On the Clock: Calgary Flames: Behind the Scenes with the Calgary Flames at the NHL Draft

by Ryan Pike

Go behind the scenes with the Calgary Flames at the NHL draft

A singular, transcendent talent can change the fortunes of a hockey team instantly. Each year, NHL teams approach the draft with this knowledge, hoping that luck will be on their side and that their extensive scouting and analysis will pay off.

In On the Calgary Flames, Ryan Pike explores the fascinating, rollercoaster history of the Flames at the draft, including tales of legends like Al MacInnis and Gary Suter, plus newer faces like Andrew Mangiapane.

Readers will go behind the scenes with top decision-makers as they evaluate, deliberate, and ultimately make the picks they hope will tip the fate of their franchise toward success.

From seemingly surefire first-rounders to surprising late selections and the ones that got away, this is a must-read for Calgary faithful and hockey fans eager for a glimpse at how teams are built.

Genres: Sports

304 pages, Paperback

Published March 19, 2024

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book looks at the draft history of the Flames, starting from their initial 1972 draft as the Atlanta Flames and going into 2023. Pike groups it by related chapters, with each one focusing on a theme, including the buildup and teardowns of the three Cup Final teams. While the Flames do not have a strong draft history, as made clear by Pike's overview, he shows how that came to be and is honest about the team's efforts, and largely lets the facts speak for themselves, rather than injecting his own opinion. A solid book for looking at the Flames history, or the NHL draft in general.

[Andy McWilliam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ryan Pike has written the most investigative account of why the Calgary Flames are what they are. A rollercoaster of savvy selection, lucky occurrences, unfortunate circumstances and absolutely moronic moves, it’s shows why the Calgary Flames are the most average franchise in sports.

They had periods of brilliance in the mid 80s, where their drafting was unparalleled and led to multiple finals and one Cup. They had short periods where the draft helped the resurrect a flatlining club in the mid aughts and gave us the best team since the 89 one. They also had a stretch when using the draft capital helped them bring in vets who could push and luckily try at another in 04….. but, this was all juxtaposed against nearly 30 years of awful performance at the draft or mixed with years when they spent their capital on poor results. Hopefully Conroy can right the ship here and build for something greater.

Pike has written an excellent book here. It’s a must read for anyone who is curious about the Flames history, possibly the best book about the Calgary Flames that’s even been made.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“On the Clock: Calgary Flames: Behind the Scenes with the Calgary Flames at the NHL Draft” is a fascinating look at the Calgary Flames through the eye of the NHL draft . Well-researched the book looks at the team’s inception, draft history, and their efforts to win the Cup. It is fascinating and highly recommended for those who enjoy exploring the history of a well-known NHL team.

[Tim Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very good look at the history of the Calgary Flames through the lens of the NHL Draft. It was quite interesting.