The Calgary Flames 1989 Playoff Run

Duane Hicks, chief executive officer with the Calgary Flying Club, is an avid hockey fan. He played ice hockey for nearly three decades and has owned a AAA team. When he is not overseeing activities at the Calgary Flying Club, Duane Hicks enjoys attending Calgary Flames hockey games as a season ticket holder.

Over the last 43 years the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Calgary Flames have won more than 1,500 games and made 27 playoff appearances. The franchise enjoyed its most successful year during the 1988-1989 season, winning a franchise record 54 games for the best record in professional hockey.

The Flames opened the post season against the Vancouver Canucks. Despite having finished the season with a lackluster record of 33 wins, 39 losses, and eight ties, the Canucks secured an overtime victory in the first game of the playoffs to steal home court advantage. The Flames responded with a 5-2 win in game two, followed by a 4-0 shutout to reclaim home court advantage. The series ultimately went seven games, with the Flames prevailing in another overtime game.

Capitalizing on the momentum of a difficult opening round, the Flames swept the Los Angeles Kings in four games to take the division and advance to the conference finals. Calgary dropped just one game to the Chicago Blackhawks and progressed to its second Stanley Cup Finals appearance in four years.

In the final series of the season, the Flames matched up with the Montreal Canadiens. After a tight 3-2 win in the first game of the finals, Calgary fell 4-2, once again losing home court advantage before heading out on the road. This time they faltered in a double overtime contest, dropping consecutive games for the first time that post season. The Flames quickly regrouped, scoring 4-2, 3-2, and 4-2 victories to close out the series and take the Stanley Cup to Calgary for the first time in franchise history.

Ice Pilots NWT - A Reality Show Featuring Veteran Aircraft

As the chief executive officer of the Calgary Flying Club in Canada, Duane Hicks manages private pilots as they get their commercial licenses. In addition to his work with the club, Duane Hicks joined the cast of the Ice Pilots NWT reality series for its third season.

Based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the show follows pilots who fly in frigid and dangerous conditions. The ice pilots use time-tested propeller aircraft to ply their trade. The most famous of these is the DC-3. Over 70 years, it has become one of the world’s most reliable aircraft. Adding to its popularity is its ability to land on short, unpaved runways. Of 16,000 built, some 400 are still flying, mostly in remote areas.

The DC-4 was built as a successor to the DC-3. Much larger than its predecessor, the DC-4 was designed to carry passengers, but it became a premier transport plane during World War II. When equipped with skis, the DC-4 proves adept at landing on frozen lakes and rivers.

A third aircraft favored by the ice pilots is the C-46. Like the DC-4, wartime needs took priority; the plane carried troops and wounded soldiers, as well as artillery pieces, ammunition, and other necessities. It now flies cargo and humanitarian missions in Africa, South America, and Canada.