Flames All-Time Countdown Chapter CVI: 63-61

63. Jordan Leopold

Leopold, a 6’1″, 206 lb. defenceman, was born on August 3rd, 1980 in Golden Valley, Minnesota. He was drafted in the second round, 44th overall, by Anaheim in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. This was after his freshman season at the University of Minnesota, where he scored 23 points in 39 games. He played in the NCAA all four years, and during that time, the Flames traded Andrei Nazarov and a second rounder to the Ottawa Senators – who had previously acquired his rights from Anaheim – for Leopold’s rights.

Upon completing school, played three games for the AHL's Saint John Flames, and 58 games for the Calgary Flames in the 2002-03 season. He scored four goals on 78 shots in his rookie year, and 10 assists gave him 14 points on the season while averaging 20:36 a game. He also recorded 12 penalty minutes and finished a minus-15 while the Flames finished with a 29-36-13-4 record, missing the playoffs.

Leopold played all 82 games in the 2003-04 season, averaging 22:14 in ice time. He scored nine goals on a career-high 138 shots that season, and added 24 assists for a total of 33 points. He also recorded 24 penalty minutes, and improved to a plus-8. The Flames finished the regular season with a 42-30-7-3 record, making it back to the playoffs. Leopold played all 26 games during the Flames' run to the Stanley Cup Final, scoring 10 assists and registering six penalty minutes along the way as he manned the top pairing with Robyn Regehr. He averaged 25:41 in ice time during the run, and took the shot that nearly tied up Game 7 in the dying minutes.

Leopold, who did not play during the lockout, returned to the Flames in 2005-06. He scored two goals on 87 shots and had 18 assists for 20 points, all while averaging 22:20 a game. Leopold also registered a career-high 68 penalty minutes – he hasn’t even come close to that total again – and finished a plus-6. The Flames captured the Northwest Division title that season with a 46-25-11 record, but fell in seven games to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs. Leopold played all seven games, averaging just 19:13 in ice time, scoring one assist, and recording four penalty minutes.

After exiting the playoffs early, the Flames traded Leopold and a few picks to the Colorado Avalanche for Alex Tanguay. Leopold played three seasons for the Avs, scoring 38 points in 122 games, before he was traded back to the Flames towards the end of the 2008-09 season for Lawrence Nycholat, Ryan Wilson, and a second round pick. Leopold played 19 games for the Flames to close out the season, scoring one goal, three assists, six penalty minutes and finishing a minus-5 while the Flames entered the playoffs with a 46-30-6 record. They fell in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks, with Leopold recording just one assist and eight penalty minutes in the six games.

Once again, upon falling in the first round of the playoffs, the Flames traded Leopold’s rights and a third round pick to the Florida Panthers for the rights to Jay Bouwmeester. The Flames subsequently signed Bouwmeester, while Leopold would go on to split time between the Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and St. Louis Blues. Leopold, 34, is still under contract with the Blues for one more season.

All-Time Statline: 233 games, 16 goals, 55 assists, minus-6 rating, 110 penalty minutes, 16.47 point shares.

62. Carey Wilson

Wilson, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was born on May 19th, 1962. After his first year at Dartmouth the 6'2", 195 lb. centre was picked in the fourth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft, with the 77th overall selection by the Chicago Blackhawks. Wilson returned to Dartmouth for one more season before going to Finland to play for HIFK Helsinki for two seasons. During that time, the Flames traded a fourth round pick to the Blackhawks for Wilson's rights. Wilson joined the Canadian National Team for the 1983-84 season, scoring 50 points in 66 games, before joining the Flames for 15 games. In those 15 games he scored two goals and seven points, and dressed for six of the 11 playoff games the Flames played, scoring three goals and an assist.

Wilson’s first full season with the Flames came in 1984-85. Over 74 games, he scored 24 goals on 128 shots, and had 48 assists for a total of 72 points. It would be one of the most productive seasons of his career. He also registered 27 penalty minutes and a plus-24 rating, helping the Flames play to a 41-27-12 record. The Flames lost 3-1 to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs, a series Wilson played all four games in, but failed to register on the scoreboard.

In 1985-86, Wilson scored 29 goals – on a total of 149 shots – and 29 assists for a total of 58 points over 76 games. Twenty-four penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating rounded out his stat line. The Flames finished with a 40-31-9 record that season, and played their way to the Stanley Cup Final before ultimately falling short. Of the 22 games the Flames played, Wilson played in just nine, scoring two assists and recording two penalty minutes.

