• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Calgary Flames

Four’s A Crowd: Inside the Calgary Flames’ Crowded Crease

By Ryan Pike February 13th, 2013

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp
Miikka Kiprusoff's knee injury has caused some turmoil in Calgary's nets. (Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE)

Miikka Kiprusoff’s knee injury has caused some turmoil in Calgary’s nets. (Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE)

For the past decade, the Calgary Flames crease has been a model of stability, the undisputed home of former Vezina Trophy winner Miikka Kiprusoff. A knee injury suffered last week has led to a flurry of roster moves as the team scrambles to find wins without him.

A week ago, the Flames had two goaltenders in North America on NHL contracts. Now they have four. Here’s a quick rundown of how that happened.

  • December 4, 2011: Then-Flames back-up Henrik Karlsson suffers a knee injury in a 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. The team recalls 2006 first round pick Leland Irving to back-up Kiprusoff.
  • Remainder of the 2011-12 season (in the NHL): Irving goes 1-1-3 in Karlsson’s absence, impressing to the point where the Flames call him in from Abbotsford twice to start games and park Karlsson in the press box. Once healthy, Karlsson only plays in three games down the stretch.
  • Remainder of the 2011-12 season (in the AHL): With Irving gone to the bigs, the Flames brought in 25-year-old Danny Taylor on an AHL deal as a stop-gap measure. Surprisingly, Taylor is excellent in net and, due in part to Irving yo-yoing between the NHL and AHL during the winter (and his wife having a child), Taylor starts more often than Irving does.
  • The first half of the 2012-13 season (in the NHL): Karlsson doesn’t play at all due to the work stoppage.
  • The first half of the 2012-13 season (in the AHL): The Flames re-sign Taylor to an AHL deal and bring in Barry Brust on an AHL deal as well. Due to a quirk in the old CBA’s language, the team also signs Irving to an AHL deal, but he’s the odd man out and only plays in six games. Taylor emerges once more as the clear number-one goalie.
  • 2013 Flames training camp: Irving is invited into camp, on the auspices that he out-played Karlsson last NHL season and that Taylor doesn’t have an NHL contract. Once again, Irving out-duels Karlsson and the team trades him to Chicago before the regular season starts. The Flames are down to two goalies in North America with NHL contracts.
  • February 5, 2013: Miikka Kiprusoff suffers an MCL sprain during Calgary’s 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings.
  • February 6, 2013: With no other North American goaltending options internally, the Flames sign Danny Taylor to an NHL contract and recall him. The Flames are up to three goalies in North America with NHL contracts.
  • February 10, 2013: The Detroit Red Wings declare goalie Joey MacDonald medically cleared to play. MacDonald had last suited up on March 14, 2012. The Wings place MacDonald on waivers with the intention of sending him to the AHL.
  • February 11, 2013: The Flames claim MacDonald off of waivers. The Flames are up to four goalies in North America with NHL contracts.
  • February 12, 2013: The Flames place Danny Taylor on waivers with the intention of returning him to the AHL. The team also announces that Kiprusoff is expected to be out for another two weeks, as the MCL sprain originally believed to be a Grade 1 sprain is actually a Grade 2 sprain.

At a media availability on Tuesday morning, Flames general manager Jay Feaster indicated that no decision has been made regarding the future statuses of MacDonald and Irving, and that their play over the next two weeks will likely determine who will be the back-up to Miikka Kiprusoff when the starter returns.

Both Feaster and Flames head coach Bob Hartley expressed confidence in Irving’s abilities and praised his performance as the de facto number-one netminder during Kiprusoff’s injury. With four goalies under NHL deals (and Barry Brust performing well in the AHL), it appears possible that the Abbotsford Heat will once again soon have three goaltenders on their roster. Whether MacDonald or Irving will be the odd man out will be determined over the next two weeks.

  • Tags
  • Barry Brust
  • Danny Taylor
  • Henrik Karlsson
  • Joey MacDonald
  • Leland Irving
  • Miikka Kiprusoff
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 21st 5:55 PM
Edmonton Oilers

McDavid Has the Maple Leafs’ Number and Needs to Keep it That Way

Jan 21st 5:08 PM
Archives

NHLers by Country: On Top of Their Game and the World

Jan 21st 4:50 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Missing Klefbom and Neal on Power Play

Jan 21st 4:40 PM
Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Soucy & Sturm Look Comfortable Filling Roster Gaps

Jan 21st 4:30 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche With Career Milestones in Sight in 2020-21 Season

Jan 21st 3:45 PM
Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning & Pat Maroon Are a Really Good Fit…For Now

Jan 21st 3:35 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights’ Depth Separates Them From the Rest

Jan 21st 3:15 PM
Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets’ Alexandre Texier, New Faces Shine to Begin Season

Jan 21st 2:45 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers News & Rumors: Neal, Yamamoto, Tippett, More

Jan 21st 2:15 PM
Column

Senators News & Rumours: Stützle, Norris, Galchenyuk and More

Editor’s Picks
NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

NHL TV Blackouts & Why They Happen?

The 1979 NHL – WHA Merger

The 1979 NHL – WHA Merger

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information