Keep this team together!

 Fans don't want to see a lot of changes when the Flames return to the ice

July 10, 2004
David Veitch, Calgary Sun

If you had your way, Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff might as well get a Flaming C tattooed to their chests. Because they would play for no other team.

The results are in from the Sun's annual You Be The Boss survey and the message is clear -- the Flames captain and netminder should stay in Calgary for, well, forever. Most of their teammates can stick around for a while, too.

We asked you to tell us who you'd like to remain in Calgary for many years to come, who you think could still be useful for another year or two, and who you'd like to see traded or released.

Plus, we asked you to identify the players who overachieved or underachieved this season.

You readers were rather generous with the praise this year -- and, obviously, for good reason. This spring's race to the Stanley Cup final electrified the city and renewed fans' love affair with the Flames.

Some readers were so smitten, in fact, they took leave of their senses and suggested GM-head coach Darryl Sutter should make minor leaguer and playoff scratch Lynn Loyns a Flame for life. Yes, there were 20 of you out there. Loyns' agent would surely like to thank you.

Despite some other strange results -- OK, who were the wise guys who said Kiprusoff 'underachieved' this season? -- the voting sends some pretty clear messages:

* L.A.-bound Craig Conroy will be missed in these parts.
* Netminder Roman Turek has a lot of work to do to win over the fans.
* Injury-plagued forwards Dean McAmmond and Steven Reinprecht have lost the faith of many fans.
* Robyn Regehr's solid defensive play has not been overlooked.
Take a look at the results on the facing page and draw your own conclusions.

PLAYER 2003-04 salary 2004-05
RW Jarome Iginla $7.5 million restricted
LW Martin Gelinas $2.4 million signed
C Craig Conroy $2.2 million signed with L.A.
D Rhett Warrener $1.8 million signed
D Toni Lydman $1.7 million signed
C Stephane Yelle $1.6 million signed
C Steve Reinprecht $1.5 million signed
LW Chris Simon $1.5 million unrestricted
LW Dean McAmmond $1.5 million unrestricted
D Denis Gauthier $1.4 million restricted
D Robyn Regehr $1.25 million signed
RW Chuck Kobasew $1.13 million signed
C Marcus Nilson $1.1 million restricted
LW Oleg Saprykin $1.0 million signed
D Jordan Leopold $900,000 restricted
RW Shean Donovan $752,950 signed
RW Chris Clark $700,000 signed
LW Ville Nieminen $600,000 option year
D Mike Commodore $515,000 restricted
C Matthew Lombardi $500,000 signed
D Andrew Ference $500,000 signed
LW Krzysztof Oliwa $500,000 unrestricted
LW Lynn Loyns $430,000 restricted
LW Martin Sonnenberg $400,000 signed
D Steve Montador $350,000 signed
LW Dave Lowry $250,000 unrestricted
G Miikka Kiprusoff $880,000 restricted
G Roman Turek $4.25 million signed

PLAYER FLAME FOR LIFE LONG TERM FLAME
Jarome Iginla 85% (242 VOTES) 13% (37)
Martin Gelinas 52% (147) 40% (115)
Craig Conroy 41% (118) 40% (116)
Rhett Warrener 33% (93) 53% (149)
Toni Lydman 15% (41) 53% (150)
Stephane Yelle 39% (110) 49% (138)
Steve Reinprecht14% (39) 44% (124)
Chris Simon 22% (62) 43% (123)
Dean McAmmond 12% (34) 38% (107)
Denis Gauthier 30% (83) 38% (108)
Robyn Regehr 68% (194) 30% (85)
Chuck Kobasew 21% (60) 51% (144)
Marcus Nilson 24% (67) 53% (150)
Oleg Saprykin 30% (83) 52% (145)
Jordan Leopold 39% (111) 48% (136)
Shean Donovan 51% (149) 46% (135)
Chris Clark 29% (82) 46% (129)
Ville Nieminen 25% (70) 50% (142)
Mike Commodore 28% (79) 35% (99)
Matthew Lombardi29% (81) 56% (153)
Andrew Ference 31% (90) 55% (159)
Krzysztof Oliwa 24% (68) 34% (96)
Lynn Loyns 7% (20) 19% (52)
Martin Sonnenberg7% (19) 15% (41)
Steve Montador 21% (59) 48% (137)
Dave Lowry 19% (53) 16% (44)
Miikka Kiprusoff75% (203) 24 % (68)
Roman Turek 9% (25) 9% (26)

