Calgary Flames: The return of Blasty is worth being thankful for

The return of Blasty is a Calgary Flames Thanksgiving miracle.

Calgary Flames fans have a lot to be thankful for this year.

They’ve secured the long-term services of goalie Jacob Markstrom, settled on Geoff Ward as a reliable hand to lead the franchise moving forward, and even made it to the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, where they were toppled in a 4-2 series by eventual Finals runners-up the Dallas Stars.

But above all else, there’s one thing Flames fans should cherish: The return of Blasty.

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Whether you’re a die-hard Flames fan or an outside observer who only cares when they play your favorite team, you have to admit Blasty was one of the coolest logos in hockey, maybe in all of sports, and served as the iconic image of many a Calgary team worthy of note.

Initially debuted on the team’s predominantly black home uniforms in 1998 (according to The Win Column’s fantastic piece on the Flames’ uniform history), Blasty became a mainstay of the Flames’ iconography for much of the first decade of the 21st Century when the team was playing some of their best hockey since the early-to-mid-90s.

Though the team eventually started easing off on their flame nostrils friend in favor of their old reliable flaming C logo, there was a segment of the fanbase – and of hockey in general – who hoped maybe one day one’s Blasty would make a comeback and ride once more on the ice of the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Welp, as it turns out, all of our collective patience has been rewarded, as Blasty is back and prominently featured on the Flames’ new Reverse Retro jerseys.

For those who somehow are out of the know, each of the 31 NHL teams was given an opportunity to design a new jersey featuring a mix of throwback iconography and forward-thinking design. Some were bland, like the whiter version of the Edmonton Oilers uniforms, others were surreal, like the Anaheim Ducks’ hybrid movie/TV show homage, but none were as instantly iconic as the Flames’ triumphant barely reimagining of Blasty – save for maybe the 90s vibes of the Arizona Coyotes retro sweaters.

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For an as of yet undetermined number of games moving forward, the Flames will be back in their Jarome Iginla-esque black and red uniforms with Blasty emblazoned across their chests, and honestly, that’s a Thanksgiving miracle.

Sidebar: Yes, I know Canada celebrates Thanksgiving on a different day than the United States – just go with it for the purposes of this piece.

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