A Calgary Flames Fan's Guide to the NHL Final Four

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The field was reduced to four. Now that the NHL semi-finals are underway, the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers are battling for pride in the Eastern Conference, while the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are still fighting for the top spot in the West.

The winners, of course, compete to leave their fingerprints on the Stanley Cup.

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So, Flames fans, who do you have?

Are you in the Tanev team? Are you… cheering for the Oilers?

Are you looking for a wrecking ball to rise in Calgary, or are you ready to forgive the former Saddledome star who forced a trade out of town?

Everything you need to know to decide who you're rooting for in the third round and beyond — or close to it.

New York Rangers

Adam Fox gets the earpiece every time the Rangers visit the Saddledome. The standout defenseman roars mercilessly every time the puck hits his stick, proof that Calgary fans still hold that grudge, and for good reason. Fox was selected by the Flames in the 2016 NHL Draft, but was eventually traded after his representatives said he did not want to sign with the club. These scars are so deep that any future American might refuse to sign a contract in Cowtown, or there seems to be such a panic that “Man pulls a Fox.” Fortunately, in the case of Matt Coronato and then Hunter Brustevich, those fears were unfounded.

So Redders' C should be against Rangers, right? Not so fast. Many in Calgary are rooting for rookie linebacker/brawler Matt Rempe, who has become an instant fan favorite in the Big Apple. The 21-year-old Rempe, a graduate of the Northwestern Warriors minor hockey program, has appeared in seven playoff games so far and could be in the spotlight against the Panthers, a crew that doesn't mind some roughing it.

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The connections don't end there. Rangers assistant coach Phil Housley spent parts of five seasons with the Saddledome natives, three of which led the assist team. Chris Drury, who built this Presidents Trophy-winning roster as general manager in New York, wore the Flaming C all winter during his playing days.

Florida Panthers

Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett were supposed to be the cornerstones of the franchise in Calgary. Instead, they want to lead the Panthers to their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearance — and author an alternate ending after a heartbreaking exit in 2023.

Tkachuk's success in the Sunshine State is hard to come by for many in this city. The skilled and sharp winger rose to superstar status in the summer of 2022 when he informed the Flames that he did not plan to commit long-term, offering a short list of approved trade options. It was doubly painful as Johnny Goro approached Columbus. At just 26 years old, Tkachuk has been everything Florida expected him to be — a stalwart setup man and a scoring leader in two rounds this spring — and fans in his first NHL city will always wonder what he might have become. d was willing to stay put.

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Bennett, the highest draft pick in Flames history, hasn't lived up to the high expectations in Calgary, but he's always looked at his best in the most important moments. He's now a valuable backup in Florida and was a major factor in the second-round ousting of the Boston Bruins, scoring a controversial goal and injuring Brad Marchand in what some believe was a sneaky hit.

Ryan Lomberg, who started his pro career with the Flames and is now a deep part of the Panthers, rarely misses an opportunity to mix things up when he's in the lineup.

Dallas Stars

They love Chris Tanev in Dallas, as he loved in Calgary and Vancouver before that. Tanev, a recent unrestricted free agent who was traded to Texas in late February after telling Flames GM Craig Conroy he wanted to chase a championship, is one of the NHL's most stingy defensemen. He is a selfless teammate and a fearless shooting guard. He's the kind of guy who would offer his house to a guy he'd never met — like when the Flames claimed Joel Hanley off waivers — and would only miss a few shifts after doctors peeled and stitched his lip. He knocked out his remaining teeth. Oops.

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Tanev, 34, has been a big help in the Big D tournament, winning close matches against Jack Eichel in the first round and Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon in the Central Division final. Four more wins would be a huge help to his former team. Based on the terms of the trade, if the Stars make it to the Stanley Cup slugfest, the Flags will receive a bonus draft pick to play in the third round in 2026. Isn't that nice?

Jeff Reese, Dallas' goaltending coach, was a backup for the Flags in 1993 when he set an NHL single-game record with three assists in a blowout win over the San Jose Sharks. Since 1989, he has joined the team of the Calgary championship. Gary Suter's nephew Ryan is a regular on the blue line, and Jiri Hrdina is a member of the amateur scouting staff.

Edmonton Oilers

Listen, we're not trying to convince you to support the Oilers. For many who live south of the imaginary border in Red Deer, ABE (anyone but Edmonton) will always be the guiding principle. Maybe you have a friend or colleague or neighbor who will never let you forget him, even if you've been rooting for the provincial rivals for weeks or even tired of hearing about Canada's Stanley Cup. It is now a trophy drought that has lasted more than three decades.

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As much as you'd like to see Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and the Vancouver Canucks out of the Pacific Division, there are at least some storylines to ease the angst if Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers continue to cruise. Glen Gulutzan was the head coach at the Saddledome from 2016 to 2018, and he still has many friends in the Stampede City. Gulutzan is now in his sixth season as an assistant in Edmonton, where he leads a stellar power play. Derek Ryan's work on the Flames saw Peter Maher get a nod as the Nice Guy Award winner, while defenseman Brett Kulak skated on both sides of the Alberta battle. Young Dylan Holloway, who starred in Game 7 against the Canucks, was raised in Bragg Creek, played junior hockey at Springbank and played for the Junior-A Oilers in Okotoks.

In a strange twist, Edmonton's starting puck stopper Stuart Skinner was drafted No. 78 overall in 2017, a third-round pick that originally belonged to the Flames. The pick was originally traded to Arizona for Michael Stone.

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