 Fans and media expressed excitement over the arrival of 2014 top draft pick Sam Bennett along with the arrival of Hobey Baker Award winner Johnny Gaudreau from the NCAA.The excitement was tempered somewhat on the eve of the season's start when it was revealed that Bennett had suffered a shoulder injury during the pre-season that potentially required surgery, which would sideline him for several months.The Flames' season opened on October 8, a 4–2 defeat on home ice against the Vancouver Canucks.