According to draft statistics from Hockey Reference.com, the Calgary Flames organization has made 475 selections in the NHL Amateur/Entry Draft. Surprisingly, they have drafted only 40 goalies out of those players, which accounts for eight percent of all picks.
Related: Backlund is the Flames’ First Drafted Player to Surpass 900 Games
Thus far, 19 netminders in their draft history have made it to the NHL, playing at least one game. Even though a handful of them never played for the Flames, they did go on and find success with other franchises.
Currently, the fanbase is excited about Dustin Wolf, who made his NHL debut in 2022-23. As their most recently drafted netminder, the pressure is on for him to help turn the team into a contender. After posting a 42-10-2 record in the American Hockey League (AHL), he’s only a step away from being the next cornerstone goalie.
However, before we get ahead of ourselves about goalie prospects, let’s step back and see where the Flames went right and wrong at the NHL Draft.
10. Andrei Trefilov
261st overall 1991
Andrei Trefilov shared the Calgary crease with Mike Vernon and Trevor Kidd during his brief 18-game stint with the club. Even though those games came over three seasons, he opted to leave the franchise as a free agent in 1995. After returning for four games in 1999, he left the NHL with a 12-25-4 record to finish his professional career in Europe.
9. Dany Sabourin
108th overall 1998
Dany Sabourin played four games with the Flames, losing three during the 2003-04 season. As the backup to Miikka Kiprusoff, he could not find regular playing time, leaving as a free agent the following season. Eventually, he departed the NHL in 2009, playing in 57 games with three franchises and earning an 18-15-4 record.
8. Jason Muzzatti
21st overall 1988
Although the Flames had Vernon between the pipes in 1988, the franchise used their first-round selection on a goalie, Jason Muzzatti. Nevertheless, they kept the young netminder in the system, calling him up in 1993 for his debut. However, after just two games with Calgary, the Hartford Whalers selected him off waivers in 1995. After five seasons and four teams, Muzzatti left the NHL with a 13-25-10 record.
7. Tim Bernhardt
47th overall 1978 (Atlanta)
Only longtime Flames’ fans would remember Tim Bernhardt since he played six games for the club in 1982-83. Unfortunately, he went 0-5 in those games, giving up 21 goals and posting a 4.50 goals-against average (GAA). After a year out of the league, he returned as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he played 61 games over three seasons. Upon retirement in 1987, he finished his NHL career with a 17-36-7 record.
6. Laurent Brossoit
164th overall 2011
Laurent Brossoit has been in the headlines recently, winning the Stanley Cup as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. Interestingly, he remains among the few players involved in a trade between provincial rivals, the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers.
Although Brossoit never played for the Flames organization, he took the long road toward becoming an NHL backup. Eventually, he worked alongside Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg before joining the goalie platoon in Vegas.
Related: Flames & Oilers Trade History Revisited
5. Pat Riggin
33rd overall 1979 (Atlanta)
Pat Riggin was the first goalie to earn a win for the Flames upon their relocation from Atlanta in 1980. During those first few seasons, he shared duties with Dan Bouchard as the team built upon their historic 16-year playoff run. Although his time with the Flames was short, 119 games, he remains one of 12 goalies in team history to win at least 50 games (51).
4. Trevor Kidd
11th overall 1990
As the second-highest-drafted goalie in team history, Kidd left behind a puzzling legacy. Although it wasn’t his doing, his rise to the starting role pushed franchise hero Vernon out of town. Statistically, he only played 178 games in five seasons in Calgary, compiling a 72-66-26 record. Interestingly, after leaving the Flames in 1998, he had one more winning season before retiring in 2004.
3. Curtis McElhinney
176th overall 2002
Curtis McElhinney played three seasons with the Flames, earning a 4-12-1 record over 29 games. Even though his time in Calgary was short, he played 249 games with eight franchises, winning two Stanley Cup titles with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite his best efforts, he only had three winning seasons on his resume. Eventually, he retired after the 2021 season.
2. Craig Anderson
77th overall 1999
In the Flames’ draft logs, the team selected Craig Anderson in 1999; however, the recent retiree opted to stay in the Ontario Hockey League. Unfortunately, they never signed him to a contract, and he reentered the draft, going to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2001.
Even though Anderson never played in Calgary, he ranks second in most statistical categories among netminders selected by the Flames. Although his best seasons came in Ottawa and Buffalo, he would have been a solid choice to replace Kiprusoff when he retired in 2013.
1. Mike Vernon
56th overall 1981
Unsurprisingly, Vernon lands at the top of the list as the best netminder the Flames ever drafted. Historically, the recent Hall of Fame inductee remains the only netminder to lead the team to a Stanley Cup championship, achieving the feat in 1989.
Even though several of his franchise records now belong to other netminders, Vernon is one of three players to have his number retired. Realistically, he may be the greatest local player ever to put on a Flames jersey, growing up a short distance from the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Historical Perspective
One of the most famous goalie names in the Flames’ draft logs is Olympic gold medalist Jim Craig. As many know, he was the backbone of the United States team who beat the Russians at the 1980 Winter Olympics, known as the Miracle on Ice. Although Craig never duplicated the success in the NHL, he will forever be a part of Flames history after playing four games for the club in 1979-80.
Ultimately, when searching through the Flames’ history regarding draft choices, it is evident that selecting netminders has never been an area of focus. Considering only 19 made it into the league, this list was challenging because the credentials were limited.
