As we race head-long into the quieter parts of the summer months, we're kicking off a look-back at prior Calgary Flames seasons here at FlamesNation. That look back begins with 2000-01, the first campaign of the current century.
The NHL was a different place back in the fall of 2000. The league added a pair of teams to its ranks (the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets), swelling it to an unheard-of 30 teams amidst some hand-wringing over the size of the league and quality of play league-wide. The Flames? They hadn't won a playoff round since the 1989 Stanley Cup Final, and hadn't made a playoff appearance since 1996.