The Calgary Flames is a professional hockey team that plays in the Northwest division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

As one of the first professional hockey teams in the Southern United States, the team was originally founded as the Atlanta Flames in 1971. They played their first season in 1972-73, finishing seventh in the Western Division. The Flames stayed in Atlanta through the 1979-80 season. After the owners were forced into bankruptcy, the team was purchased in 1980 and moved to Calgary starting in the 1980-81 season. In 1986 the Flames reached their first Stanley Cup Finals in team history. The Flames however fell to the Montreal Canadiens in five games.

The Flames returned to the finals in 1989 after defeating the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks in the first three rounds. They again faced their rival Montreal Canadiens in the finals, this time winning the Stanley Cup in six games.

After a seven year span of failing to reach the playoffs starting in 1997, the Flames returned to the finals in 2004. They played the the Tampa Bay Lightning in the championship round, where they lost in seven games.

After two years in Calgary and two first-round exits in the playoffs, the Flames fired coach Mike Keenan on May 22 and replaced him with Brent Sutter on June 23. Keenan had amassed an 88-60-16 record with the club. Sutter had spent two years with the New Jersey Devils with a record of 97-56-11.