Looking back at 1,500 games at the Saddledome
By Ryan Pike
1 year agoOn Oct. 15, 1983, the Calgary Flames played their very first regular season game at the Olympic Saddledome. It was a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. On Nov. 3, 2022, the Flames played their 1,500th regular season game at the building, a 4-1 setback to the Nashville Predators. In-between those book-ending losses, the Flames have won 825 regular season appearances at the Saddledome.
Here’s a look back at some historical milestones at the National Hockey League’s second-oldest building.
All-time, the Flames have won 55% of their home dates at the Saddledome and captured 61% of available points. The visiting club with the highest points percentage is the Boston Bruins (.578), while the Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers have the worst (.309).
In addition to their regular season games, the Flames have hosted 106 playoff home games, including nine Stanley Cup Final dates in 1986, 1989 and 2004. The Flames have 55 home playoff wins at the Saddledome.
The road team that have made the most regular season visits to the ‘Dome is, obviously, the Edmonton Oilers with 119. (Vancouver has the most playoff dates at the ‘Dome as a visitor, with 16.)
The Flames have clinched eight playoff series at the Saddledome:
- 1986 Campbell Conference Final over St. Louis (2-1 in Game 7)
- 1988 Smythe Division Semi-Final over Los Angeles (6-4 in Game 5)
- 1989 Smythe Division Semi-Final over Vancouver (4-3 in overtime in Game 7)
- 1989 Campbell Conference Final over Chicago (4-1 in Game 5)
- 2004 Western Conference Semifinal over Detroit (1-0 in overtime in Game 6)
- 2004 Western Conference Final over San Jose (3-1 in Game 6)
- 2015 Western Conference First Round over Vancouver (7-4 in Game 6)
- 2022 Western Conference First Round over Dallas (3-2 in overtime in Game 7)
(If you think about the long, storied history of the Flames’ franchise, most of the team’s most indelible moments take place under the famous domed roof.)
Finally, some stats:
| Home | Visitor | |
| Games | Jarome Iginla, 609* | Trevor Linden, 53 |
| Goals | Jarome Iginla, 268* | Glenn Anderson, 24 |
| Game-Winning Goals | Jarome Iginla, 49* | David Perron, 4 Daniel Sedin, 4 Jeremy Roenick, 4 |
| Points | Jarome Iginla, 570* | Wayne Gretzky, 90 |
| Penalty Minutes | Tim Hunter, 1205 | Kevin McClelland, 222 |
| Wins (Goalie) | Miikka Kiprusoff, 187** | Nikolai Khabibulin, 15 |
| Shutouts | Miikka Kiprusoff, 26** | Niklas Backstrom, 3^ Marty Turco, 3 Curtis Joseph, 3# |
*- Iginla also played seven games as a visitor (bringing his regular season total to 616), where he had a game-winning goal (his 269th goal at the arena and 50th game-winner) and five points (bringing him to 575). During his NHL career, only 227 players had more points period than Iginla had at the Saddledome.
**- Kiprusoff never played a game at the Saddledome as a visitor.
^- Backstrom played four games for the Flames in his final season (2015-16), all on the road.
#- Joseph played nine regular season games for the Flames in 2007-08, all on the road. He played one home playoff game, Game 4 of the first round against San Jose, entering the game 3:33 into the first period with the Flames trailing 3-0 and winning the game by a 4-3 score.
What was the most memorable game or moment in the history of the Saddledome? Let us know in the comments!
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