Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter XXXI: 380-376

380. Alan May

May was a 6’1″, 200 lb. left winger from Barrhead, Alberta. Born on January 14th, 1965, he played just one season in juniors, splitting the 1985-86 season between the Medicine Hat Tigers (six games, one goal, 25 PiM) and the New Westminster Bruins (32 games, eight goals, nine assists, 81 PiM). 1986-87 would see him with the ACHL’s Carolina Thunderbirds (42 games, 23 goals, 14 assists, 310 PiM) and the AHL’s Springfield Indians (four games, two assists, 11 PiM). He signed a free agent contract with the Boston Bruins during the 1987 offseason.

In 1987-88, May played with the Maine Mariners (61 games, 14 goals, 11 assists, 357 PiM), the Nova Scotia Oilers (12 games, four goals, one assist, 54 PiM), and Boston (three games, 15 PiM). The following season was likewise split amongst three teams, the Cape Breton Oilers (50 games, 12 goals, 13 assists, 214 PiM), the New Haven Nighthawks (12 games, two goals, eight assists, 99 PiM), and the Edmonton Oilers (three games, one goal, seven PiM).

The Washington Capitals acquired May for a fifth round draft pick during the 1989 offseason, and he would remain with them for four and a half seasons (345 games, 27 goals, 42 assists, 1,189 PiM). Traded to the Dallas Stars on March 21st, 1994, he played in 35 games with them over the next two seasons, scoring twice with an assist and 124 penalty minutes.

On April 7th, 1995, the Stars traded May to the Flames for an eighth round pick (Sergei Luchinkin). On April 13th, he scored his first point with Calgary, an assist in a 4-2 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He scored his only goal on April 30th, in a 6-4 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. In total, he scored just the one goal on five shots and earned 13 penalty minutes over seven contests with a plus-2 rating. It would be his last appearance in the NHL.

May went on to play minor league hockey for the next four seasons with the Orlando Solar Bears (four games, 11 PiM), the Detroit Vipers (17 games, two goals, five assists, 49 PiM), the Utah Grizzlies (53 games, 13 goals, 12 assists, 108 PiM), the Houston Aeros (82 games, seven goals, 11 assists, 270 PiM) and the Abilene Aviators (22 games, six goals, 10 assists, 48 PiM).

All-Time Statline: Seven games, one goal, two assists, plus-2 rating, 13 penalty minutes, 0.18 point shares.

379. Steve Guenette

Guenette was a 5’10”, 175 lb. goaltender from Gloucester, Ontario. He was born on November 13th, 1965, and played three seasons with the OHL Guelph Platers at the Junior level (51-62-6, 4.27 GAA) starting in 1983-84. In his first three professional seasons, all in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, he played with the Baltimore Skipjacks (21-23-0, 3.10), the Muskegon Lumberjacks (29-8-5, 3.10), and the Penguins (17-15-0, 3.71, .883).

On January 9th, 1989, Guenette was traded by the Penguins to Calgary for a sixth round pick (Mike Needham). He closed out the 1988-89 season with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles (24-5-0, 2.72), adding eight wins in 13 tries for the team through the playoffs.

In 1989-90, Guenette made two starts for the Flames, allowing four goals in each and earning a win and a loss with a .840 save percentage and a 4.03 GAA. He spent most of the year back with Salt Lake, posting a 22-21-4 record with a 3.45 GAA. He went 26-13-4 for them the following season, with a 3.26 GAA. He also earned another victory in his only game for the Flames that year, stopping 26-of-30 shots in a 9-4 Calgary win over the Washington Capitals. The Flames traded him to the Minnesota North Stars for a seventh round pick in the 1991 Draft (Matt Hoffman).

Guenette didn't make another NHL appearance, spending his last professional season with the Kalamazoo Wings (7-9-3, 3.84).

All-Time Statline: Three games, 2-1-0, 80 shots faced, 68 saves, .850 save percentage, 4.02 goals against average, 0.19 point shares.

378. Kevin Wortman

Wortman was a 6′, 200 lb. defenseman from Saugus, Massachusetts. Born on February 22nd, 1969, he was Calgary’s eighth round selection in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, 168th overall. 1991-92 would mark the first of two seasons for him with the IHL’s Salt Lake Golden Eagles. He played every game, totaling 164 and scoring 25 goals, with 84 assists.

In 1993-94, Wortman joined the Saint John Flames for most of the season, scoring 17 times with 32 helpers in 72 contests. He was called up to play with Calgary on two occasions, totaling five games. He took two shots on goal and posted a plus-1 rating with two penalty minutes. His contribution was small, but Calgary went 4-0-1 with him in the lineup.

