They selected their top-line centre and captain-of-the-future candidate, Sean Monahan, in this exact slot three years ago.
After the Calgary Flames dropped to sixth in Saturday’s 2016 NHL Draft lottery, perhaps that’s a good omen.
“Yeah, that one turned out to be OK,” said Flames GM Brad Treliving, who was still working in Arizona at that time. “Hopefully it’s lucky No. 6.”
Of course, the Flames’ draft record includes a couple of other sixth-overall calls — Daniel Tkaczuk (1997) and Rico Fata (1998) — who turned out to be duds.
Going back even further, Cory Stillman was welcomed to the Saddledome with the sixth selection in 1992.