1979–80 Atlanta Flames season explained

League:NHL
Season:1979–80
Year:1979
Team:Atlanta Flames
Divisionrank:4th
Record:35–32–13
Goalsfor:282
Goalsagainst:269
Altcaptain:None
Attendance:10,016 (66.1%)
Goalsleader:Kent Nilsson (40)
Assistsleader:Kent Nilsson (53)
Pointsleader:Kent Nilsson (93)
Pimleader:Willi Plett (231)
Winsleader:Dan Bouchard (23)
Gaaleader:Dan Bouchard (3.18)
Next Season:1980–81 (Calgary)

The 1979–80 Atlanta Flames season was the eighth and final season in Atlanta for the franchise. The franchise was bought and moved to Calgary, Alberta to become the Calgary Flames.

Offseason

Regular season

Record vs. opponents

Schedule and results

No.RDateScoreOpponentRecordAttendance
1WOctober 10, 19795–3 @ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 1–0–0 10,350
2LOctober 11, 19791–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 1–1–0 16,106
3WOctober 13, 19799–2 Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 2–1–0 13,358
4LOctober 16, 19791–5 @ New York Islanders (1979–80) 2–2–0 13,914
5LOctober 18, 19792–6 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 2–3–0 17,077
6TOctober 20, 19792–2 Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 2–3–1 12,934
7LOctober 23, 19793–5 Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 2–4–1 9,438
8WOctober 26, 19797–3 Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 3–4–1 8,420
9WOctober 27, 19793–0 @ St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 4–4–1 12,154
10WOctober 30, 19793–1 Colorado Rockies (1979–80) 5–4–1 7,135
11TNovember 2, 19794–4 Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 5–4–2 11,356
12TNovember 3, 19793–3 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 5–4–3 8,543
13WNovember 6, 19798–0 Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 6–4–3 7,296
14WNovember 9, 19795–2 New York Islanders (1979–80) 7–4–3 14,218
15LNovember 11, 19793–6 @ Boston Bruins (1979–80) 7–5–3 13,239
16LNovember 13, 19793–5 Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 7–6–3 7,892
17LNovember 15, 19791–5 @ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 7–7–3 16,433
18WNovember 16, 19794–2 New York Rangers (1979–80) 8–7–3 12,919
19WNovember 18, 19794–2 @ Washington Capitals (1979–80) 9–7–3 6,361
20WNovember 21, 19794–1 Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 10–7–3 8,346
21WNovember 23, 19794–1 Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 11–7–3 13,081
22LNovember 25, 19792–4 @ Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 11–8–3 7,627
23LNovember 27, 19793–5 Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 11–9–3 8,394
24LDecember 4, 19792–6 Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 11–10–3 8,290
25LDecember 5, 19791–6 @ Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 11–11–3 16,433
26LDecember 8, 19791–4 @ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) 11–12–3 15,379
27WDecember 9, 19795–4 @ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 12–12–3 12,579
28TDecember 12, 19795–5 @ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 12–12–4 15,423
29WDecember 14, 19793–2 Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) 13–12–4 8,544
30LDecember 15, 19791–8 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 13–13–4 16,485
31LDecember 21, 19791–5 St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 13–14–4 8,397
32WDecember 22, 19797–3 @ St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 14–14–4 10,207
33LDecember 26, 19793–5 Boston Bruins (1979–80) 14–15–4 11,700
34LDecember 28, 19792–4 Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 14–16–4 9,133
35LDecember 29, 19792–3 @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1979–80) 14–17–4 10,416
36LJanuary 4, 19803–6 Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 14–18–4 9,216
37TJanuary 6, 19805–5 @ New York Rangers (1979–80) 14–18–5 17,415
38WJanuary 8, 19802–0 Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 15–18–5 6,138
39WJanuary 11, 19804–3 Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 16–18–5 9,246
40LJanuary 12, 19803–5 @ Boston Bruins (1979–80) 16–19–5 13,376
41LJanuary 14, 19802–3 @ Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 16–20–5 16,493
42WJanuary 16, 19805–3 @ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 17–20–5 12,235
43WJanuary 17, 19804–1 @ Colorado Rockies (1979–80) 18–20–5 7,511
44WJanuary 19, 19804–2 @ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 19–20–5 14,909
45TJanuary 21, 19803–3 Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 19–20–6 9,203
46LJanuary 22, 19802–4 Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 19–21–6 8,004
47TJanuary 25, 19804–4 Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 19–21–7 11,924
48WJanuary 26, 19804–3 @ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 20–21–7 18,806
49LJanuary 28, 19801–6 @ Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 20–22–7 7,627
50WJanuary 30, 19804–1 @ Quebec Nordiques (1979–80) 21–22–7 10,776
51WFebruary 1, 19804–2 Washington Capitals (1979–80) 22–22–7 9,166
52WFebruary 2, 19805–3 Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 23–22–7 11,040
53WFebruary 8, 19804–2 @ Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 24–22–7 15,423
54WFebruary 10, 19806–1 @ Colorado Rockies (1979–80) 25–22–7 9,864
55TFebruary 13, 19802–2 @ Detroit Red Wings (1979–80) 25–22–8 12,032
56TFebruary 16, 19802–2 @ Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) 25–22–9 15,162
57LFebruary 17, 19802–3 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 25–23–9 14,835
58TFebruary 19, 19804–4 Minnesota North Stars (1979–80) 25–23–10 6,871
59WFebruary 21, 19803–0 Washington Capitals (1979–80) 26–23–10 6,218
60LFebruary 23, 19805–6 Hartford Whalers (1979–80) 26–24–10 9,868
61TFebruary 26, 19803–3 Montreal Canadiens (1979–80) 26–24–11 10,210
62WMarch 1, 19804–1 Colorado Rockies (1979–80) 27–24–11 15,156
63WMarch 5, 19803–1 @ Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 28–24–11 9,628
64WMarch 7, 19809–3 @ Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 29–24–11 15,405
65WMarch 9, 19805–2 @ Winnipeg Jets (1979–80) 30–24–11 12,412
66LMarch 10, 19802–5 Vancouver Canucks (1979–80) 30–25–11 7,875
67TMarch 13, 19802–2 Los Angeles Kings (1979–80) 30–25–12 9,253
68WMarch 15, 19804–3 Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 31–25–12 15,156
69WMarch 17, 19805–1 @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1979–80) 32–25–12 16,485
70LMarch 18, 19803–6 @ New York Islanders (1979–80) 32–26–12 14,995
71WMarch 20, 19808–4 St. Louis Blues (1979–80) 33–26–12 8,446
72LMarch 22, 19802–5 Boston Bruins (1979–80) 33–27–12 13,474
73LMarch 23, 19802–4 @ Chicago Black Hawks (1979–80) 33–28–12 15,927
74LMarch 25, 19804–5 Edmonton Oilers (1979–80) 33–29–12 7,914
75WMarch 28, 19804–2 New York Rangers (1979–80) 34–29–12 14,138
76LMarch 30, 19802–4 @ Philadelphia Flyers (1979–80) 34–30–12 17,077
77LApril 1, 19802–5 Buffalo Sabres (1979–80) 34–31–12 9,126
78WApril 2, 19807–3 @ New York Rangers (1979–80) 35–31–12 17,415
79LApril 4, 19803–7 New York Islanders (1979–80) 35–32–12 12,168
80TApril 5, 19804–4 @ Washington Capitals (1979–80) 35–32–13 18,130
[3]

