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Calgary Flames Tickets |
Atlanta Thrashers Tickets |
The Flames were the result of the NHL's first preemptive strike against the upstart World Hockey Association. In December 1971, the NHL hastily granted a team to Long Island - the New York Islanders - in order to keep the WHA's New York Raiders out of the brand new Nassau Coliseum. Needing another team to balance the schedule, the NHL awarded a team to the same group that owned the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, headed by prominent local real estate developer Tom Cousins. Cousins named the team the "Flames" after the fire resulting from the March to the Sea. Some observers thought it was ludicrous to put an NHL team in Atlanta. However, the Flames were very successful early on, at least by the standards of expansion teams. The Flames had a good core of stars who helped them make the playoffs in six of eight seasons in Atlanta, a mark bettered only by the Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers. In marked contrast, their expansion brethren, the Islanders, compiled two of the worst seasons in NHL history during their first two years in the league. During the Flames' run to the Stanley Cup finals of 2004, the city of Calgary essentially became the host of a "non-stop party". The 17th Ave SW entertainment district, which runs West from the Saddledome, flooded with as many as 100,000 red-clad fans after games. Similar celebrations had occurred during Flames celebrations during the successful 1980s and primarily took place along 11th Ave SW, then known as "Electric Avenue". During these celebrations, 11th Ave became known as "The Red Mile" and the "Red Mile" moniker was transposed to 17th Ave in 2004. The "Red Mile" also gained notoriety quickly in 2004 as women would frequently bare their breasts for the crowd atop shoulders or cars. The Red Mile party became world-famous and received worldwide coverage in newspapers. The Red Mile was notable in that incidents were minimal, the crowds were positive, and only one arrest was made after a police officer was injured by a celebrant. In April 2006, the Calgary Police Service announced that the Red Mile gatherings of 2004 would not be encouraged in 2006, and that measures would be taken to discourage it, including traffic diversions, a zero-tolerance policy on noise and rowdy behavior, and the presence of plainclothes officers among the crowd to ticket offenders. After meeting with the Chief of Police, Mayor Dave Bronconnier convinced the Calgary Police Service to relax their ban on the "Red Mile" and encouraged people to make their way to 17th Ave. The police retained their zero tolerance policy on public nudity and drunkenness. Many, including Mayor Bronconnier, have responded to the police crackdown as "excessive" and "unnecessary", though the crowds only made appearances in large numbers after Flames wins in the opening series. The relative quietness after the first round was in large part due to the fact that the Flames were eliminated in the first round, at which point, the avenue became known as the "Dead Mile". Concerns were expressed after a Flames win on Saturday, 29 April prompted a rowdy gathering of fans and other celebrants, and fireworks were set off illegally.
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