During the recent flurry of free agent signings, the Calgary Flames opted to bring back a familiar face when they signed Ryan Lomberg.

While Lomberg was most recently a member of the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers, he began his National Hockey League journey as part of the Flames organization. Heck, he made his first 11 appearances (and registered his first point) with the Flames.

Lomberg’s return to the fold made us think back on other instances where the Flames re-acquired a former player.

First up? Netminder Rick Tabaracci.

Tabaracci joined the Flames during the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season, being acquired on Apr. 7, 1995 (prior to the trade deadline) in a swap with the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 1995 fifth-round pick.

The 1994-95 season was Trevor Kidd’s first as Flames starter after the off-season departure of Mike Vernon, and after trying out Andrei Trefilov as his backup, the club opted to acquire a more veteran presence to help out. Tabaracci had already played 108 NHL games at the time of his acquisition, and a fifth-rounder seemed like a decent price to pay for some netminding stability.

After a handful of games at the tail-end of 1994-95, Tabaracci effectively worked in a tandem with Kidd in 1995-96, and ended up playing slightly more in the post-season than Kidd – he played three games while Kidd played twice.

Tabaracci began the 1996-97 season with the Flames, pencilled in as Kidd’s backup once again. But after seven games, he departed the club via trade.

On Nov. 19, 1996, the Flames traded Tabaracci to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Aaron Gavey. The move helped the Flames add to their forward depth, and with prospect Dwayne Roloson having already played two full seasons in the AHL, they were nearing a decision point with that netminder. So they opted to add some depth and went with the (slightly) younger goaltender.

Tabaracci spent the remainder of the season with the Lightning, playing 55 games, and appeared with Canada at the World Championships. But just seven months after his departure, he found himself back with the Flames.

When Tabaracci departed Calgary in 1996, it felt like there just wasn’t enough room for him, Kidd and Roloson. Well, by the 1997 NHL Draft, the Flames were looking to change up their mojo in net after missing the playoffs. They re-acquired Tabaracci from Tampa Bay for a 1998 fourth-round pick. Two months later, the Flames sent Kidd and Gary Roberts to Carolina in exchange for Andrew Cassels and prospect Jean-Sebastian Giguere.

As a result of the goaltending musical chairs, the Flames played the 1997-98 season with a Tabaracci/Roloson battery in net.

When the Flames missed the playoffs in 1996-97, they traded Kidd and re-acquired Tabaracci. When the Flames missed the playoffs (again) in 1997-98, they made more goaltending changes, trading Tabaracci back to Washington in exchange for a 2000 ninth-round pick and letting Roloson depart as a free agent.

The Flames certainly had a different-looking goaltending tandem in 1998-99: they began the season with Ken Wregget and rookie Tyler Moss, and ended up using seven different goaltenders in an injury-filled season.