How the 1989 Stanley Cup champions were built (and dismantled)
By Ryan Pike
4 years agoIn the annals of Calgary Flames history, the 1988-89 season stands on its own. After all, the Flames won the Stanley Cup. The magical 1989 club came together gradually through several maneuvers by general manager Cliff Fletcher.
23 players got their names on the Stanley Cup in 1989.
Goaltenders
| Arrived | Departed | |
| #30 Mike Vernon | 1981 NHL Draft (56th overall) | Traded to Detroit |
| #31 Rick Wamsley | Traded from St. Louis | Traded to Toronto |
Defensemen
| Arrived | Departed | |
| #2 Al MacInnis | 1981 NHL Draft (15th overall) | Traded to St. Louis |
| #4 Brad McCrimmon | Traded from Philadelphia | Traded to Detroit |
| #5 Dana Murzyn | Traded from Hartford | Traded to Vancouver |
| #6 Ric Nattress | Traded from St. Louis | Traded to Toronto |
| #20 Gary Suter | 1984 NHL Draft (180th overall) | Traded to Hartford |
| #34 Jamie Macoun | Signed as a free agent | Traded to Toronto |
| #55 Rob Ramage | Traded from St. Louis | Traded to Toronto |
Forwards
| Arrived | Departed | |
| #7 Joe Mullen | Traded from St. Louis | Traded to Pittsburgh |
| #9 Lanny McDonald | Traded from Colorado | Retired |
| #10 Gary Roberts | 1984 NHL Draft (12th overall) | Traded to Carolina |
| #11 Colin Patterson | Signed as a free agent | Traded to Buffalo |
| #12 Hakan Loob | 1980 NHL Draft (181st overall) | Left as a free agent |
| #14 Theo Fleury | 1987 NHL Draft (166th overall) | Traded to Colorado |
| #17 Jiri Hrdina | 1984 NHL Draft (159th overall) | Traded to Pittsburgh |
| #19 Tim Hunter | 1979 NHL Draft (54th overall) | 1992 Expansion Draft (Tampa) |
| #22 Mark Hunter | Trade with St. Louis | Traded to Hartford |
| #24 Jim Peplinski | 1975 NHL Draft (75th overall) | Retired |
| #25 Joe Nieuwendyk | 1985 NHL Draft (26th overall) | Traded to Dallas |
| #27 Brian MacLellan | Trade with Minnesota | Traded to Detroit |
| #29 Joel Otto | Signed as a free agent | Left as a free agent |
| #39 Doug Gilmour | Trade with St. Louis | Traded to Toronto |
Three trades that built
Aug. 26, 1987: 1988 third round pick and 1989 first round pick to Philadelphia for Brad McCrimmon
On one hand, the Flames gave up a first round pick. On the other hand, they gave up a late first round pick for a tough-as-nails defender that helped them win a Stanley Cup.
Mar. 7, 1988: Brett Hull and Steve Bozek to St. Louis for Rick Wamsley and Rob Ramage
Hull turned into a goal-scoring machine with the Blues, but he was stuck behind a stacked veteran lineup in Calgary. The trade upgraded the Flames’ backup goaltending position over incumbent Doug Dadswell and gave them another strong blueliner in Ramage.
Sept. 6, 1988: Mike Bullard, Craig Coxe and Tim Corkery to St. Louis for Doug Gilmour, Mark Hunter, Steve Bozek and Michael Dark
The Flames seemingly really missed having Bozek on their team and had to get him back. Also, Gilmour immediately became a core piece and Hunter was strong depth for them.
Three trades that dismantled
Jan. 2, 1992: Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, Kent Manderville and Rick Wamsley to Toronto for Craig Berube, Alex Godynyuk, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit and Jeff Reese
One of the worst trades in the history of the franchise, if not the league, saw four Stanley Cup winners and the team’s top prospect shipped east for a couple decent depth pieces and three spare parts.
Dec. 19, 1995: Joe Nieuwendyk to Dallas for Corey Millen and Jarome Iginla
Then-GM Al Coates – part of the management team in 1989 – had to deal with a contract dispute with Nieuwendyk that stretched into the season. He eventually pulled the trigger on a swap that sent a future Hall of Famer out of town but brought in another one.
Feb. 28, 1999: Theo Fleury and Chris Dingman to Colorado for Rene Corbet, Wade Belak, Robyn Regehr and 2000 second round pick
The last remaining piece of the 1989 team, Fleury was a pending unrestricted free agent that the Flames couldn’t afford to keep. Coates managed to make a swap that landed the Flames a promising young defender in Regehr that played over 800 games for the franchise.
Hall of Famers
Nine people that were engraved onto the Stanley Cup in 1989 were also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame: Al MacInnis, Joe Mullen, Lanny McDonald, Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour, owners Harley Hotchkiss and Daryl Seaman, general manager Cliff Fletcher, and goalie coach Glenn Hall (who was already inducted when the Flames won).
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