary Roberts – Joe Nieuwendyk – Theo Fleury

The above three names quite literally were the entire Flames offence in the 90s. They were the only forwards over a point per game in Calgary during the 90s, and by far the three best forwards they had this decade. No one else came close to landing a spot here.

At centre, the pick was straightforward. Joe Nieuwendyk carried his impressive results from the late 80s into the 90s, anchoring the Flames’ top line until he was dealt in 1995. His 95 points in the 1989–90 season led the team in scoring, while his 390 points in the decade ranked second behind only Fleury.

At left wing I have Gary Roberts. While he was part of the Flames in the 80s, he didn’t fully come into his own until the 90s. His 90 points in 1991–92 led the Flames in scoring, while his 198 goals during the 90s ranked second among all Flames.

Line 2: German Titov – Robert Reichel – Sergei Makarov

Reichel was the Flames’ best centre of the 90’s, not named Nieuwendyk, posting 354 points in 425 games, the fourth highest total among Flames forwards in the 90’s. In particular, his 93 points in the 1993–94 season led the team in scoring. To this day, the total remains the sixth-best single season by a centre in Flames history, with no one topping the total in the 30 years since.

Makarov’s time in the NHL was short, but impactful. The Russian produced at over a point per game rate in three of his four seasons in Calgary, including 86 points in the 1989–90 season. He also claimed the Calder Trophy in 1990, the last Flame to win the award.

Lastly, German Titov was a consistently good Flame in the 90s. At his peak, he finished the 1995–96 season with 67 points, good for second on the team. Overal,l his 228 points were the sixth most of the decade among Calgary forwards.

Line 3: Doug Gilmour – Joel Otto – Cory Stillman

While Gilmour spent just two seasons in Calgary in the 90s, he was still a dominant presence and one of the most talented Flames of the 90s. Despite playing just 155 games as a Flame in the decade, his 172 points rank 9th among forwards. His 1.11 points per game rate, meanwhile, was the best among any Flame from the entire decade (with at least 100gp)

Much like in the 80s, Otto was a mainstay in the Flames lineup until he left in 1995. His 394 games played were the fourth most among Flames forwards. He also remained an elite defensive centre, finishing as a finalist for the Selke Trophy twice in the 90’s. No other Flame in NHL history has come closer to winning the award.

Lastly, I have Cory Stillman, the Flames’ 6th overall pick in 1992. While he didn’t live up to the hype, he still managed the seventh most points among Flames forwards in the ’90s, and the eighth most games played.

Line 4: Paul Ranheim – Michael Nylander – Jarome Iginla

Once we get to the fourth line, the pickings are very slim. There weren’t any super impactful players from the 90’s left at this point. On the left side I have Paul Ranheim, who posted the 10^th most points among Flames forwards in the decade before leaving in 1994. Never a star, he was a consistent middle-of-the-lineup guy in Calgary.

Nylander, meanwhile, came back in the Ranheim trade in ‘94, and put up 108 points in 168 games in Calgary. While his time in Calgary was limited, he was an impactful player when he was on the ice.

Lastly, I have Jarome Iginla. The 90s weren’t Iginla’s strongest decade as he was still coming into his own in this era, but he was already showing signs of how special he’d become. With 152 points in 269 games, he finished as the 11th-highest scoring Flames forward of the decade.

The defence

Thanks to some ’80s carryovers and some strong newcomers, the Flames have a solid group of defencemen to pick from in the ’90s.

Pairing 1: Gary Suter – Al MacInnis

Just like in the 1980s, the Flames’ defence was carried by Al MacInnis and Gary Suter in the 90’s as well. The duo both ended up leaving Calgary a couple of seasons into the 90s, but were easily the two most talented Flames blueliners of the decade.

Macinnis led all Flames defencemen in points in the 90’s with 363, 107 more than anyone else. He was also the Flames’ only defender to produce at a point per game rate in the decade, finishing all six of his seasons in Calgary during the 90’s above a point per game. His 103 points in the 1990–91 season remains the single-season franchise record for points from the blueline.

Suter, meanwhile, was the only defender within striking distance of MacInnis, finishing the decade with 256 points in 291 games as a Flame, good for second from the blueline. His 81 points in 1992–93 were the best total by any defender not named MacInnis in the 90s.

Pairing 2: Phil Housley – Frantisek Musil

The standout after the above two is Phil Housley. The only other Flames defender to post 100 points in the decade, Housley racked up 176 in 219 games in Calgary during the 90s. He also led the Flames’ blueline in scoring in all four seasons he spent in Calgary between 1994 and 1999.

Alongside Housley, I have Frantisek Musil. No defender played more games in Calgary during the 90’s than Musil, who racked up 335 games in the flaming C. While he wasn’t an offensive talent, he was the defensive backbone of the Flames’ blueline for most of the decade.

Pairing 3: Zarley Zalapski – Derek Morris

After the top four, there’s a considerable drop-off in talent. With that said, Derek Morris was a solid and dependable defender during the 90s, racking up the fourth most points among Flames blueliners and the 10^th most games played.

Lastly, I have the best name of the ’90s, Zarley Zalapski. Zalapski spent just 178 games as a Flame, but managed the fifth most points in the decade with 76.

The goaltenders

The 90s weren’t a fun time between the pipes in Calgary, with no real standout performances.

Mike Vernon – Fred Brathwaite

The Flames crease still belonged to veteran Mike Vernon in the 90’s, even if he wasn’t as good as he was in the 80’s. The cup winner played the most games of any Flame goaltender of the 90’s with 248, and posted the most wins with 120. No one else was close.

Backing him up is Fred Brathwaite. While Brathwaite only played 51 games for the Flames in the 90s, his absurd numbers earned him a spot here. He posted a sparkling .921 save percentage across his 51 games. For reference, how insane that is, only three other Flames goaltenders from the entire decade were above .900, with none above .911.

Can you remember who the other three goalies were that posted above a 0.900 save percentage that decade? Let us know in the comments or on socials.