The NHL has been around for a very long time; at the time of writing, it is 106 years old. The Calgary Flames entered the league in 1972, originally operating out of Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Flames. They operated for eight seasons there until financial difficulties forced their owner to sell the team to a group of Calgary businessmen. That group moved the Flames to “Cowtown” before the 1980-81 season. The flaming ‘a’ was changed to a flaming ‘c’, season tickets were sold by the thousands, and a new era began. The first stretch of the new-era Flames was immensely successful; the team qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs every season from 1980-81 until 1988-89.
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This age of dominance was capped off by two legendary postseason performances, beginning with a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1985-86. That team was defeated by the Montreal Canadiens, but the Flames exacted their revenge by returning to the Final in 1988-89 and beating the Canadiens for their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They were led by legendary players like Lanny McDonald, Joe Mullen, Hakan Loob, Al MacInnis, Doug Gilmour, Joe Nieuwendyk, and Mike Vernon during this decade. Every one of them deserves the recognition they get. But what about the other players? Over time, many players are overlooked despite their contributions to the team. Here are five Flames from the 1980s who deserve some recognition.
Pekka Rautakallio, Defense
How does a two-time 50-plus point-scoring defenseman sound? Born in Pori, Finland in 1953, Pekka Rautakallio was the epitome of short but sweet. His name, though memorable due to its constant butchering by the Canadian media, is not held in the same regard as other past Flames blueliners.
From 1979-82, Rautakallio skated in 253 games for the club, scoring an impressive 33 goals and 154 points. Rautakallio also added seven points in 23 career playoff contests for the Flames. His best season was his last in 1981-82 when he led all Flames defenders with 17 goals and 68 points in 80 games. For his efforts, Rautakallio was selected to the 1982 NHL All-Star Game, becoming the first Finn in NHL history to do so.
Rautakallio left North America after the 1981-82 season, heading back to Finland to suit up in the SM-Liiga. He cited wanting his young children to grow up in his homeland as his reason for returning home. Rautakallio became one of the best defensemen in SM-Liiga history and they honoured him by naming their annual defenceman of the year award the Pekka Rautakallio Trophy in 1995. He became a head coach in the Swiss-A League, SM-Liiga, and KHL before retiring in 2016. To this day, Rautakallio’s 154 career points still rank him 13th all-time in points by a Flames defenseman.
Perry Berezan, Forward
Edmonton native Perry Berezan suited up for 152 games across five seasons for the Flames. A third-round pick in 1983, Berezan first joined the team in 1984-85 and scored four points in his first four games. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound centre quickly became known for his defensive capabilities as the team had plenty of options for creating offence up front.
Berezan took lots of punishment over the years, missing more tahn 150 NHL games due to various injuries. This is likely the reason why his name is not mentioned among the greats of the 1980s. Berezan is perhaps best remembered for being credited with the historic own goal scored by Edmonton Oilers defenseman Steve Smith that moved the Flames past their rivals in the 1986 Smythe Divison final (from, ‘Edmonton Oilers history: Steve Smith puts puck in own net, Calgary Flames win series, April 30, 1986’, Edmonton Journal, April 30, 2017).
In the end, Berezan (along with Shane Churla) was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Brian MacLellan and a 1989 fourth-round pick in the middle of the 1988-89 season, meaning he had to watch from the sidelines as his former team won the 1989 Stanley Cup that spring. MacLellan was a relatively solid secondary piece for the Flames, and everything happens for a reason. Perhaps if the two players had not traded places, the Flames wouldn’t have won the Cup. Berezan played for the North Stars, San Jose Sharks, and in the minor leagues before retiring in 1993.
Charlie Bourgeois, Defense
There have been only 12 players from Moncton, New Brunswick to suit up for at least one NHL game. One of them happens to have played for the Flames during the 1980s, and his name is Charlie Bourgeois. Bourgeois was a hulking, bruising defender who made opposing forwards pay along the boards and in the corners.
