The histories of the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders are very intertwined. The Islanders were originally granted an NHL franchise in an effort to block the World Hockey Association out of the New York market by dropping into the brand-new Nassau Coliseum. Atlanta was granted a franchise shortly thereafter in an effort to balance out the NHL’s schedule.

The first game ever played by the Flames and Islanders was against each other on Oct. 7, 1972 in the Nassau Coliseum, the first-ever game in that building. (The Flames won 3-2.) History ended up repeating itself five decades later, when the Flames were the Islanders’ opponent in the first-ever game at UBS Arena on Nov. 20, 2021. (The Flames won 5-2.)

Despite both teams playing on the east coast, they played in separate divisions for two seasons – if you want a prime example of how slap-dash the Atlanta expansion was, this is it. The Islanders played in the East Division, while the Flames played in the West to balance things out. After the 1974-75 realignment that introduced the Wales and Campbell Conferences, the two teams played together in the Patrick Division for seven seasons: the Flames’ final six seasons in Atlanta and their first in Calgary.

The Islanders had more rapid success on Long Island than the Flames did in Atlanta: between 1972-80, the Islanders won 11 playoff rounds (including a Stanley Cup), while the Flames won zero, undoubtedly contributing to their relocation. Once in Calgary, the Flames won two rounds in 1980-81, and would’ve met the Islanders in the 1981 Stanley Cup Final had they managed to get past the Minnesota North Stars in the league semi-final round.

Both teams had success in the 1980s. The Islanders went to five consecutive Stanley Cup Finals during the ’80s, winning four times. The Flames went to two Finals, winning in 1989.

Both teams had their challenges during the 1990s. The Islanders struggled on the ice, introduced the woeful Fisherman jersey, and were almost bought by fraudster John Spano in 1996. (ESPN did a 30-for-30 documentary, Big Shot, delving into the Spano saga.) Meanwhile, the Canadian dollar’s plummet during the ’90s led to challenges to the Flames, leading to the “Save the Flames” campaign late in the decade.

There were just just eight trades made between the two teams. The Flames also received a fourth-round draft pick from the Islanders in 1974 due to a dispute between the Atlanta Hawks and New Jersey Nets over the playing rights to Julius Erving – the Flames used the pick on Pat Ribble. My book, On The Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Calgary Flames at the NHL Draft, has all the details on how that all went down.

After dealing with the aging Nassau Coliseum for years, and briefly playing in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, the Islanders finally got a new home, opening UBS Arena in 2021. The Flames will follow suit in 2027 when Scotia Place opens. The two teams met 57 times at Nassau Coliseum. Tuesday’s game will be their 34th meeting at the Saddledome; the Islanders will visit twice more before the curtain is drawn on the Flames’ building.