Flames introduce AHL affiliate Calgary Wranglers
Published
The Calgary Flames have officially rechristened their American Hockey League affiliate the Calgary Wranglers.
The team's move from Stockton, CA to Calgary was announced in May. The Stockton Heat competed for the last seven seasons in the AHL.
The team will also play out of the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The Wranglers' name is an apparent homage to the original Calgary Wranglers franchise that competed from 1977 to 1987 in the Western Hockey League. Among the notable players to suit up for the Wranglers were Mike Vernon, Mark Tindordi and Kelly Kisio. The team became the Lethbridge Hurricanes in 1988.
The relocation is the eighth move in the franchise's history that began its existence in 1977 as the Maine Mariners. Prior to the move to California in 2015, the team was also the Utica Devils (1987-1993), Saint John Flames (1993-2003), Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights (2005-2007), Quad City Flames (2007-2009) and Abbotsford Heat (2014-2015).
The Wranglers open their 2022-2023 campaign on Oct. 16 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the expansion affiliate of the Seattle Kraken.