In the spring of 1980, the National Hockey League officially relocated the Atlanta Flames to Calgary, giving birth to the Calgary Flames franchise. The General Manager at that time was Cliff Fletcher. Fletcher’s management style blended professionalism and competitiveness with a personal touch that helped the Flames establish a “family” atmosphere.
Leaving a legacy
“In the 1980s, the Flames, we were a family on and off the ice,” said former Flame Colin Patterson.
“For Cliff, it was about building a contending team, and also building a family,” said former Head Coach Terry Crisp.
“He always took care of everybody who worked with him,” said former Flames GM and Assistant GM under Fletcher, Al Coates
Former Calgary Flames General Manager, Stanley Cup champion, and Hockey Hall of Famer, Cliff Fletcher, sadly passed away on Friday at the age of 90. Many people view Cliff as a GM and one of the best in NHL history at his job. Many of those who worked with him and played for him view him as part of their family.
“The players loved him and loved playing for him, the families of the players and other staff felt important, and felt they were taken care of,” said Coates. “He made Calgary one of the best places in the league to play.”
Fletcher was often criticized when signing players by the media because they felt he was overpaying them. However, the players were more than willing to reward him for his investment, and those same contracts were often praised by local media because, over time, they became more team-friendly.
Colin Patterson was one of those signings. Fletcher led the trend of signing players out of college, before it was as mainstream as it is today. Patterson was one of seven players on the 1988–89 Stanley Cup championship team who were signed out of college. Patterson shared several telling stories during his interview with me, involving two separate contract negotiations between him and Fletcher.
“Cliff was honest with you, but he always made sure that you and your family were taken care of,” Patterson said.
Patterson played four years at Clarkson University. He was signed by Fletcher to play for the Colorado Flames in 1983. Patterson was at his apartment at Clarkson with some teammates, reminiscing and having drinks, and Fletcher was going to call him at seven P.M., so he gave his teammates the rundown. Fletcher didn’t call on time; he and his teammates quickly resumed their festivities, but the phone rang at nine PM at Patterson’s apartment (7 P.M. mountain time). His teammate answered the phone and got Patterson’s attention by saying, “Patter, there’s an old guy on the phone, but it’s not your dad.”
Patterson took the phone, and Fletcher asked him to come play in Colorado over his spring break and offered him $250 per game, which Patterson immediately said, “Deal!” and hung up.
Fast forward five years, and Patterson is now an established contributor in the Flames’ lineup. However, in the 1987–88 season, Patterson missed the majority of the season due to an injury. At that time, it was in Patterson’s contract that he received a bonus if he played 40 games or more during a single season. In 1987–88, Patterson played 39 games. During the offseason, Patterson received a cheque in the mail from the Flames and based on the amount, it became clear that it was his bonus.
Patterson then called Fletcher to alert him of the mistake the team had made and how they gave him money that, based on his contract, he didn’t feel he earned. Fletcher replied, “It’s an investment in you and our future, don’t worry about it,” and it was his turn to hang up the phone.
The aforementioned family atmosphere is still evident to this day. Former Head Coach Terry Crisp had nothing but positive things to say about the way Fletcher treated his players and his staff, and cared about them as people first. As a reflection of Fletcher’s loyalty and character to his family, Coach Crisp was fired after the 1989–90 season. It was a decision Crisp disagreed with. However, despite all that, they remained best of friends up until Fletcher’s passing.
Thank you, Cliff
The Flames of the 1980s will be bonded forever, partly because of their Stanley Cup championship in 1989, but also because of the culture and family that Fletcher had such a big hand in building. He will always be remembered as the patriarch of the Calgary Flames.
Fletcher’s legacy will live on forever, by the strong impact and lasting impression he had on those around him.