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A Flame From the Past: Trent Yawney
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Ryley Delaney
Apr 3, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 3, 2026, 05:50 EDT
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Do you remember Trent Yawney?
Every once in a while, we take a look at a player who once played for the Calgary Flames in a series called “A Flame From the Past.” This player has to have played a significant number of games for the Flames. I’ll put every Flames’ season into a Wheel of Names, and this time, it landed on the 1992-93 season. In this article, we’ll look at Trent Yawney.
Born in Hudson Bay, a town in Northern Saskatchewan that’s over 700 kilometers away, Yawney played his junior hockey with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League. In his rookie season in 1981-82, the defenceman scored a goal in his six games. The following season, he scored six goals and 37 points in 59 games, with two assists in six playoff games.
The 1983-84 season was Yawney’s draft year, and he scored 13 goals and 59 points in 72 games, leading the Chicago Blackhawks (then stylized Black Hawks) to select Yawney 45th overall. In his final junior year, Yawney scored 16 goals and 67 points in 72 games, with 158 penalty minutes. He added a goal and seven points in three playoff games.
Instead of playing in the American Hockey League or the International Hockey League, Yawney joined the Canadian’s National Team. It’s not the same format you see today, instead they used to tour to prep for upcoming tournaments. Yawney played his 1985-86 and 1986-97 season there, scoring six goals and 21 points in 73 games in the former and four goals and 19 points in 51 games in the latter.
The defenceman split his 1987-88 season between the National Team and the Blackhawks, playing 68 games with five goals and 18 points with the National team, and 15 games with two goals and 10 points with the Blackhawks. Yawney became a regular NHL’er in 1988-89, scoring five goals and 24 points in 69 games, along with 116 penalty minutes. In 15 post-season games, he added three goals and nine points.
Yawney scored five goals and 20 points in 70 games the following season, with three goals and eight points in 20 playoff games. In his final season with the Blackhawks in 1990-91, Yawney scored three goals and 16 points, with one playoff game played.
After beginning his 1991-92 season with the IHL’s Indianapolis Ice, Yawney was traded to the Flames for Stephane Matteau. Following the trade, the defenceman scored four goals nad 13 points in 47 games. In 1992-93, Yawney scored a goal and 17 points, with three goals and five points in six post-season games. The 1993-94 season with the Flames was his best, scoring six goals and 21 points in 58 games, while being held pointless in seven playoff games.
After that season, Yawney’s decline started. He played just 37 games in 1994-95, picking up two assists and being held pointless in two playoff games. Yawney played 69 games in 1995-96, where he picked up three assists and played his final four post-season games.
In 1996-97, Yawney played 39 games with the St. Louis Blues, picking up two assists. The 1997-98 season saw him return to the Blackhawks, where he scored his final goal and point over 45 games. Then in 1998-99, he played 20 more games before retiring.
The Hudson Bay product has remained in hockey since retiring. He joined the Blackhawks’ coaching staff in 1999-2000, then served as the Norfolk Admirals head coach from 2000-01 until 2004-05. Yawney’s only head coaching tenure was in the NHL game in 2005-06 and 2006-07, where he guided the Hawks to a 33-55-15 record before being fired.
He spent three seasons as the San Jose Sharks’ assistant, three seasons as a head coach in the NHL, before serving as an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks (2014-15 until 2017-18), the Edmonton Oilers (2018-19), Los Angeles Kings (2019-20 until 2023-24), and most recently, the Detroit Red Wings.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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