PLAYER SHORT TERM FLAME LET HIM GO
 Jarome Iginla 1% (3) 1% (3)
Martin Gelinas 8% (21) 0% (1)
Craig Conroy 15% (42) 4% (9)
Rhett Warrener 14% (39) 0% (2)
Toni Lydman 25% (69) 7% (21)
Stephane Yelle 11% (32) 1% (3)
Steve Reinprecht 29% (80) 13% (36)
Chris Simon 28% (79) 7% (20)
Dean McAmmond 32% (89) 18% (51)
Denis Gauthier 21% (58) 11% (33)
Robyn Regehr 1% (2) 1% (3)
Chuck Kobasew 21% (60) 7% (16)
Marcus Nilson 22% (61) 1% (3)
Oleg Saprykin 17% (47) 1% (5)
Jordan Leopold 11% (30) 2% (5)
Shean Donovan 3% (9) 0% (0)
Chris Clark 24% (67) 1% (3)
Ville Nieminen 22% (63) 3% (7)
Mike Commodore 27% (78) 10% (28)
Matthew Lombardi 15% (40) 0% (1)
Andrew Ference 12% (36) 2% (5)
Krzysztof Oliwa 31% (87) 11% (33)
Lynn Loyns 42% (116) 32% (90)
Martin Sonnenberg 49% (136) 29% (81)
Steve Montador 28% (79) 3% (10)
Dave Lowry 25% (71) 40% (113)
Miikka Kiprusoff1 1% (2) 0% (0)
Roman Turek 23% (63) 59% (165)

OVERACHIEVE OR UNDERACHIEVE?
PLAYER OVER UNDER
 Jarome Iginla 90% (221) 10% (24)
Martin Gelinas 92% (228) 8% (19)
Craig Conroy 81% (189) 19% (44)
Rhett Warrener 80% (184) 20% (47)
Toni Lydman 46% (101) 54% (119)
Stephane Yelle 84% (194) 16% (38)
Steve Reinprecht 34% (73) 66% (142)
Chris Simon 69% (156) 31% (71)
Dean McAmmond 37% (76) 63% (130)
Denis Gauthier 54% (120) 46% (104)
Robyn Regehr 89% (202) 11% (26)
Chuck Kobasew 51% (123) 49% (117)
Marcus Nilson 77% (178) 23% (54)
Oleg Saprykin 73% (171) 27% (64)
Jordan Leopold 77% (180) 23% (54)
Shean Donovan 92% (224) 8% (20)
Chris Clark 71% (165) 29% (66)
Ville Nieminen 73% (168) 27% (62)
Mike Commodore 66% (156) 34% (80)
Matthew Lombardi 74% (178) 26% (62)
Andrew Ference 76% (180) 24% (52)
Krzysztof Oliwa 62% (140) 38% (85)
Lynn Loyns 23% (50) 77% (164)
Martin Sonnenberg 20% (42) 80% (168)
Steve Montador 70% (160) 30% (68)
Dave Lowry 52% (110) 48% (103)
Miikka Kiprusoff1 99% (235) 1% (3)
Roman Turek 15% (35) 85% (187)

Ville Nieminen signs preliminary agreement with Tappara
 
jatkoaika.com
22/07/04
translated from finnish

Stanley Cup winner Ville Nieminen will come back to his original team, Tappara Tampere, in the case a lock-out starts in the NHL this autumn.
Currently with a 1-year renewed contract with the Calgary Flames signed in the summer, Nieminen left Tappara for the North-American level during Spring 1997.


With Tappara, Nieminen has made his first appearance in SM-Liiga as early as during season 1994-95, but his true full season took place in 1996-97, when he was 19. During that season, the man played 49 games and stroke effectively 10+13=23 points. Also, Nieminen spent in the penalty box a non-negligeable total of 120 PIM. Things went well both on and off the ice, with hopes for a selection in the NHL draft, when Colorado Avalanche used his 3rd round draft pick for the young player from Tampere during Summer 1997, and immediatly the following season, the man headed to the arenas of North-America.

After 3 seasons in minor league, Nieminen moved up to the Avalanche standard team, and immediatly for his first NHL season, he wrote his name on the side of the Stanley Cup, with other few Finns, during Spring 2001. From Colorado, his way led him to the Calgary Flames, via the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Chicago Blackhawks, where the man had again the chance to play the play-offs. There, Nieminen was again at his best, and the Flames advanced to the Stanley Cup finals, but felt short against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The final series were the first ones in Nieminen NHL play-off experience that he ever lost.

Last season, Nieminen played a total of 79 NHL games, where he recorded 5+16=21 points. In the play-offs, he played another 24 games, and produced a good 4+4=8 points. The witty winger has put the play-offs behind already 318 NHL games, where he totallized 47+62=109 points and 302 PIM.

27-year old Nieminen was also chosen to play for the Finland national team at the World Cup starting in August.

- We are really happy that this agreement could be found with Ville, and I saw with confidence as the first team of the league to have a true NHL support in the team, if the season in North America is postponed or eventually cancelled. Ville is model player, and SM-Liiga needs a splash of color of this type, said with a smile the office manager of Tappara, Mikko Leinonen.

Ville Nieminen will join Tappara's practice on friday July 23, at the Lempäälä arena.