Player statistics

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

  Regular season Playoffs
PlayerGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
14 80 40 53 98 10 4 0 0 0 2
16 76 31 46 77 22 4 1 3 4 4
11 77 22 39 61 10 4 0 0 0 9
6 80 23 31 54 100 4 1 1 2 10
27 77 28 25 53 22 4 3 1 4 2
23 79 9 38 47 31 - - - - -
9 80 24 19 43 31 4 0 0 0 2
Ivan Boldirev 12 52 16 24 40 20 - - - - -
3 80 5 31 36 115 4 0 1 1 6
17/7 79 5 25 30 39 4 0 3 3 2
25 76 13 19 32 231 4 1 0 1 15
Don Lever 12 28 14 16 30 4 4 1 1 2 0
4 79 5 25 30 18 4 0 1 1 2
10 64 7 14 21 32 4 0 0 0 4
20 80 5 16 21 48 4 1 1 2 2
Darcy Rota 18 44 10 8 18 49 - - - - -
15/19 30 7 6 13 6 4 0 0 0 0
5 80 2 9 11 119 4 0 1 1 2
8 74 3 7 10 104 4 0 1 1 0
2 21 1 3 4 0 - - - - -
Bobby Lalonde 7 3 0 1 1 2 - - - - -
30 53 0 1 1 34 4 0 0 0 2
22 1 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
21 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0
24 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 4
1 3 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
17 3 0 0 0 2 - - - - -
15 3 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
24 3 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
1 4 0 0 0 0 - - - - -
24 4 0 0 0 4 - - - - -
31 25 0 0 0 0 - - - - -

Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Atlanta. Stats reflect time with the Flames only.
Traded mid-season.

Goaltending

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals against average

  Regular season Playoffs
PlayerGPTOIWLTGASOGAAGPTOIWLGASOGAA
30 53 3076 23 19 10 163 2 3.18 4 240 1 3 14 0 3.49
31 25 1368 11 9 2 73 0 3.20 - - - - - - -.--
1 4 206 1 2 1 13 0 3.79 - - - - - - -.--
1 3 150 0 2 0 15 0 6.00 - - - - - - -.--

Transactions

The Flames were involved in the following transactions during the 1979–80 season.

Trades

May 24, 1979To Atlanta Flames
Curt Bennett
To St. Louis Blues
Bobby Simpson
October 10, 1979To Atlanta Flames
Garry Unger
To St. Louis Blues
Ed Kea
Red Laurence
2nd round pick in 1981 (Hakan Nordin)
October 23, 1979To Atlanta Flames
Future considerations
To Boston Bruins
Bobby Lalonde
February 8, 1980To Atlanta Flames
Don Lever
Brad Smith
To Vancouver Canucks
Ivan Boldirev
Darcy Rota

Free agents

Player Former team
Assat Pori (SM-liiga)
Birmingham Bulls (WHA)
Birmingham Bulls (WHA)
Birmingham Bulls (WHA)
Birmingham Bulls (WHA)
Lethbridge Broncos (WHL)
Player New team
Boston Bruins

Expansion draft

See also: 1979 NHL Expansion Draft.

Player Selected by
Edmonton Oilers
Hartford Whalers
Winnipeg Jets

Draft picks

See also: 1979 NHL Entry Draft.

RoundPickPlayerNationalityCollege/Junior/Club team
112.Paul Reinhart (D)Kitchener Rangers (OHA)
223.Mike Perovich (D)Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
233.Pat Riggin (G)London Knights (OHA)
354.Tim Hunter (RW)Seattle Breakers (WHL)
475.Jim Peplinski (RW)Toronto Marlboros (OHA)
596.Brad Kempthorne (F)Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
6117.Glenn Johnson (C)University of Denver (NCAA)

References

Notes and References

  1. The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.236, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009,
  2. The Montreal Canadiens:100 Years of Glory, D'Arcy Jenish, p.237, Published in Canada by Doubleday, 2009,
  3. Web site: 1979-80 Atlanta Flames Results and Schedule. November 23, 2022. hockeydb.com.