The NHL, and I’m guessing pro sports in general, has always been a fad chasing circuit.
When the Devils won with a trap everyone trapped. Now that the Kings are big and have won two cups, everyone is looking at size, and getting bigger and more difficult to play against. A terrible Chicago franchise drafted Toews and Kane, and with that everyone felt sucking badly was the best building plan, only to to have the Panthers and Oilers have everyone rethink that suggestion.
One element that hasn’t changed over the years, is the goalie rotation for NHL member clubs and leaning heavily on one man to carry the load.
From the early days through the mid 1970s one guy pretty much played net every single night at hockey’s highest levels. Historic names like Terry Sawchuk, Johnny Bauer, and Glen Hall were easily recognizable both through attendance and the fact that they didn’t wear masks. Truly the only era in NHL history that has a strong presence of the goalie tandem was the late 70s and 1980s where it seemed to be in style to have two good goaltenders each playing a half season apiece.
Memorable duos of the time would include Chico Resch and Billy Smith in Long Island, and the Oilers tandem of Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog. Having two was a luxury, but a luxury almost impossible to acquire.
As the business of hockey took over in the early 1990s tandems were not only tough to recruit and develop, but uneccesarily expensive in a salary crunch world that couldn’t fathom stapling millions of dollars in salary to the bench on rotation nights.
Enter the 2014-15 Calgary Flames, with an early season tandem of Jonas Hiller and Kari Ramo to turn back time, heck they both even have the required Flock of Seagulls hair styles.
The Buddy System
Why now for the return to a tandem in Calgary? The perfect storm really. A rebuilding hockey team that needed to get to the salary floor, but didn’t want to load up on onerous contracts that would be difficult to get from under when the team turns the corner. The Flames had a great second half from Kari Ramo last year, and would likely have been fine riding the Fin in net for this, a rebuilding season. But Jonas Hiller’s two year 9 million dollar pact was a perfect way to add dollars to get to the floor, and possibly avoid getting too much value as one of the two men would have to sit out every night. So far they may be getting more value than they bargained for.
Through nine games this season the two have combined for a save percentage of .933, good for 7th overall in the circuit. Hiller is ranked 8th in the league with a .948 number on his own. The duo have robbed points from at least four games this season, and haven’t had a weak outing to speak of.
Hartley hasn’t broken the rotation, but then why should he?
Makes one wonder, is this the best Flames tandem in franchise history? What other tandem seasons are on record?
Flames Tandem History
Atlanta Years
The Flames inception in Atlanta began with a tandem with Phil Myre and Dan Bouchard sharing the nets almost 50/50 for the club’s first 5 NHL seasons. The pairing was consistent in games played, but the era itself was pretty dark by success standards. The franchise turned the corner when Bouchard won out, took over the net, and got the Flames into their first playoff action. The team never won a playoff series in Georgia.
Calgary Years
Lemelin / Edwards
The Flames acquired Don Edwards from the Buffalo Sabres with thoughts that this award winning goaltender was going to move west and help the Flames mitigate the rising menace to the North in Edmonton and the Oilers. Instead they found out that the Sabres played great team defense, and Edwards, left alone in a high octane hockey environment, was not only poor, but shaky in terms of confidence. During the club’s third year in Calgary the Flames deployed Edwards and the soon to be hero Reggie Lemelin for 39 games each. The duo were battery mates for three seasons with Lemelin slowly taking more and more starts each and every year. Lemelin’s reign ended abruptly when Mike Vernon came on the scene, as the net became primarily his for the next 8 seasons.
Vernon / Wamsley
There was never any debate as to the starter and backup roles, but one season in Vernon’s prominence featured 36 starts from Rick Wamsely. The Flames were fresh off a Stanley Cup and could afford to rest their starter often as there was little doubt as to their chances of making the playoffs. Wamsley went 18-8-6 in his 35 appearances.
Kidd / Tabaracci
After 8 solid seasons in Calgary, Mike Vernon was dealt to the Red Wings for Steve Chiasson, and the Calgarian went on to win another cup in motown. The Flames made the move because they felt the heir apparent was ready to take the reigns, a likable farm kid named Trevor Kidd. Kidd owned the net in his first year as Calgary’s starter but sputtered in year two, and ended up sharing the net with fan favourite Rick Tabaracci.
Tabaracci / Roloson
Tabaracci out performed Kidd in a playoff series loss and with that the Flames changed gears again, ushering in an era with no real starter and a carousel of goaltender vying for top spot. The first year post Kidd featured a tandem comprised of Tabaracci and Dwayne Roloson with Tabaracci getting the lion’s share of the starts, the year after in 1997-98 they shared the nets evenly as the Flames missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
Brathwaite / Wregget
Injuries to goaltenders in the 1998-99 season resulted in 6 different stoppers seeing times in Calgary red and white, one of which was soon to be local cult hero Fred Brathwaite. Brathwaite emerged as more than just a plug, sharing the nets with Ken Wregget the following season and then becoming the clear cut number one stopper in 1999-2000. With the Flames fickle nature in the nets, this annointment was short lived.
Brathwaite / Vernon
In the 2000-01 season the Flames inexplicably brought Mike Vernon back near the end of his distinguised career to share the nets with Brathwaite. The two spit the nets evenly, but the team was unsuccessful leaving management to determine that an upgrade in the position was needed to get them back to the playoffs. That upgrade came when Brathwaite and prospects were dealt to the St. Louis blues for starter Roman Turek. The net was Turek’s to man for the next two seasons until a November trade with San Jose brought in Miikka Kiprusoff who averaged an unbelievable 74 starts a year over the next seven seasons.
My point in all this?
Could the Hiller/Ramo combination be the best, and clearly most planned tandem in Flames history? Both have been successful (small sample size), there isn’t a clear back up or starter, and it’s almost impossible to pick who will be here in three years and who will have moved on. Both seem very capable in helping the Flames turn the corner, and move themselves back towards playoff spot contention in the next couple of seasons.
Going with a tandem to start the season was logical, both stoppers had great preseasons. But how long will it last? Do the Flames have a desire to pick a guy at some point this season or will they continue to let strong performances from both keep a rotation in motion?
Will be interesting to find out.
