Flames at a glance
	Camp schedule: Sept. 12-14: Banff Arena (Banff, Alberta) Sept. 15: Pengrowth Saddledome Coach: Greg Gilbert (2nd season, 4-8-2-0) General manager: Craig Button (2nd season)

The coach, Greg Gilbert, is beginning his first full season behind an NHL bench. Former west coast TV stakesplayer Ron Bremner is out as president and CEO, former newspaper publisher Ken King is in. Fan favorite goaltender Fred Brathwaite is gone, former St. Louis playoff pariah Roman Turek assumes the main-man mantle. Malcontent Valeri Bure has been shipped to Florida for a whole lot of unfulfilled potential in the form of Rob Niedermayer.

Yes, just another summer whirling around on the Calgary Flames carousel run amok.

After a season of bizarre decisions (fighting with cornerstone young defenseman Derek Morris over his contract, then turning around and acquiring $2.5 million dud Igor Kravchuk, for instance) and inner turmoil, general manager Craig Button has made changes -- Turek for goaltending consistency over the long haul, Niedermayer for that No. 1 center with size, Dean McAmmond for grit and defenseman Bob Boughner for nasty accountability on defense -- to mould the team closer to his vision.

Whether that vision is close enough to 20/20 to push this team into the postseason remains highly unlikely.

Ready, set, slow!: Getting off to a commendable start remains the top priority of this franchise. It's imperative, again, that the Flames rekindle some sort of excitement within the community. Horrid starts -- they were 3-8-1 in October last year -- have put them behind the 8-ball in the last five no-postseason debacles. For on-ice morale and off-ice support a .500 or better first month is nothing less than essential.

If we build it, will they come?: Somehow, the team must raise the season-ticket base to the 13,000 required to qualify for the NHL's small-market subsidy program. Muscle franchises the like of the Rangers, Flyers and Avalanche may sniff off $3 million as pocket change, but it's imperative money in Calgary, if only to placate the seven-man ownership group. At the moment, the Flames are hovering just below the 11,000 mark.

Is it too late to redo the schedule?: Someone in the organization should find the damned computer that devised the schedule and have it dismantled. No Leafs? No Canadiens? No Rangers? No Flyers? No chance of big walk-ups to Saddledome ticket wickets.

Flames 2001-02 preseason schedule
Date	Opponent	Time
Sat., Sept. 15	Minnesota	Canceled*
Sun., Sept. 16	Edmonton	Canceled^
Tue., Sept. 18	Minnesota	9 p.m.
Wed., Sept. 19	Edmonton	8 p.m.
Thu., Sept. 20	Vancouver	9 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 23	at Minnesota	3 p.m.
Tue., Sept. 25	at Vancouver	10 p.m.
Fri., Sept. 28	Edmonton	9 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 29	at Edmonton	8 p.m.
*Rescheduled for Sept. 18 ^Rescheduled for Sept. 19