At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he was an imposing figure and frequently dropped the mitts to keep things in order and stick up for his teammates. Despite this, he went undrafted and signed with the Flames in 1981. As a rookie in 1981-82, he had his best offensive season as a Flame with two goals and 15 points in 54 games. His 112 penalties in minutes (PIM) were second on the team despite not playing the full 80 games.
Bourgeois played parts of the following four seasons with the Flames, splitting time between them and their minor league affiliate, the Colorado Flames. His Flames journey ended in 1985-86 when he was included in a blockbuster trade package to the St. Louis Blues that saw Mullen, among others, join the Flames (from, ‘Joe Mullen key to 6-player trade’, The Phoenix, February 3, 1986).
This trade helped the Flames’ playoff runs in 1986 and 1989, with Mullen being a focal point in both. Bourgeois played for two more seasons with the Blues, one game with the Hartford Whalers, in the minors, and France before retiring in 1993. All told, Bourgeois played 162 games for the Flames, scoring 12 goals and 46 points. His 430 PIM are still 14th all-time among Flames defensemen.
Randy Holt, Defense
After one tough player, we have another: defenseman Randy Holt. Fans who watched the Flames in the 1980s will remember the name. Even though he was 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, it didn’t show in his game. He was an immensely-feared enforcer who racked up 1,438 penalty minutes over 395-career NHL games.
Unlike the previous three former Flames, Holt joined the team later in his career. The Pembroke, Ontario-born Holt was drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks in 1973 and spent the first five years of his pro career bouncing between them and their minor league team, the Dallas Black Hawks. He was traded to the Cleveland Barons, followed by the Vancouver Canucks, and the Los Angeles Kings. It was with the Kings that he had arguably his most memorable game; he set an NHL record for penalty minutes in a single game with an extraordinary 67 in a 1979 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The record stands today.
The scrapper was sent to the Flames before the start of the 1980-81 season and played some of the best hockey of his career. During that season, he had five points (and 165 PIM) in 48 games, which was a relatively decent margin by his standards. Holt followed that up with an out-of-nowhere playoff performance, scoring the only two postseason goals of his NHL career and two assists in 13 contests. He helped the Flames reach the third round, where they were bested by the North Stars. Holt played eight more matches for the Flames in 1981-82 before being traded to the Washington Capitals. While his run is the shortest on this list, Holt’s time with the club was memorable.
Ed Beers, Forward
Last, but certainly not least is forward Ed “Eddy” Beers. Beers was born in Zwaag, Netherlands, but did most of his growing up in Merritt, British Columbia. He played junior A there for the Merritt Centennials before moving on to the NCAA’s University of Denver for four years. Beers lit it up for the university, totalling 169 points in 136 games from 1978 through 1982. This drew the attention of the Flames’ brass, who signed him to a professional contract at the end of the 1981-82 campaign. He scored his first NHL goal in his first career game on March 17, 1982, against the Kings. This was indicative of the type of impact Beers could have on the ice.
Beers exploded in 1983-84, scoring 36 goals and 75 points in 73 games. His 36 tallies led the team, and the only person with more points that season was Kent Nilsson. Beers added seven points in 11 playoff games, though the Flames were bounced in the Smythe Division Final by the rival Oilers.
The following season, Beers put up 28 goals and 68 points in 74 games for another quality campaign. Unfortunately, he too would miss out on the Flames’ playoff successes of the 1980s as he was another piece included in the trade for Mullen. Beers finished the 1985-86 season with the Blues and retired from playing due to injuries. He returned home to coach the Centennials before fully calling it quits in 2000. His 192 points are 30th all-time amongst Flames forwards.
This list could have been much longer. Hundreds of players cycled through the Flames organization during this decade, and too many of them are unrecognized today. Though there is nothing wrong with honouring the more prominent members of a franchise’s history, it is important to remember those in the background; the role players, the fighters, the “Black Aces”, the backup goalies, and even the medical and equipment staff.
