Flames & Maple Leafs Commerce Historical past Revisited – The Hockey Writers – Hockey Historical past

The Calgary Flames joined the NHL because the Atlanta Flames in 1972 earlier than shifting to Alberta for the beginning of the 1980 season, changing into the seventh staff situated north of the border. Over in Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been the one staff within the province. They’d a built-in rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens from Quebec since each franchises have been a part of the Unique Six period {and professional} hockey by no means expanded to the west till the Sixties.

Associated: Flames & Canadiens Commerce Historical past Revisited

Calgary and Toronto have by no means confronted one another within the playoffs or had memorable regular-season conferences; nevertheless, their franchise lineages will likely be linked endlessly due to Corridor of Fame gamers who suited up for each golf equipment. In recent times, former Maple Leafs’ star Nazem Kadri has returned to his former residence as a member of the Flames. He didn’t change from blue to crimson in a single day, having spent a while with the Colorado Avalanche and profitable the Stanley Cup in 2022. But, Kadri finds himself on a brief listing of gamers who performed for each groups in some unspecified time in the future throughout their careers.

It could take in depth analysis to find out which gamers suited up for each franchises; nevertheless, the listing of gamers traded from one metropolis to a different is less complicated to dissect and analyze. As of this writing, there have been 18 trades between the Leafs and Flames. This listing will take a deeper dive into the larger offers. 

Flames Commerce 1996 Third-Spherical Decide (Mike Lankshear) to the Maple Leafs for Dave Gagner (June 22, 1996)

Dave Gagner made his NHL debut in 1984-85 with the New York Rangers earlier than shifting on to the Minnesota North Stars in 1988-89. He was a key participant throughout the North Stars’ inconceivable run to the 1991 Stanley Cup Remaining earlier than relocating with the franchise once they moved to Dallas in 1993. A couple of seasons later, in January 1996, the Stars traded him to the Maple Leafs with a sixth-round choose for Benoit Hogue and Randy Wooden.

Six months after arriving, Gagner was on the transfer once more, due to a commerce to the Flames in June 1996. In 28 video games with the Leafs, he scored 22 factors earlier than gathering 60 factors in 82 video games with the Flames. In alternate for Gagner, the Flames dealt their 1996 third-round choose Mike Lankshear, who by no means performed within the NHL. 

Flames Commerce 2011 2nd-Spherical Decide (Brandon Saad) & Wayne Primeau to the Maple Leafs for 2012 Seventh-Spherical Decide (Matt DeBlouw) & Colin Stuart (July 27, 2009)

Wayne Primeau was on the tail finish of his 15-year NHL profession when the Boston Bruins traded him to the Flames in February 2007. That deal concerned a draft choose that turned out to be T.J. Brodie in 2008, together with defenseman Brad Stuart. Gamers going the opposite approach included Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew. Ference went on to hoist the Stanley Cup with the Bruins in 2011, whereas Brodie anchored the Flames’ defensive corps for a decade.

Over three seasons in Calgary, Primeau suited up for 94 video games and tallied 21 factors earlier than being a part of a commerce to the Maple Leafs that included a second-round choose. The Leafs parted with Anton Stralman, Colin Stuart, and a 2012 seventh-round choose, who turned out to be Matt DeBlouw. Neither Stralman nor Stuart performed for the Flames’ group, whereas DeBlouw by no means cracked an NHL lineup. In the meantime, in Toronto, Primeau tallied simply eight factors in 59 video games whereas the membership traded away that second-round choose to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks drafted eventual two-time Stanley Cup winner Brandon Saad with the choice.

Flames Commerce 2014 4th-Spherical Decide to the Maple Leafs for Joe Colborne (Sept. 29, 2013) 

The Bruins drafted Joe Colborne, a local of Calgary, within the first spherical of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He by no means performed for the Bruins however grew to become a member of the Maple Leafs due to a commerce in 2011 for Tomas Kaberle. A couple of months later, Kaberle received the Stanley Cup with Boston, whereas Colborne performed one NHL recreation that season. 

After struggling to crack the lineup (16 video games in three seasons) in Toronto, Colborne made his option to Calgary in September 2013 for a fourth-round draft choose within the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. All he wanted was a contemporary begin, changing into an NHL common in his first season with the Flames scoring 28 factors in 80 video games. Nevertheless, after three seasons and 100 factors, Colborne left the Flames for one season in Denver with the Avalanche. In the meantime, the Maple Leafs traded away the draft choose they acquired within the commerce to the St. Louis Blues, who then drafted Ville Husso.

Flames Commerce Keith Aulie, Dion Phaneuf & Fredrick Sjostrom to the Maple Leafs for Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers, Matt Stajan & Ian White (Jan. 31, 2010)

On a chilly January evening in 2010, the Flames and Maple Leafs orchestrated the second-biggest commerce between the 2 franchises, swapping seven gamers, with two changing into vital members of their new golf equipment. First, the Flames acquired Niklas Hagman, who performed 106 video games with the staff, gathering 42 factors after a 120-game stint (75 factors) with the Maple Leafs. He was joined by Jamal Mayers, a participant who lasted solely 27 video games in Calgary, registering simply six factors after gathering 24 factors in 115 video games with Toronto. 

Ian White was one other piece within the transaction and suited up for 43 video games incomes 18 factors, a far cry from the 105 he gathered in 296 video games with the Maple Leafs. But, Matt Stajan, a star heart who collected 223 profession factors in 445 video games as much as that time, was the centerpiece within the Flames deal. Whereas in Calgary, he performed in 558 video games gathering 223 factors earlier than leaving the NHL in 2018. 

