On this day in 2004, the Calgary Flames acquired forward Daymond Langkow from the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for defenceman Denis Gauthier and forward Oleg Saprykin.
The name Langkow may ring a bell for you. Maybe it’s because you’d heard the news of the terrifying injury he endured, or maybe it’s because it was one of the names that generated a younger-looking Flames squad. Either way, Langkow’s career in CowTown was riddled with excitement; he was known for his offensive contributions in the team’s top six forwards and his leadership bequests on and off the ice.
The year before Langkow—originally from Edmonton—touched back down on Alberta soil, the Flames had begun their quest for their second franchise Stanley Cup, falling short in game seven of the finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In light of their run, head coach Darryl Sutter was searching for new, younger talent to add depth and rejuvenate both their offensive and defensive lines after admitting the team failed to beat Tampa because they weren’t a young enough team.
Unfortunately, instead of carrying their success from 2003-04 into the following season with new additions to their team, the dreaded NHL lockout kept players from touching NHL ice for an interminable 310 days. When the NHL lockout ended and teams were back on the ice, Langkow was fully committed and excited to start his new venture with the Flames.
“When I got over the initial shock… this was a team that was just in the Stanley Cup Final,” Langkow told the Calgary Herald’s Scott Cruickshank at the time of the trade.
“Friends in Calgary said it was unreal during the playoffs, absolutely nuts. You don’t get those kinds of fans in Phoenix.”
Already a consistent 40-point scorer in his first year with the club, he quickly made his presence known, settling in and centring for the Flames superstar forward Jarome Iginla. He exceeded expectations, scoring 25 goals and 59 points in his welcoming 2005-06 season. The Flames reclaimed their playoff position but failed to surpass the first round.
Langkow remained in Calgary for six years. In 2006-07, he posted the best year of his career, scoring 33 goals and 77 points. His success that year was recognized as he earned votes for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, Lady Byng, and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. In 2008-09, he was rewarded for his leadership abilities, serving as one of the Flames’ alternate captains alongside Robyn Regehr and Dion Phaneuf.
In 2009-10, Langkow sustained a terrifying injury that flipped his career and life upside down. On March 21, 2010, the Flames visited the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. Calgary was down 3-1 before tragedy struck. Langkow was checked from behind by Wild’s defenceman Greg Zanon, falling into Minnesota’s Marek Zidlicky early in the second period. Losing his balance, he fell forward, and unknowingly, Flames defenceman Ian White rifled a shot towards the net, hitting Langkow in the back of the neck, breaking a bone, and affecting his spine. He remained motionless on the ice for 10 minutes before being stretchered off.
A scary moment for the forward and his team resulted in him remaining on the sidelines for most of the 2010-11 season, returning for only four games.
In late August of 2011, the combination of his age and injury played a role in Calgary’s decision to send the forward back to his roots, trading him back to the Coyotes in exchange for Lee Stempniak.
Langkow’s time in Calgary left a lasting impression on the organization and its fans through his display of talent, determination, notable resilience, and dedication to the sport and his team. Despite all the adversity he faced, Langkow returned to the game, spending one last year in Phoenix, scoring 11 goals and 30 points before retiring after the 2011-12 season.
Before being shipped to the Coyotes, Gauthier played for several years in Calgary from 1997-2004. He scored 13 goals and 58 points over 384 games for the Flames. He spent only one year in Phoenix before heading to the Philadelphia Flyers. Two years later, he signed with the Los Angeles Kings. In his 10 years in the NHL, Gauthier played in 554 games, scoring 17 goals and 77 points.
Saprykin spent five years with the Flames before joining Gauthier in Phoenix. He scored 29 goals and 76 points in 187 games in Alberta, scoring another 25 goals and 59 points in 126 games with the Coyotes. He spent 12 games with the Ottawa Senators in 2006-07 before departing from the NHL.
