Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter LXXXI: 144-141

144. Adam Pardy

Pardy, a Bonavista, Newfoundland native, was a sixth round pick in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by Calgary, 173rd overall. A 6’4", 220 lb. defenseman, he was born on March 29th, 1984.

Pardy played just over two seasons in the QMJHL with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (144 games, 16 goals, 40 assists, 302 PiM). His first three professional seasons would be spent in Calgary’s minor league feeder system with the AHL’s Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (94 games, two goals, six assists), the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers (41 games, one goal, 12 assists), and the AHL’s Quad City Flames (65 games, five goals, 13 assists).

Pardy started the 2008-09 season with Calgary. He appeared in 60 games, averaging 14 minutes per contest. He scored one goal on 38 shots over the season. That was on January 8th, in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. He also totaled nine assists, a team seventh plus-3 rating, and 69 penalty minutes. The Flames posted a 46-30-6 record and qualified for the playoffs, losing in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks. Pardy appeared in each game, earning two assists.

In 2009-10, Pardy scored twice on 40 shots in 57 contests. He also dished out seven assists, posted a minus-3 rating and earned 48 penalty minutes in 15:51 per game. He scored a goal in the season opener on October 1st in a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. On October 6th, he dished out two assists on October 6th, in a 4-3 win against the Montreal Canadiens. Calgary missed the postseason with a 40-32-10 record.

2010-11 would see Pardy miss a total of 52 games for the Flames with an assortment of injuries, although he did manage to play in 30 games for Calgary, and score a goal on 36 shots with six assists. He earned 24 penalty minutes and a plus-3 rating for the 41-29-12 Flames, who again fell shy of the playoffs.

Pardy signed a free agent contract with the Dallas Stars following the season. After his time with Dallas (36 games, zero goals, three assists), he would make NHL appearances with the Buffalo Sabres (17 games, zero goals, four assists) and the Winnipeg Jets (60 games, zero goals, six assists).

All-Time Statline: 147 games, four goals, 22 assists, plus-3 rating, 141 penalty minutes, 5.89 point shares.

143. Andrew Cassels

Cassells, born on July 23rd, 1969, was a 6’1", 185 lb. center from Bramalea, Ontario. He played three seasons with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL beginning in 1986-87 (183 games, 111 goals, 266 assists).

Cassels joined Montreal after playing 55 games with the AHL’s Sherbrook Canadiens in 1989-90, scoring 22 goals with 45 assists and 67 penalty minutes. He played 60 games over parts of two seasons for the Habs, scoring eight goals with 19 assists. He also played six seasons with the Hartford Whalers (438 games, 97 goals, 253 assists).

After the Whalers relocated to Carolina and renamed themselves the Hurricanes, Cassels was traded to the Flames with Jean-Sebastien Giguere for Gary Roberts and Trevor Kidd.

In 1997-98, Cassels ranked third on the club with 81 games. He scored a team-fifth 17 goals on 138 shots with a team second best 27 assists, a minus-7 rating and 32 penalty minutes. He totaled more than one point on eight occasions. On January 6th, he scored twice, including the game winner in a 3-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche. On April 17th, he scored two goals, including a shorthanded game winner in a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Calgary went 26-41-15 and missed the playoffs.

Cassels played 70 games for 18:58 per appearance. He scored a team-fifth 12 goals on 97 shots with a team sixth 25 assists, a team second-worst minus-12 rating, and 18 penalty minutes. He ranked fourth on the club with three game winning goals. On November 10th, he tabbed an assist and the overtime game winner in a 5-4 win against the Los Angeles Kings. He scored two goals on November 28th in a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Black Hawks. The Flames finished with a 30-40-12 record.

Cassels signed with the Canucks as a free agent after the season. After three seasons in Vancouver (198 games, 40 goals, 128 assists), he appeared with the Columbus Blue Jackets (137 games, 26 goals, 68 assists) and the Washington Capitals (31 games, four goals, eight assists). He is currently an assistant coach with the Cincinnati Cyclones. 
All-Time Statline: 151 games, 29 goals, 52 assists, plus-5 rating, 50 penalty minutes, 5.98 point shares.