Associated: Revisiting the Dion Phaneuf Commerce

The Maple Leafs acquired three new gamers within the deal, and a kind of gamers was Keith Aulie, who by no means performed for the Flames however noticed motion in 57 video games with Toronto after the commerce. He completed his stint with the staff by incomes 4 factors. Fredrick Sjostrom was the second participant within the deal, departing the Flames after six factors in 46 video games. He performed extra video games (85) together with his new staff however didn’t produce higher numbers (ten factors). The focus of the commerce for the Maple Leafs was Dion Phaneuf, who grew to become the staff captain just a few months after his acquisition. In Calgary, Phaneuf was a younger star who compiled 228 factors in 378 video games; nevertheless, he wanted a change of surroundings to grow to be a celebrity. After being named captain in Toronto, he performed 423 video games over seven seasons incomes 196 factors.

Flames Commerce Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Kent Manderville, Ric Nattress & Rick Wamsley to the Maple Leafs for Craig Berube, Alex Godynyuk, Gary Leeman, Michael Petit & Jeff Reese (Jan. 2, 1992) 

The Flames have been Stanley Cup champions in 1989, beating the Montreal Canadiens in six video games, permitting former Maple Leafs nice Lanny McDonald to experience into the sundown as a champion. A number of of his teammates that season included Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, and Rick Wamsley. Finally, the staff determined to go in a unique course with their personnel and pulled the set off on a 10-player cope with the Maple Leafs in January 1992. 

The Maple Leafs have been on the cusp of advancing to the Stanley Cup Remaining for the primary time in many years, ultimately dropping within the 1993 Western Convention Remaining to Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings. Probably the most vital non-calls in hockey historical past occurred late in Recreation 6 when Gilmour took a excessive persist with the face from Gretzky, who was not referred to as for a penalty and ultimately scored the winner to drive a decisive Recreation 7. Regardless of the loss, the occasions of that collection by no means fazed Gilmour, who grew to become a legend in Toronto, scoring 452 factors in 393 video games and seeing his quantity retired by the membership. He grew to become essentially the most outstanding identify related to this commerce since he ultimately entered the Hockey Corridor of Fame in 2011. 

Macoun, who received his first Stanley Cup in 1989, scored 246 factors in 586 video games with the Flames earlier than tallying simply 101 in 466 video games with the Maple Leafs. In the meantime, Nattress, who performed in 226 video games (62 factors) with Calgary, watched his alternatives fade in Toronto, showing in 36 video games and tallying 16 factors. Former backup goalie Wamsley, a veteran with 111 video games and 53 wins with the Flames, barely performed with the Maple Leafs (11 video games and 4 wins) earlier than leaving the NHL altogether in 1993. 

The Flames might have acquired respectable gamers on this commerce, however their offensive manufacturing by no means matched the gamers they despatched away. Craig Berube grew to become the perfect participant within the deal, taking part in in 234 video games and incomes 27 factors over 4 years with Calgary, an enchancment over his 12 factors in 40 video games with Toronto. In the meantime, Michael Petit suited up for 134 video games (48 factors) together with his new staff, which practically doubled his time spent with the Maple Leafs (88 video games and 42 factors). Alex Godynyuk noticed a lower in taking part in time after the commerce, suiting up for 33 video games (eight factors) with the Flames, down from the 44 video games (12 factors) he participated with Toronto.

Jeff Reese, who earned 20 wins over 76 begins with the Maple Leafs, didn’t play in as many video games with the Flames (39) however nonetheless managed to rack up 17 wins over three seasons. Nevertheless, the perfect veteran participant within the deal was Gary Leeman, who got here to Alberta with 407 profession factors in 545 video games. Sadly, he didn’t keep lengthy (59 video games and 23 factors) earlier than going to Montreal and profitable the Stanley Cup in 1993. 

Honorable Mentions

The most recent commerce between these two franchises occurred on Apr. 11, 2021, when the Flames acquired a third-round choose for goalie David Rittich. Earlier than that deal, we have now to return to 2018 when the staff swapped Andrew Nielsen (Calgary) for Morgan Klimchuk (Toronto), with solely Klimchuk cracking the lineup for one NHL recreation. 

As talked about, the groups have a deep commerce historical past, together with the Jun. 30, 2002 commerce that included 454 game-winner, Curtis Joseph. Most followers will keep in mind that he solely performed in 9 video games (5-3-2 report) after a prolonged profession in St. Louis and Toronto. He’s nonetheless ready for his cellphone name to the Corridor of Fame, however in 2002 the Flames acquired his free company rights for a third-round and eighth-round draft choose. 

The primary commerce between the Flames and Maple Leafs occurred on June 10, 1980, when the Flames acquired a 1980 second-round choose (Kevin LaVallee) in alternate for Dave Shand and a 1980 third-round choose – ultimately traded to the Washington Capitals. LaVallee performed three seasons with the Flames, whereas Shand performed 48 video games with the Maple Leafs after 288 video games as a member of the Atlanta Flames.

One of many major causes there have been 18 trades between these franchises is that they play in several conferences and elements of the nation. The Flames do not need a prolonged historical past of interprovincial trades with the Edmonton Oilers. Nonetheless, they’re keen to deal franchise cornerstones to a rival they received’t play vital video games in opposition to except they each qualify for the Stanley Cup Remaining. 

Associated: Flames & Oilers Commerce Historical past Revisited

Proper now, followers will concentrate on Kadri’s return to Toronto with the Flames, and that second will make folks reminisce in regards to the days McDonald wore the crimson and yellow. Regardless of how we glance again at issues, some vital trades have altered the course of those aggressive franchises.

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