Top Five U.S. Born Players in Calgary Flames History
Honorable Mentions
Would it really be a “top-five” list without any honorable mentions?
Honorable mention #1: Brett Hull
The only reason Brett Hull didn’t make the cut is because he didn’t spend a lot of time with the Calgary Flames. Also, he may have been American, but he was actually born in Canada (Ontario). So he’s technically not U.S.-born, but he still gets an honorable mention here.
Hull was drafted by the Flames in 1984, not until the sixth round at 117th overall.
He made his NHL debut in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 1986 against the Montreal Canadiens. Hull was assigned to the AHL the following season. In 1987-1988, he earned a full-time position with the Flames, but was traded to the St. Louis Blues in March of 1988. He played a total of 57 games with Calgary and scored 27 goals and 51 points with the club.
In his NHL career, he’s played 1269 games, has 741 goals, and 1391 points, putting him at over one point per game. He’s a two-time Stanley Cup Champion, one with the Detroit Red Wings, and one with the Dallas Stars. He’s won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, the Hart Memorial Trophy, and the Lester B. Pearson award.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
Hull is currently 22nd all-time in points, however Joe Thornton is tied with him, and he’ll most likely pass him next season. An impressive feat is that he’s fourth all-time in goals.
There was no way he couldn’t at least make it as an honorable mention, even though he only played a very small portion of his career with the Flames.
Honorable mention #2: Craig Conroy
This would just be weird if I didn’t include Craig Conroy. Conroy was taken at 123 overall in the 1990 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He did only play 13 games with the Canadiens since he got into a fight with goalie Patrick Roy and would spend the majority of his time in the AHL before being traded.
Conroy spent the majority of his NHL career with the Calgary Flames, playing in 507 regular season games with the club and racking up 308 points.
In 2001, he was named co-captain of the Flames and the following season, was the full-time captain. Known for his defensive efforts, he was a runner-up for the Selke trophy twice in his career.
Conroy became good friends with Flames fan-favourite Jarome Iginla and Iggy even credited Conroy in being a big reason for him reaching his first 50 goal season.
In 2004, he was a big factor in the Flames cup run – the first time they made it to the finals since their Cup winner in 1989. He had 17 points in 26 playoff games that year, but unfortunately, the Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the finals. Boo.
He is currently an assistant general manager of the Calgary Flames. Look like he just can’t leave, hey?
5. Joel Otto
Joel Otto, unlike the two honorable mentions, was never drafted by any team. Instead, he signed with the Calgary Flames in 1984 when he was 22 years old. Otto was known well as one of the best two-way centermen in his days which led to him being a Selke trophy nominee twice. He was also one of the best guys in the face-off circles.
Otto spent 11 year with the Flames where he played 730 games with the club and racked up 167 goals and 428 points.
In total, Otto played 943 NHL games split between Calgary and Philadelphia and had 195 goals and 508 points. Otto was part of the Stanley Cup winning Calgary team in 1989 where he had 19 points in 22 playoff games, one being an overtime game-winning goal in game seven against the Vancouver Canucks. I actually met Otto! In October of 2015. He thought I was weird, but what else is new.
Joel Otto played for Team USA at the Olympics once, World Championship twice, and for the Canada Cup twice, once as the captain in 1991.
And this guy is still in Calgary! Looks like someone else who just can’t get away from this lovely city either. He’s currently an assistant coach for the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL.
Fun fact: There was a song written about him called “Two minutes for looking so good”. Here it is:
4. Phil Housley
Phil Housley, another name who isn’t later on this list, but only because he didn’t spend a whole lot of time with Calgary either. Actually, funnily enough, Housley is now the head coach for the Buffalo Sabres. The team he was drafted at 6th overall for in 1982 and whom he spent the most of his NHL career with.
Calgary Flames
Housley has played 1495 career games with 338 goals and 1232 points. He’s fourth all-time in points among defencemen (right behind another former Flame, Al MacInnis). Actually, funnily enough, he was traded to Calgary from the St. Louis Blues for Al MacInnis. He is second in points in NHL history among U.S. born players – right behind Mike Modano.
He represented team USA at the Olympics in 2002 where they won silver and at the World Cup of Hockey in 1996, where they won Gold.
Housley spent close to five years with the Calgary Flames where he got 50 goals and 238 points.
While Housley never won a Stanley Cup, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015. He did come close to a Cup though, in 1998 with the Washington Capitals, but they were swept in the finals.
Flames fans know what getting swept in the playoffs is like, hey?
A weird stat, but he has played more NHL games without winning the Stanley Cup than any player in NHL history. Not exactly a record you’d want to break, but congrats to Housley for this! I mean… if fan-favourite Jarome Iginla never wins a Cup in his career, he’ll break this record…
3. Joe Mullen
Joe Mullen! Another guy who didn’t spend the majority of his career with the Calgary Flames. And another player who went undrafted! Mullen started his NHL career with the St. Louis Blues in 1881. He was traded to the Flames in 1986 in a six-player trade.