142. Chris Dahlquist

Dahlquist, a 6’1", 195 lb. defenseman from Fridley, Minnesota, was born on December 14th, 1962. He played four seasons of collegiate level hockey for Lake Superior State University, graduating with the Class of 1985. In 158 games he scored 12 goals with 56 assists and 213 penalty minutes.

Dahlquist played with the Baltimore Skipjacks (AHL, 116 games, five goals, 37 assists, 114 PiM), the Pittsburgh Penguins (195 games, 10 goals, 26 assists, 219 PiM), the Muskegon Lumberjacks (IHL, 16 games, four goals, seven assists, 22 PiM), and the Minnesota North Stars (116 games, three goals, 19 assists, 101 PiM).

On October 4th, 1992, Dahlquist was claimed by the Flames in the NHL Waiver Draft. He played 74 games with Calgary, scoring three goals on 64 shots with seven assists, an even rating and 66 penalty minutes. He scored a goal in his first game of the season, a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on October 6th. On December 4th, he scored the game winner in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. The Flames posted a 43-30-11 record, finishing second in the Smythe Division. They lost the opening round of the playoffs in six games to the Kings. Dahlquist scored three goals and an assist while appearing in every game.

1993-94 would see Dahlquist play in a team fifth 77 games for the Flames. He scored once on 57 shots, with 11 assists, earned 52 penalty minutes, and a plus-5 rating. On October 25th, he tabbed two assists in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. His only goal of the campaign was scored on December 11th, in a  3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flames earned the Pacific Division title with a 42-29-13 record, but dropped the opening round of the playoffs in seven games to the Canucks. Dahlquist appeared in only one game for Calgary through the postseason.

During the offseason, Dahlquist signed with the Ottawa Senators through free agency. He ended up spending two seasons with Ottawa, totaling two goals and eight assists in 70 contests.

All-Time Statline: 151 games, four goals, 18 assists, plus-5 rating, 118 penalty minutes, 6.04 point shares.

141. Keith McCreary

McCreary, a 5’10", 180 lb. left winger, was born on June 19th, 1940. A Sundridge, Ontario native, he played four seasons in the EPHL with the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens (199 games, 76 goals, 91 assists).

McCreary played in one postseason contest for the Montreal Canadiens in 1962. He then played two seasons in the AHL with the Hershey Bears (112 games, 41 goals, 37 assists) before playing in nine contests with the Habs in 1964-65, when he totaled three assists. The next two seasons would see him play two seasons with the AHL’s Cleveland Barons (136 games, 46 goals, 53 assists).

McCreary finally graduated to the big show full time for the 1967-68 season, when the NHL expanded from six teams to 12. After being picked in the expansion draft, he spent five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins (292 games, 82 goals, 59 assists).

Five years to the day after his selection in the 1967 expansion draft, he was again selected in the expansion draft, this time by the brand new Atlanta Flames. He played in every game for the Flames in 1972-73 except for one, and scored a team-third 20 goals on 157 shots with a team-fifth 21 assists, a team-second worst minus-22 rating, and 21 penalty minutes. He placed first on the club with three game winning goals. The Flames posted a 25-38-15 record.

McCreary played 76 contests with Atlanta (team seventh). He scored 18 goals (team fifth) on 109 shots with 19 assists (team eighth), a minus-6 rating, and 62 penalty minutes (team fourth). The Flames went 30-34-14, and qualified for their first ever postseason. They lost the opening round in four games to the Philadelphia Flyers. McCreary played in each of the four games.

In 1974-75, McCreary played in 78 games for the Flames (team fifth). He scored 11 goals (team ninth) on 79 shots with 10 assists, a plus-12 rating (team third), and earned only eight penalty minutes. He led the club with two shorthanded goals, and also scored two game winners.

McCreary joined the NHL’s Alumni Association and eventually became the chairman. He passed away of cancer at the age of 63 in 2003.

All-Time Statline: 231 games, 49 goals, 50 assists, minus-40 rating, 91 penalty minutes, 6.04 point shares.