Calgary Flames fans excited, hopeful for Stanley Cup playoff run

Many are optimistic about the Calgary Flames’ chances in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, many fans are hopeful the team can make it far in the post-season.

During the Flames’ last playoff run in 2020, fans were not allowed in Edmonton’s Rogers Place, which hosted the Western Conference playoff bubble, due to COVID-19 restrictions. During that run, the Flames lost their series against the Stars 4-2 in the first round.

Now, with capacity limits for large venues like the Saddledome lifted entirely, the Flames are expecting a full house. Flames fans are expected to be all over Calgary streets.

One Calgarian predicts the Edmonton Oilers will their old rival, the Dallas Stars, in their current matchup and meet the Flames in the second round.

“We’re ramped up, ready to go,” he said. “Once we have the battle of Alberta for the first time in, what, 30 years? We’re going to see a lot of mayhem, and it’s going to be amazing, the streets are going to be wild all the way up to Red Deer.”

The excitement surrounding the return of the infamous Red Mile is also at a high point. Several bars and restaurants are bracing for busy game nights, and the City of Calgary has issued a parking ban so that traffic can flow smoothly through the downtown area.

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“If there was a year, it would be this year. I’m not sure we’ll ever get back to it, because it was really special back in ’03 and ’04, but there’s a good chance,” one man said. “It is what the city needed, it’s been a really hard go the last couple of years with COVID and opening and shutting down all sorts of businesses.”

Many are excited about how well the Flames have been playing. After being mathematically eliminated from last year’s playoffs, the team clinched first place in the Pacific Division with over 50 wins this regular season.

The last time the Flames made it past the first round of the playoffs was in the 2014/15 season, where they fell in the second round to the Anaheim Ducks.

“I feel really good about it,” one fan told CityNews. “I’m excited for all of the businesses along 17th Avenue to get a lot of foot traffic because I think we haven’t really seen that in a few years.”

One thing all fans agree on is that Calgary needs another Stanley Cup.

–With files from Sandra Prusina