Mullen has 1063 points in 1062 career games. He played 345 games with the Flames and racked up 190 goals and 388 points.
Mullen’s won the Lady Byng trophy twice, and has been a runner-up one other time. He has an impressive 241 PIM in his entire NHL career.
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He was also part of the Stanley Cup winning Flames team in 1989, where he had 110 points in 79 games that season. WOW. He also reached the 50 goal milestone that year for the first (and last) time in his NHL career. Maybe Calgary’s a good luck charm, hey?
He won the Stanley Cup two other times in his NHL career (OK, no need to be greedy, Joe) and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. He is currently in assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. Kind of funny seeing how he won two Cups with their rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Of course we HAD to mention him. But also, he was the first American born player to reach 500 goals and 1000 points. Go Joe!
2. Gary Suter
Can I just start off by saying how much a young Gary Suter looks like his nephew right now, Ryan Suter? I mean, i have a picture in my room of the Calgary Flames 1987-88 roster, and it’s like a spitting image. Look at these pictures here! How is that not the same person who used a time-travelling machine?
Anyways, let’s get on with it.
Suter spent the majority of his NHL career with the Flames (finally a player who did). He was taken at 180th overall in the 1984 NHL draft, which was the ninth round at that time. Funny how things change, that would be the sixth round today.
He spent nine years with the Flames where he racked up 617 goals and 564 points. In his NHL career, he has played 1145 games with 844 goals. He’s 14th in all-time points among defencemen and fourth among American-born defencemen.
In his first NHL season in 1985-86, he had 68 points in 80 games with 141 PIM (wow Tkachuk, looks like you’ve got work to do). That year, he won the Calder trophy as the rookie of the year. That year, the Flames also made it to the Stanley Cup final for the first time in franchise history. They unfortunately lost to the Montreal Canadiens.
But no need to fret because he’ll end up winning the Cup with Calgary in 1989 anyways!
Related Story: Throwback Thursday - Winning the Cup in 1989
He was also a runner-up for the Norris trophy in 1988. He helped Team USA win at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and was also part of the silver medal team at the Olympics in 2002, when he was 38 years old! While he hasn’t been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame yet, he was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
And seriously, if you haven’t been googling pictures of young Gary Suter and Ryan Suter now, you need to do it. It’s weird how much they look alike.
1. Johnny Gaudreau
Johnnnnyyyyyy Hockkeeeyyyyyyyyy. I was deciding if I would put Johnny Gaudreau at first, but I decided I would. Gaudreau still has a long career ahead of him. If he keeps this up, he’ll be playing well over 1300 regular season games.
Gaudreau was taken in the fourth round of the 2011 NHL draft and made his NHL debut in the last regular season game for the Calgary Flames in 2013-2014, where he also registered his first NHL goal in a sad 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks.
Related Story: Flashback Friday - Gaudreau Taken at 104th Overall
In three full years with the Flames, he’s made the All-Star team three times, been a runner-up for the Calder trophy, and just recently won the Lady Byng trophy. Not too shabby for only three years in the NHL so far. He also has at least 60 points in each of his NHL seasons. The NHL did a re-draft of the 2011 draft and actually put Johnny at first overall! Go Johnny go!
Johnny right now has 204 points in 232 games.
In the 2014-2015 season, his first full season, the Flames made the playoffs for the first time in six years, with him, Sean Monahan, and Jiri Hudler making headlines. The Flames made the playoffs again this past season, twice in three years. Maybe Johnny Hockey is some sort of good luck charm. I mean, they don’t call him Johnny Hockey for nothing.
Johnny played with Team USA at the World Juniors in 2013 where they won Gold. That year, he led all skaters at the tournament for goals with seven. This year, he played with Team USA at the World Championship and played with them in 2014 as well. He also played for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey in 2016.
It was a bit of a tough decision putting Johnny at first on this list, but it’s because I truly believe he’ll be one of the best players in Flames franchise history. This upcoming season, Flames management believes that the contention window is open for this team, and he’ll completely be a factor in that.
I mean, he’s only been playing in the NHL for three years and he’s already 31st on the Flames all-time leading point scorers. Actually, and this whole thing comes full circle, but thanks to one of our writers here, Tomas, for letting me know about this – Conroy was the one who signed Gaudreau on an ELC in 2014 when he won the Hobey Baker.
Next: Should Iginla Be Back in a Flames Jersey?
Well, there you have it! The five-best U.S. born players in Calgary Flames franchise history! Maybe in a few years, Matthew Tkachuk can join this list too.