The Calgary Flames are facing an embarrassing situation as the NHL reaches what many consider a critical seasonal milestone - American Thanksgiving. With a dismal record of 8-14-3, the Flames currently possess the league's worst points percentage at .380, putting them in prime position for what some fans are calling 'Mission McKenna' - a reference to the coveted top pick in next year's draft.
The Thanksgiving Benchmark
In hockey circles, American Thanksgiving serves as a significant marker for playoff potential. Historically, teams outside playoff position at this point face steep odds for postseason success. For the Flames, their .380 points percentage represents the NHL's lowest, technically placing them behind even the Nashville Predators in the overall standings race to the bottom.
The Flames' current standing at this holiday marker provides crucial insight into their season trajectory, and while coaches and players find little humor in the situation, some supporters see silver lining in the struggle.
Historical Precedent for Bottom-Feeders
Examining the past dozen years reveals fascinating patterns about teams occupying the NHL basement at Thanksgiving. The data suggests that being the biggest turkey in late November often leads to draft-day gravy.
In the 2023-24 season, the San Jose Sharks held the league's worst points percentage at .184 during the Thanksgiving period. They ultimately finished last overall and won the draft lottery, selecting franchise-changing center Macklin Celebrini.
The previous season followed a similar script when the Sharks again owned the lowest points percentage at Thanksgiving (.380), finished last, but slipped to second in the draft order, selecting Michael Misa.
Recent history shows consistent patterns: the 2022-23 Anaheim Ducks (.325 at Thanksgiving) finished last and picked second, while the 2021-22 Arizona Coyotes (.250) ended up second-last and selected third overall.
What This Means for Calgary's Future
As the Flames organization awaits an official announcement regarding general manager Craig Conroy's contract extension, the team's position raises important questions about strategy and future planning. The correlation between Thanksgiving standing and ultimate draft position suggests that Calgary's current struggles could yield significant long-term benefits.
The data from the past several seasons indicates that the team with the worst points percentage at American Thanksgiving frequently secures a top draft selection, though lottery luck remains a variable factor. In the COVID-disrupted seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21, the schedule anomalies make direct comparisons challenging.
Looking further back, the 2018-19 Los Angeles Kings (.357 at Thanksgiving) finished second-last but fell to fifth in the draft order, while the 2017-18 Arizona Coyotes (.271) ultimately placed third-last overall.
For Flames fans enduring another difficult season, the historical precedent offers hope that current humiliation might translate into future franchise cornerstones, making this Thanksgiving's disappointing standings potentially something to be thankful for after all.
