'Inspiration From The Past'

Dustin Wolf was three years old when the Flames went on that memorable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004.

But Saturday morning, he got to show everyone just how he’ll be suited and booted when the team plays the first of its four throwback games in those classic red ‘Black C’ uniforms. 

Wolf practiced Saturday in his brand-new setup, inspired by the man who tended goal 22 springs ago, Miikka Kiprusoff.

The signature skulls popped on the black background of his mask, while his white pads were Kipper-esque, too, with a vintage CCM logo to boot.

I’ve seen and heard about the jerseys we were gonna wear this year,” Wolf said Saturday, alluding to the red kits the Flames will sport against their four 2004 playoff opponents. “Tried to pull some inspiration from the past, and I thought it was a pretty easy replica to find exactly what (Kiprusoff) was wearing in ’04.

“He's such a big presence in the city, and obviously, his number’s hanging from the rafters. So just to be able to kind of share that and be a part of it is pretty special, I think.”

The mask is the showpiece, for sure.

And Wolf said his replica even got the blessing from Kiprusoff and his old painter before the project came to life.

As for those iconic diagonal streaks on Kiprusoff’s pads?

I just tried to find pictures of exactly what he was wearing with those exact jerseys,” Wolf explained of the process. “He switched around with different brands. I just went to CCM and said, ‘Hey, can we replicate something like this?’ 

“Normally they're able to print it, but they were actually able to stitch everything on, which was nice. It’s just nice to have something a little bit different than what you normally wear.”

The design is expected to see game action a week from now, when the Flames host the Red Wings for the club’s ’04 Run Celebration. Calgary will wear the special red kits against Vancouver, San Jose and Tampa Bay after the holiday break, too.

But for Wolf, paying tribute to a franchise legend was the perfect way to honour that special time in Flames history.

An unforgettable run, an unforgettable goaltender, etched in memory and modern-day artwork alike.

“Anybody that's been around kind of talks about it,” Wolf said of the 2004 Calgary squad. “It’s important and, and (the team) was so close to putting another banner in the rafters. 

“Now, it’s our job to put ourselves in a good position to get that opportunity to do that again.”