2003–04 Calgary Flames season 2003–04 Calgary Flames season The 2003–04 Calgary Flames season was the 24th National Hockey League season in Calgary, and the 32nd for the franchise in the NHL. The Flames ended a seven-year playoff drought, qualifying for the post-season for the first time since 1996. The Flames defeated three division winners en route to an appearance in the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals. The Flames were defeated in the finals by the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games. The run to the finals captured the imagination of the city, while the Red Mile celebrations gained international attention for the "Mardi Gras-like" atmosphere
2003–04 DEL season 2003–04 DEL season The 2003–04 Deutsche Eishockey Liga season was the 10th season since the founding of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (). The Frankfurt Lions became German Champions, and the Wölfe Freiburg () were relegated back to the 2. Bundesliga after a single season. A visible change for the fans was the league corporate sponsorship by the German Yellow Pages () who signed a 3-year agreement, later extended ending 2009. The regular season start was on September 4, 2003. The first 8 teams qualified for the playoffs, the last two are to go into playdowns, to determine which team will