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Do hockey gods really exist?
Well, in the off chance that they do, I’m sure that they/he/she…it…isn’t overly happy that I didn’t capitalize the “g” in god…but then again, are we to assume that they wouldn’t have a name(s)?
I digress.
Many fans often reference “hockey gods” when speaking of instances where their team plays abysmally or very well. There are also instances, as we will find out later tonight, where a team is provided with the opportunity to win a lottery which awards them with the first overall draft selection that such “gods” may come into question.
Some would suggest that the Edmonton Oilers, having selected first overall for three straight years, was due to the hockey gods being on their side. That said, most who live in a commonsensical world understand that it was due to being a terrible hockey team for several years providing them with the highest lotto percentages.
Anyways, the point of today’s blog was to cover the lottery tonight in which the Calgary Flames have a 10.7% chance of selecting first overall for the first time…ever. In fact, prior to last year when the Flames selected 6th overall, their average first round selection was in the low 20’s for the past 10 years – not a great way to acquire top end talent, I’d say.
Given that the odds of selecting first overall are quite low, I’m sure fans will be praying to any such hockey gods that the Flames are rewarded with the lottery winner after such a hard fought season. When you consider the records of the majority of bottom five teams in recent years, the Flames are one of, if not the only one, who stand out.
What I mean by this is while they remain in the top five draft order, their record and play this year has been much more similar to a team fighting for a playoff spot.
Anyone who doesn’t pay regular attention to my blogs would read that last sentence and think – this guy is clearly biased and nuts! And for those who do follow my blogs, they would understand that the Flames have been one of the strongest teams with respect to close games and work ethic.
Calgary has finished the year with 35 wins and 40 losses for 77 points and 27th place in the league. What’s interesting here is that of those 40 losses, 24 were by one goal, meaning that 60% of the Flames losses were by one goal. How many teams anywhere near them can say the same? In fact, how many teams league wide hold a similar losing record?
While the Flames were shy of a few star players this year, their work ethic and consistency made it able for them to stick around in games which most felt that they had no business playing in. Add a few more experienced and or star players and you start to wonder – how many of those one goal losses turn into wins?
Point is, the Flames have had one heck of a successful “rebuild” year in that they played some very strong hockey, iced several young and inexperienced players (40 in total for the year rotated through the roster) and managed to earn the respect of the league for their efforts.
That said, winning the lottery pick tonight would be icing on the cake for this group, but I get the feeling that it’s not even something that they’re worried about. This group guided by Brian Burke will likely select 4th overall and should be quite content with that given that it will be their highest draft position held to date.
And although selecting higher in the draft improves your odds at acquiring a young promising player, strong drafting/scouting is still very much needed as there is always the case of repeat Tim Erixon’s…
Moving forward I will begin to break down possible draft selections for each round, but I may hold off for a little while as the playoffs kick off. I am open to any blog suggestions now that the off-season for the Flames has begun, simply hit the contact button above and let me know what you’d like to read/see!
Thanks for reading!
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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