In 1986-87, Wilson played 80 games for the Flames. He scored 20 goals on 140 shots, and 36 assists gave him 56 points on the season. He also recorded 42 penalty minutes, and finished the year a minus-1. The Flames had a 46-31-3 record, but fell to the Winnipeg Jets in six games in the first round of the playoffs. Wilson played all six games, scoring his first playoff goal since 1984, and adding an assist and six penalty minutes to his total scoreboard contributions.

Wilson played just 34 games for the Flames in 1987-88. He scored nine goals on 61 shots, and 21 assists gave him 30 points before he left the team. Part way through the season, Wilson, along with Neil Sheehy and the rights to Lane MacDonald (who never played in the NHL) were traded to the Hartford Whalers for Shane Churla and Dana Murzyn.

Wilson spent the next five seasons playing for both the Whalers and New York Rangers. He scored 164 points for both teams over 197 games before being traded back to the Flames. Towards the end of the 1990-91 season the Whalers traded Wilson back to the Flames for Mark Hunter. He played 12 games for the Flames to close out the season, scoring three goals, three assists, two penalty minutes, and a plus-1. The Flames, with a 46-26-8 record, made the playoffs, but fell in the first round in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers. Wilson played all seven games, scoring two goals and two assists.

Wilson played just 42 games in the 1991-92 season. He scored 11 goals on 74 shots, and had 12 assists for a total of 23 points. He also recorded 37 penalty minutes, and finished a minus-6. The Flames had a 31-37-12 record that season, and finished out of the playoffs.

The 1992-93 season was Wilson's final in the NHL. He only played 22 games, scoring just four goals on 30 shots and 11 points, as well as registering eight penalty minutes and finishing a plus-11. The Flames made the playoffs with a 43-30-11 record, but Wilson did not play any games.

Wilson played seven games for the IHL's Manitoba Moose in the 1996-97 season, and that was it for his professional playing career.

All-Time Statline: 355 games, 102 goals, 161 assists, plus-29 rating, 160 penalty minutes, 16.48 point shares.

61. Olli Jokinen

Jokinen, born on December 5th, 1978, is a native of Kuopio, Finland. A 6’3″, 215 lb. centre, he was the third overall selection in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He split time playing for HIFK Helsinki and the Kings in his first post-draft season, and stayed with the Kings for another season before being traded to the New York Islanders. Jokinen played just one season with the Islanders before being traded to the Florida Panthers. Jokinen spent seven seasons with Florida, scoring 188 goals and 419 points over 567 games, before he was traded to the Coyotes.

Jokinen only played 57 games for Phoenix before he, along with a third round pick, was traded to the Flames on March 4, 2009 for Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Prust, and a first round pick. Jokinen played 19 games for the Flames to close out the season, scoring eight goals on 67 shots, 15 points, 18 penalty minutes, and registering a minus-7 rating. In the six post-season games the Flames played, Jokinen played in all six, scoring two goals, three assists, and four penalty minutes.

The Finn would be on the move again in the 2009-10 season. He scored 11 goals on 162 shots, and added 24 assists for 35 points over the 56 games he played for the Flames – including a game he played even though he knew he was about to be traded. On February 1, 2010, Jokinen, along with Brandon Prust, whom the Flames had reacquired, was traded to the New York Rangers for Ales Kotalik and Chris Higgins.

Five months later Jokinen, an unrestricted free agent, came back, signing a two-year contract with the Flames. In 2010-11 played all 79 games, scoring 17 goals on 208 shots, and adding 37 assists to finish the season with 54 points. He also had 44 penalty minutes, and finished a minus-17. The Flames themselves finished the season with a 41-29-12 record, failing to make the playoffs.

In 2011-12, Jokinen played all 82 games for the Flames. He scored 23 goals on 223 shots, and had 38 assists for a total of 61 points, his best season since leaving Florida. He also amassed 54 penalty minutes and had a minus-12 rating. The Flames finished the season with a 37-29-16 record, and once again, did not make the playoffs.

The Flames did not re-sign Jokinen, and instead he joined the Winnipeg Jets for two seasons. He scored 57 points in 127 games with Winnipeg, and was not brought back. Jokinen, 35, will play the upcoming season for the Nashville Predators.

All-Time Statline: 236 games, 59 goals, 106 assists, minus-34 rating, 169 penalty minutes, 16.82 point shares.

by Kevin Kraczkowski