Connect with us

Calgary Flames

Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter CII: 75-73

Today's edition has a couple of defencemen, including the Oilers' current captain, and Rick Wamsley, Calgary's backup goalie during the Stanley Cup run.

Published

on

75. Adrian Aucoin

Aucoin, born on July 3rd, 1973, was a 6’2″, 213 lb. defenceman. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he was a fifth round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Entry Draft of 1992, 117th overall. He originally played for Boston University, but after being drafted, left college for the Canadian National Team, and then the professional leagues. Aucoin bounced between the AHL and NHL for a few seasons, before becoming a full-time NHLer in the 1996-97 season with the Canucks. He spent seven seasons with Vancouver, scoring 120 points, 245 penalty minutes, and an overall plus-11 rating over 341 games. He also spent time with the Lightning, Islanders, and Blackhawks, putting up a combined 147 points, 299 penalty minutes, and a plus-4, before being traded to the Flames.

Just after the 2006-07 season, the Flames traded Andrei Zyuzin and Steve Marr to Chicago for Aucoin and a seventh round pick. Aucoin played 76 games for the Flames in 2007-08 season, scoring 10 goals on 121 shots for an 8.3% shooting percentage, the second highest of his career. He also scored 25 assists for 35 total points. Thirty-seven penalty minutes and a plus-13 rating rounded out his stat line for the year, a season in which the Flames finished with a 42-30-10 record. The Flames fell in the first round of the playoffs to the San Jose Sharks in seven games. Aucoin played all seven, scoring three assists and putting up four penalty minutes.

In 2008-09, Aucoin once again scored 10 goals for the Flames, this time on 126 shots, over 81 games. He maintained consistent offensive numbers, also scoring 24 assists for 34 points on the season. This time, however, he put up 46 penalty minutes and finished a minus-8 while the Flames finished the season with a 46-30-6 record. They once again lost in the first round of the playoffs, this time in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks. Aucoin played all six games, scoring two goals, an assist, and two penalty minutes in the series loss.

An unrestricted free agent, Aucoin signed with the Phoenix Coyotes. He spent the next three seasons playing for the Coyotes, and his final season in 2012-13 was spent with Columbus. Aucoin retired after that year, having scored an additional 63 points, 166 penalty minutes, and a plus-26 rating over an additional 257 games since leaving the Flames.

All-Time Statline: 157 games, 20 goals, 49 assists, plus-5 rating, 83 penalty minutes, 13.30 point shares.

74. Rick Wamsley

Wamsley, a 5’11”, 185 goaltender, was born in Simcoe, Ontario on May 25th, 1959. He played major junior hockey in Ontario before he was drafted in the third round, 58th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. Upon being drafted, Wamsley immediately jumped to the AHL, playing two seasons for the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. It was during his second season he entered the NHL, playing five games for Montreal in the 1980-81 season. From 1981-84 he played 126 games for Montreal before being traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he spent four seasons. Between Montreal and St. Louis he posted a .871 save percentage.

On March 7, 1988, the Flames traded Brett Hull and Steve Bozek to the Blues for Rob Ramage and Wamsley. Wamsley played two games for the Flames at the end of the ’88 season, making 31 saves on 36 shots for a .861 save percentage. The Flames played through two rounds of the playoffs that season, eventually falling to the Edmonton Oilers, with Wamsley playing just 33 minutes in one game.

Throughout his time in Calgary, Wamsley backed up starting goalie Mike Vernon. He played 35 games in the 1988-89 season, making 700 saves on 795 shots for a .881 save percentage, and 2.96 goals against average, and scoring one assist. The Flames had a 54-17-9 record that season, with Wamsley posting 17-11-4 record himself. The Flames won the Cup that season, with Wamsley playing just 20 minutes over the 22 games. He let in two goals on 10 shots.

In 1989-90, Wamsley played 36 games for the Flames, making 748 saves on 855 shots for a .875 save percentage and 3.26 goals against average. The Flames that season finished with a 42-23-15 record. Wamsley’s personal record was 18-8-6. The Flames only played six playoff games that season, falling to the Los Angeles Kings. Wamsley played most of one game, spending 49 minutes in net during the short run, letting in nine goals on 23 shots.

The 1990-91 season was Wamsley's last full season in Calgary. He played 29 games, making 677 saves on 762 shots for a .888 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average, and scoring one assist. He posted a 14-7-5 record that season, contributing to the Flames' overall 46-26-8 record. The Flames fell in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs, with Wamsley playing just two minutes.

Wamsley played just nine games for the Flames in the 1991-92 season, saving 192 goals on 226 shots for a .850 save percentage, before he was traded alongside Doug Gilmour, Jamie Macoun, Ric Nattress, and Kent Manderville to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Craig Berube, Alexander Godynyuk, Gary Leeman, Michel Petit, and Jeff Reese. Wamsley played the next two seasons for Toronto, only dressing for 11 games, before retiring. He later joined the Leafs as a goaltending coach, a position he now holds with the Ottawa Senators.

All-Time Statline: 111 games, 53-30-15, four shutouts, 2675 shots faced, 2349 saves, .878 save percentage, 3.21 goals against average, 13.32 point shares.

73. Andrew Ference

Ference, a 5’11”, 189 lb. defenseman, was born on March 17th, 1979 in Edmonton, Alberta. He spent three seasons playing for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks before he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the eighth round, 208th overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He returned to Portland for another two seasons before joining the Penguins organization. Ference spent four seasons with Pittsburgh, frequently bouncing between the AHL and NHL, before the Flames traded for him for a third round pick.

Ference joined the Flames towards the end of the 2002-03 season. He played 16 games for the Flames, scoring four assists, recording six penalty minutes, and finishing a plus-1. The Flames finished with a 29-36-4 record, missing the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

Ference found himself regularly in the NHL during the 2003-04 season. He dressed in 75 games for the Flames, scoring four goals on 86 shots, 12 assists, and 16 points for his best season to date. He also registered 53 penalty minutes and finished a plus-5, helping the Flames to a 42-30-7-3 record and a return to the playoffs. Ference dressed for all 26 of the Flames' playoff games, scoring three assists and 25 penalty minutes throughout the miracle run that ultimately fell short in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final.

After the lockout, Ference was back for the 2005-06 season. This was his best offensive season to date, with four goals on a career-high 111 shots and a career-high 31 points. He also registered 85 penalty minutes and a minus-12 rating over 82 games. The Flames finished first in the Northwest Division with a 46-25-11 record, but fell in seven games to Anaheim in the first round of the playoffs. Ference played all seven playoff games, scoring four assists and registering 12 penalty minutes.

In 2006-07, Ference played 54 games for the Flames, scoring two goals on 51 shots and 10 assists for 12 points, as well as putting up 66 penalty minutes and an improved plus-7 rating. On February 10, 2007, he was traded to the Boston Bruins alongside Chuck Kobasew for Brad Stuart, Wayne Primeau, and a conditional fourth round pick (based on whether or not Stuart re-signed with the Flames; he didn’t) that turned into TJ Brodie.

Ference spent seven years in Boston, scoring 94 points over 373 games, as well as putting up 278 penalty minutes and an overall plus-24 rating, and finally winning the Stanley Cup in 2011. A free agent, he signed a four-year, $13 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers following the 2013 season, and became their captain.

All-Time Statline: 224 games, 10 goals, 53 assists, plus-1 rating, 210 penalty minutes, 13.46 point shares.

by Kevin Kraczkowski