1980/81: The NHL finally came to Canada's Old Western town of Calgary as the Flames moved into the old Calgary Corral, which once played home for Calgary's WHA team the Cowboys. The Flames played their first game in Cow-Town on October 9th battling the Quebec Nordiques to a 5-5- deadlock. Already a solid contender in Atlanta the Flames put together a solid 39-27-14 record finishing 3rd in the Patrick Division. After failing miserably in the postseason in Atlanta, winning just 2 games in 7 playoff series, the Calgary Flames won their first ever playoff series by sweeping the Chicago Black Hawks in 3 straight games. The Flames stayed red hot in the 2nd round jumping out to a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. However, the Flyers would recover to win the next 2 to force a 7th game in Philadelphia. The Flames would recover winning Game 7 by a 4-1 score to reach the semifinals. However, the Flames would run out of gas in the semis as they fell to the Minnesota North Stars in 6 games

1988/89: The landscape of hickey suddenly changed in the off-season as the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angels Kings. The Flames would take full advantage capturing their second straight President's Trophy with a solid 54-17-9 record as Lanny McDonald was playing his final season seeking the Stanley Cup that had eluded him though out his stellar 16-year career. In the playoffs the Flames would be tested early as they pushed to a 7th game by the Vancouver Canucks. Game 7 would go into overtime as the Flames dreams of a Stanley Cup stood in peril before Joel Otto scored the game winner to send the Flames on to the Smythe Finals. In the Smythe Division Finals the Flames would find things easier as they swept the Los Angeles Kings in 4 straight games. Moving on to the Conference Finals the Flames continued to roll, as they need just 5 games to get past the Chicago Blackhawks and into the Stanley Cup Finals. In the finals the Flames would face the Montreal Canadiens in a rematch of the 1986 final. After spitting the first 2 games at home the Flames battled the Canadiens into overtime in Game 3 at the historic Montreal Forum. However, the Flames would fall in overtime 4-3. Facing the prospect of falling behind 3 games to 1 the Flames need a huge effort in Game 4. A huge effort is what they got as they beat the Habs 4-2 to even the series at 2 games apiece. In Game 5 at the Saddledome the Flames jumped out early as Jim Otto lit the lamp 28 seconds into the game, the Flames would go on to win the game 3-2 surviving a 3rd period flurry by the Canadiens. In Game 6 at Montreal the Flames took a 2-1 lead as Lanny McDonald found the back of the net in the 2nd period. What would turn out to be McDonald's last goal would turn out to give the Flames the lead for good as Doug Gilmour scored twice in the 3rd period to give the Flames a 4-2 win and their first Stanley Cup. The Flames became the first road team to win the cup at the Forum as Defenseman Al MacInnis would go on to claim the Conn Smythe as an emotional Lanny McDonald embraced the Stanley Cup as he finally captured the ultimate prize.