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Grudges, Redemption and Vindication — Battle of Alberta Personal Storylines |
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The eve of battle.
One last opportunity to review the history behind some of the current storylines going on between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
Former players and staff crossing the floor, career altering sequences that will serve as the first highlight when you search a player’s name, and ultimately, the chance at redemption for a certain few that have been cast off by the organization that once proudly displayed their name on a jersey.
Let’s get into a few of these storylines.
The Turtle and the Donkey
You can’t start anywhere but here. The rivalry between who Oilers fans refer to as “Turtle Boy” and who Calgary fans coin “the Zachass” elevated to an unprecedented level on January 11 of the 2019-20 season.
In that game, Matthew Tkachuk laid three absolutely monstrous hits on Oilers forward Zack Kassian. All three were deemed legal hits, but all three caught Kassian looking in the wrong direction.
Despite the hits being within the rules of the game, Kassian was clearly hurt. There’s no way one gets run over like that and doesn’t sustain at least one concussion. In fact, since then, Kassian has only played 101 games and totalled 30 points over that time.
Zach Kassian in 19-20 prior to Tkachuk’s three hits on January 11
Games Played: 44
Goals: 13
Assists: 15
Points: 28
Points Per Game: .636
Zach Kassian post January 11, 2020
Games Played: 101
Games Missed: 62
Goals: 10
Assists: 20
Points: 30
Points Per Game: .297
Kassian completely lost his marbles in that game. As did much of the Oilers fanbase. #44 for the Oilers horse collared Tkachuk from behind and proceeded to rain punches on the Flames leading scorer.
What is even stranger is that Oilers fans took to the internet claiming Tkachuk wouldn’t fight back. Kassian never really gave him a chance. At least that game.
The two would eventually scrap honestly in a brawl filled rematch on January 29th the same season. Some of their dispute was squared then and there. Kassian thanked him following the fight and Tkachuk offered to fight at the start of the game.
Kassian won the fight, but Tkachuk showed he was no turtle. He even fought again later in the game against Ethan Bear.
Two weeks later, Kassian was handed a seven game suspension for kicking Tampa Bay defenceman Erik Cernak in the chest with his skate.
Will the two get back at the fisticuffs?
Unlikely. Kassian sustained a brutal concussion after hitting his head on the ice in a preseason tilt with Zach MacEwen. He was out cold on the ice. Zach shouldn’t be fighting anymore. He has a family and a future to consider.
The Hair
As Brad Treliving’s first coaching hire in his new position of general manager of the Calgary Flames, Glen Gulutzan was brought in after a strong interview process and solid body of work within division with the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks.
Hopes were high as a more contemporary, modern approach to coaching was sold to the fanbase.
Like Playfair, Glen’s team barely made the playoffs in year one. The playoffs themselves were a disaster. It was later revealed that Glen had given much of his decision making to the veterans in the lineup— who insisted goaltender Brian Elliott continue to start games.
Elliott’s confidence was at a low and lost all four games he started. He was only pulled in game four after allowing multiple soft goals.
On April 17, 2018, Gulutzan was fired from his position as head coach of the Calgary Flames. A little over a month later he was hired on as an assistant to Dave Tippett in Edmonton.
The Exiled Hero
Ah, Mike Smith. Enjoy him while he’s around, because we’re not getting another one like him any time soon.
Another one of Brad Treliving’s picks, Mike Smith signed with the Flames after six years with the Arizona/Phoenix Coyotes organization including a run to the Conference Finals that was ended by Darryl Sutter’s LA Kings.
Smith replaced Brian Elliott as the Flames starter in the summer of 2017 and had two very polarizing years with the Flames.
Mike Smith With the Flames
2017-18
25-22-6
Sv%: .916
GAA: 2.65
2018-19
23-16-2
Sv%: .898
GAA: 2.72
Smith’s quality of play always depended on the status of his recurring groin issues, so take those season stats with a grain of salt. He has the potential to be the league’s best goalie or the league’s worst goalie on any given night.
Smith’s contract with the Flames expired in the summer of 2019 and Treliving let him know they wouldn’t be offering him another one. Mike then took his services up the road and has been there for three seasons now. He is currently in year one of a two year contract with the Oilers signed last summer.
Smith has spoken about being bitter about his exit from Calgary and will surely bring his vendetta to this upcoming round two series.
The Caroline Boy
On July 5, 2013, the Flames acquired an undersized, but highly skilled defenceman from the St. Louis Blues for a 5th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Kris Russell, an Alberta kid born in Red Deer and raised in Caroline, immediately stepped into the top four and took his career to new heights with Calgary after being stuck on the third pairing for two years with the Blues.
