October 28, 2026
October 28, 2026
1975-1976 Atlanta Flames: Lighting Competitive Flames
The Atlanta Flames began operations in the 1972-1973 NHL regular season, entering the league as an expansion franchise. From the very beginning, it was an uphill battle for the Flames to attract and keep an audience in Atlanta, as attendance at the Omni Coliseum went up and down like a roller coaster. Good attendance came and went throughout all 8 seasons of the team’s stay in Atlanta, as hockey was an afterthought compared to the other professional sports in the state of Georgia.
The 1975-1976 Atlanta Flames went 35-33-12 with 82 points, finishing as the 9th seed in the Clarence Campbell Conference and in 3rd place in the Lester Patrick Division. The Flames finished 36 points behind the division-winning Philadelphia Flyers.
Left winger Curt Bennett had 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points, with 8 power play goals, 10 power play assists and 8 game-winning goals on 221 shots. Center Tom Lysiak had 31 goals and 51 assists for 82 points, with 9 power play goals, 21 power play assists and 5 game-winning goals on 233 shots. Left winger Claude St. Sauveur had 24 goals and 24 assists for 48 points, with 11 power play goals and 8 power play assists on 171 shots. Right winger Bill Flett had 23 goals and 17 assists for 40 points on 171 shots. Right winger Hilliard Graves had 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points, with 11 power play assists on 168 shots.
Center Rey Comeau had 17 goals and 22 assists on 110 shots. Left winger Eric Vail had 16 goals and 31 assists for 47 points, along with 9 power play assists. Right winger Larry Romanchych had 16 goals and 19 assists, with 6 power play goals and 5 power play assists on 110 shots. Left winger Dave Kryskow had 15 goals and 25 assists for 40 points on 120 shots. Center Bill Clement had 13 goals and 14 assists, along with 3 game-winning goals. Defenseman Randy Manery had 32 assists, 11 of them on the power play, and took 139 shots. Full season statistics for the roster are available at Hockey-Reference.
The Flames juggled starting goaltending duties between 2 netminders who did just enough to keep the team in games. Goaltender Dan Bouchard went 19-17-8 in 47 games played, allowing 113 goals with a 2.54 goals against average and 2 shutouts. Goaltender Phil Myre went 16-16-4 in 37 games played, allowing 123 goals with a 3.47 goals against average and 1 shutout. Bouchard played 2,671 minutes, while Myre played 2,129 minutes.
The Flames showed a brief spark of true potential with a 4-game winning streak that began on December 31, 1975, with an 8-1 pounding of the New York Rangers and ended on January 6 with a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Later on, the Flames obliterated the Boston Bruins 9-0 on March 9.
The 1975-1976 Atlanta Flames fared well over the course of the regular season, as they were nearly flawless in head-to-head play against several teams. The Flames went 5-0 against the Kansas City Scouts, 4-0 against the Washington Capitals, 3-0 against the Vancouver Canucks, 4-1 against the Minnesota North Stars and 3-1 against the California Golden Seals.
Tom Lysiak and Curt Bennett earned spots in the 1976 NHL All-Star Game thanks to their impressive play on the ice, as they held the Flames together for as long as they could.
In the 1970s, the NHL postseason was structured so that 12 teams from 2 conferences would qualify, with 8 of those 12 teams playing in a best-of-3 Preliminary Round series. In the Prince of Wales Conference, there were 4 teams in the Charles F. Adams Division and 5 teams in the James Norris Division. Meanwhile, the Clarence Campbell Conference featured 4 teams in the Lester Patrick Division and 5 teams in the Conn Smythe Division. The full bracket can be found in the record of the 1976 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Flames were among the 8 teams that opened the postseason in the Preliminary Round, and unfortunately for them, they could not overcome the challenge the Los Angeles Kings presented. The Kings eliminated the Flames in a 2-games-to-none sweep, winning Game 1 by a score of 2-1 on April 6 and Game 2 by a score of 1-0 on April 8.
Unfortunately, the narrative remained the same for as long as the Flames stayed in Atlanta, as they continued to struggle at the gate. The Flames also continued to struggle in the Preliminary Round, never advancing to the next round of postseason play. Lighting competitive flames came easily for the players on the 1975-1976 Atlanta Flames, but the fuel to keep those flames burning would have to be found elsewhere.
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