One Game Wonders: Tim Ramholt

In the history of the Flames franchise, 606 players have tugged a red sweater over their heads and suited up for a regular season game. Of those, 22 played just a single game for either the Calgary or Atlanta Flames. We call them One Game Wonders.

Let’s talk about another One Game Wonder, Swiss defender Tim Ramholt.

Ramholt is a bit of a trivia answer, as he was the player the Flames drafted after they grabbed Dion Phaneuf in the 2003 NHL Draft (in the second round). The Swiss blueliner came over to play in the QMJHL in his draft-plus-one season, suiting up with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. He returned to Switzerland to play two more seasons in the pro National League A before Darryl Sutter inked him to an entry level deal in 2006.

After spending the 2006-07 season acclimating to North American pro with the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights – where he had 12 points – Ramholt got off to a hot start in 2007-08. With Rhett Warrener on the shelf in late November and Adrian Aucoin suffering an injury, the Flames summoned Ramholt on Nov. 27. He made his NHL debut on Nov. 29 against Anaheim.

His night lasted two shifts and 45 seconds. Paired with Andrew Ference, his first shift was derailed by Mark Smith fighting Brian Sutherby. His second shift saw Todd Marchant score a goal (that tied the game at 1-1). Flames head coach Mike Keenan had seen enough – just 5:53 into the game – and ran with five defenders the rest of the way. (Dion Phaneuf played over 35 minutes and was minus-2.)

Ramholt was a healthy scratch on Dec. 1 as Aucoin returned to action. He was sent back to Quad City on Dec. 2, replaced by Adam Pardy as the extra defender. And that was that. He finished the AHL season with 24 points but was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in the off-season (and again to Nashville early the next season).

When his ELC expired, the Preds declined to give Ramholt a qualifying offer and so he returned to Switzerland. He played in the NLA for nine more seasons before hanging up his skates in 2018.

Ramholt had a very respectable hockey career, but you can’t help but wonder what he could’ve been had Keenan not had such an itchy trigger finger and let him play for more than 45 seconds.