With Kris’ rise, so did the Flames. The team eventually won their first series in 11 years in Kris’ final full season in Calgary in 2015.
In 2016, with losses mounting, Brad Treliving pulled the trigger on a deal that sent Russell to Dallas and brought in depth defenceman Jyrki Jokipakka, prospect Brett Pollock, and a second round pick that would eventually turn out to be Flames forward Dillon Dubé.
Russell played first pairing minutes for Dallas and some of the best hockey of his career in a two round playoff run. Despite that, Kris wasn’t offered a contract with Dallas and instead signed with Edmonton. He has been there ever since.
Kris may or may not get into the lineup this series, but he has a history with both teams. He set an NHL record for shots blocked in a season in 2014-15 with the Flames at 283.
The Discarded Giant
The most contentious and unlikely trade in the last decade.
To the Flames
Milan Lucic — 750k retained
Conditional 3rd round pick —conditions met
To the Oilers
James Neal
This trade originally looked pretty good for the Oilers. James Neal started out on a tear with them including a four goal game early in the 19-20 season.
Eventually, Neal’s production fell off and stayed off, but after season one there was much talk of an Oilers “win” due to his 19 goals and 12 assists.
Not so much anymore.
After ten points in 29 games last season, Neal was bought out and currently costs the Oilers a 1.916 million dollar cap hit until the end of the 24-25 season. Ouch.
Meanwhile, Milan Lucic has become a cornerstone on the Flames lineup. He delivers crushing checks on the forecheck and keeps the opposition honest. He has 20 goals over the last two seasons, but more importantly makes his presence known on the ice. Lucic is a fan favourite in Calgary and has one more season on a 5.25 million dollar cap hit.
Lucic is the only former Oiler currently on the Flames roster.
The Doc
In the summer of 2018, Derek Ryan followed head coach Bill Peters out if Carolina to sign with the Flames. What Calgary got from him was a forward that could energize any line he played on.
There were instances where Ryan would take a shift with Gaudreau and actually look like the better player. His first season, he put up 38 points and did some excellent work primarily in a fourth line role.
Unfortunately, his production proceeded to decline from then on.
In his third season with the Flames, he registered a meagre 13 points in 43 games. Primarily due to a hand injury sustained late in the season prior.
So, like so many players listed, he signed up North. His 22 points in 75 games this season have been adequate.
The Wealthy Kulak
This last one is a tough one. A bit of an anecdote to start this. Please excuse me leaving the 4th wall.
It was the summer of 2015 and I found time to get out to a Flames Development Camp scrimmage out at Winsport.
I had managed to find a couple seats for a friend and I with one empty chair next to me.
Saddling up behind us was several members of the Flames brass. Hartley, Pascal, Conroy among others. Obviously, you want to overhear a bit if what they’re talking about, which wasn’t much.
A little girl is standing behind the seats after arriving late to the game with one of her parents.
So Conroy just hops down a row into the seat next to me and urges the girl to take his seat. The guy is a grade A human being.
After a few minutes of watching the game and exchanging a few observations, Conroy points out Brett Kulak on the ice.
“Kulak there. We’re really excited about him. He’s good already, but he’s only scratching the surface.”
That comment, and the interaction as a whole, has stuck with me. Brett Kulak is a very underrated defenceman to this day.
Unfortunately, Kulak just couldn’t break into the Flames lineup consistently.
While many will consider him being traded on Oct 1, 2018 for AHL fodder Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina a “loss” of a trade, it simply wasn’t.
It was a “win” trade for Brett. Instead of eating popcorn for most of the 18-19 season; he got into 57 games with the Canadiens. He even got some looks on the first pairing after a few injuries.
While so many of these departures from Calgary have been bitter, Kulak’s is one with a happy ending. Brett is a UFA this offseason while the market price on defencemen is high (Derek Forbort got 3x3 last offseason) and he has proven that he can play top four minutes adequately.
The bitter history between these two teams has become muddied as each organization has brought in former members from their arch rival’s personnel. This hasn’t made relations any more polite. If anything, it has added tales of conviction, vindication and validation to the mix. Whether it’s the return of the exiled core piece or a player simply doing what’s best for their career— there will be no shortage in storylines for the next two weeks.
Trevor Neufeld
Statistics via naturalstattrick.com, nhl.com, dobberhockey.com, moneypuck.com and hockeyfights.com.
@Trevor_Neufeld
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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