Wortman signed with the San Jose Sharks as a free agent during the 1994 offseason, but didn’t again crack the NHL. He spent his remaining career with the Kansas City Blades (80 games, six goals, 28 assists), the Fort Wayne Komets (82 games, 12 goals, 21 assists), JYP Jyvaskyla (Finland, 150 games, 31 goals, 44 assists), the Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany, 67 games, four goals, 14 assists), ESC Moskitos Essen (Germany, 59 games, five goals, 14 assists), and the Vienna Capitals (Austria, 39 games, 15 goals, seven assists).

All-Time Statline: Five games, zero goals, zero assists, plus-1 rating, two penalty minutes, 0.19 point shares.

377. Bob Sweeney

Sweeney, a 6'3", 200 lb. center, was born in Boxboro, Massachusetts on January 25th, 1964. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the sixth round of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft out of high school, with the 123rd overall pick. He then attended Boston College for four seasons of collegiate level hockey. In 138 games for the Eagles, he lit the lamp 78 times while assisting on 74 others before graduating with the Class of 1986.

After 58 games with the Moncton Golden Flames in 1986-87 (29 goals, 26 assists, 81 PiM), Sweeney joined the Bruins for most of the next six seasons (he also played one game during that time with the Maine Mariners, scoring a goal). In 382 contests with Boston, he scored 81 goals with 112 assists and 504 penalty minutes. He later played with the Buffalo Sabres (185 games, 37 goals, 44 assists, 230 PiM) and the New York Islanders (66 games, six goals, six assists, 59 PiM).

On March 20th, 1996, the Islanders traded Sweeney to the Flames for Pat Conacher and a sixth round pick (Ilja Demidov). In his first game for Calgary, a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks he scored his only Flames goal. He would also tack on an assist on April 12th in a 6-0 Flames win over the Sharks. He took eight shots on goal and posted a plus-3 rating in six games. He would also play in two playoff contests for Calgary.

Sweeney didn't appear in the NHL again after his time with the Flames. He appeared with the Quebec Rafales (69 games, 10 goals, 21 assists, 120 PiM), the Revier Lions (Germany, 27 games, nine goals, four assists, 77 PiM), the Frankfurt Lions (Germany, 66 games, 13 goals, 29 assists, 62 PiM) and the Munich Barons (Germany, 70 games, 12 goals, 32 assists, 113 PiM).

All-Time Statline: Six games, one goal, one assist, plus-3 rating, six penalty minutes, 0.19 point shares.

376. Rocky Thompson

Thompson was a 6’2″, 200 lb. defenseman from Calgary, Alberta. Born on August 8th, 1977, he was with the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers when drafted in the third round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames with the 72nd overall pick. In three total seasons with the Tigers, Thompson scored 11 goals with 30 assists, and 646 penalty minutes in 202 games.

After earning 33 penalty minutes in only four games with the St. John Flames at the end of the 1995-96 campaign, Thompson would split the following season between two WHL franchises, the Tigers and the Swift Current Broncos, scoring 23 points and earning 260 penalty minutes in 69 collective games.

In 1997-98, Thompson spent most of the season with the AHL Flames, 51 games. He also earned two callups to Calgary. In 12 games he took three shots on goal and got in seven fights, good for 61 penalty minutes. He did not score, and finished with an even rating. The Flames posted a 3-6-3 record with him on the ice.

Watch Thompson manhandle the Grim Reaper, below.

Slowed by injury in 1998-99, Thompson appeared in 27 games with St. John. In a January callup to Calgary, he earned 25 penalty minutes in only six minutes of ice-time over three games.

Thompson opened the 1999-00 season with the AHL Flames, scoring 10 points with 125 PIM in 53 games. Calgary traded him to the Panthers for Filip Kuba on March 16th, and Thompson finished the season with the Louisville Panthers, earning an incredible 54 penalty minutes in only three games.

Thompson played 55 games in 2000-01 with Louisville, playing four games with the NHL Panthers in March. In six minutes of ice time he earned 19 penalty minutes, and did not score.

2001-02 would see Thompson spend the bulk of the season with the AHL Hershey Bears, earning another March callup to Florida. Over six games he took one shot on goal in 24 minutes of ice time, spending 12 minutes in the box. It was the last time Thompson would see NHL action.

Thompson spent five more seasons in the AHL, with the San Antonio Rampage, the Toronto Roadrunners, the Edmonton Roadrunners, and the Peoria Rivermen. He earned 1,919 penalty minutes in 566 career AHL games, scoring 17 goals and 52 assists.

Thompson joined the coaching ranks after retiring following the 2006-07 season, with the Edmonton Oil Kings. He is currently an assistant with the Oklahoma City Barons.

All-Time Statline: 15 games, zero goals, zero assists, even rating, 86 penalty minutes, 0.19 point shares.

Thanks for reading. Check back here later this week for the next installment of the Flames all-time countdown.

by Kevin Kraczkowski