Flames Alumni Spotlight: Eric Vail

As we wait for the 2019-20 Calgary Flames season to resume – please let it resume – we’ll be spending time looking at the past and future of the Flames franchise. As part of that, we’ll be profiling some lesser known Flames alumni.

First up? The first player in Flames history to ever win an award, forward Eric Vail.

A product of Ontario, Vail split his draft year between the then-OHA’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Sudbury Wolves. He was the Flames second round selection, 21st overall, in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft. He went pro immediately, splitting the 1973-74 season between the Central League’s Omaha Knights and Atlanta. (He maintained his Calder eligibility by only playing 23 games with the Flames.)

He made the NHL roster full-time in 1974-75 and had a heck of a year. He had three hat tricks and led all NHL freshmen in goals with 39. He finished third in the rookie scoring race behind Pittsburgh’s Pierre Larouche and Buffalo’s Danny Gare. He edged out Larouche and Gare in Calder voting. As a weird bit of trivia, Montreal Canadiens rookie Doug Risebrough – a future Flames player, coach and general manager – tied for fourth in rookie scoring but got zero Calder votes.

Like many players, though, Vail peaked in some respects as a rookie. He was a productive Flame on a lone-time line with Willi Plett and Tom Lysiak, but never scored that many goals again. He had generated more points three times in his career, including a high of 83 in 1978-79. His career was slowed down by injuries and off-ice issues related to his free-wheeling lifestyle.

Finally, things came to a head. Reportedly Vail clashed with then-head coach Al MacNeil, leading then-GM Cliff Fletcher to cut bait and trade Vail to Detroit early in 1981-82 for Gary McAdam and a 1983 fourth round pick. Vail had the same issues with the Red Wings and found his way out of the NHL before the end of the season. He retired from hockey the following year, hanging it up before the age of 30.

Vail is a player that burnt out quickly rather than linger, but he was a very productive player for the Flames for several seasons. He could’ve been great, but he was consistently good. He’s 17th in Flames history in games played, 8th in goals and 10th in points.