The Athletic conducted its latest NHL poll, surveying 111 anonymous players across the league. Many interesting questions were posed and answered, with the Calgary Flames popping up among the top answers for two questions.
First, the organization came in fourth regarding the following question; “if you have a no-trade list, what’s the first team on it?”
Of the 82 responses, the Winnipeg Jets took first place with 48.78%, followed by the Buffalo Sabres (19.51%), San Jose Sharks (8.54%), and the Flames at 3.66%.
The list concluded with the Ottawa Senators (3.66%), Anaheim Ducks (2.44%), and New York Rangers (2.44%), while others combined for 10.98%.
Although no one in particular called out the Flames with their replies, many players said that most Canadian cities are on no-trade lists because of weather, taxes, and scrutiny.
The only other question the Flames ranked high in was “What NHL team has the worst facilities,” where they came in second behind the Carolina Hurricanes.
Related: Flames Goalie Named NHL Rookie Of The Month
Out of the 105 players who replied, the Hurricanes took the top in the poll with 65.71% of the vote, followed by Calgary, with the Saddledome displeasing 20% of the respondents.
Despite most players commenting on Lenovo Center in Raleigh, one player spoke up about the Saddledome, saying, “I hate saying that because I love playing in that building. But the setup there is not cool.”
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At least no one else spoke harshly about the Flames’ home rink, which finished ahead of Capital One Arena in Washington (1.9%), TD Garden in Boston (1.9%), Ball Arena in Colorado (1.9%), and Madison Square Garden in New York (1.9%). Other facilities collected 6.67% of the vote.
Meanwhile, here’s a breakdown of the other questions and their top responses:
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What coach would you most like to play for other than your own? (108 votes) Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning took the top spot.
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What could would you least like to play for? (93 votes) Unsurprisingly, John Tortorella of the Philadelphia Flyers was the top name on this poll.
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What NHL team has the best facilities for opposing teams? (110 votes) Little Caesars Arena in Detroit beat Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle by a 24.55% to 21.82% margin.
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Do you like the idea of an in-season tournament like the NBA’s? (110 votes) The players voted no to the question, 54.55% to 45.45%.
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Is the season too long? (108 votes) Surprisingly, 58.3% of players surveyed believed the season was too long and provided insights regarding pre-season, playoffs, and whether it’s wise to shorten the season.
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Should Gary Bettman retire? (77 votes) The final question posed to players was whether Gary Bettman, 72, should retire, with more than half (54.55%) of them saying yes.
What do you think about The Athletic’s questions and the player’s answers, especially those involving the Flames? Let us know in the comments.
