Behind the lens: Calgary Flames photographer reflects on incredible career with 'C' of Red

Gerry Thomas has had a front row seat to monumental moments in Calgary Flames history and for the past 33 years, he’s been able to capture it all on camera.
It’s the ultimate ‘dream job’ for any die-hard hockey fan, but as the team’s official photographer, Thomas views his profession as a chance to tell stories and bring fans right to the forefront of the action.
“I can’t just shoot a bunch of frames and hope I got it,” he laughed.
“I have to think about where the transition is going to be, where the play is going to be, not following the puck, but following the player and having a sense of where the next big play is.”
And Thomas certainly has an eye for those big plays.
Several of his photos are featured on Upper Deck trading cards and in publications around the world.
Thomas’ resume features athletes in a wide variety of sports, including the likes of famous dunks by Kobe Bryant, perfectly aimed slap shots from Wayne Gretzky and knockout punches courtesy of Mike Tyson.
Since 1985, the man has been at just about every major sporting event, but he says nothing beats his love for hockey, especially the Battle of Alberta.
“I still remember when the Oilers and Flames played in the playoffs back in 1991 and it hasn’t changed, it’s actually gotten more intense," he said.
“It reminds me of how rough it was 30 years ago with players like Lucic on this team, and of course they're all friends off ice but it's fun to see the rivalry on the ice again.”
Photo of Vince Carter Dunking taken by Gerry Thomas. (Courtesy Gerry Thomas)
Thomas has been up close and personal with both Calgary and Edmonton hockey teams for decades. In fact, he started his career with the Oilers "by accident" while apprenticing with Sports Illustrated as a young photojournalist.
“One of my mentors from the magazine asked me if I wanted to do hockey, so Edmonton kind of being my hometown, I took the opportunity,” he said.
“I learned how to put the strobes in the building, we worked on a few features and eventually had to do some of the shoots on my own, like the 1989 Stanley Cup and then I did a feature with Glen Sather.”
Sather, the Oilers' general manager at the time, was so impressed with Thomas’ work that he signed him on as the team’s photographer.
It wasn’t long before upper management with the Calgary Flames also took notice.
“I ended up coming in as a loaner with the Flames in 1993 and 1994 when Flames (former) general manager Cliff Fletcher asked through the club if I could put strobe lights in the building and I’m still there.”
What started out as just a few photos for the team has now blossomed into an incredible career with Hockey Canada where he has shot several Olympic and World Cup events.
Thomas has also recently gotten into the world of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) where his photos featured in Wayne Gretzky’s collection have sold for millions of dollars.
Photo of Wayne Gretzky taken by Gerry Thomas. (Courtesy Gerry Thomas)
“I’m sure I’ll get into my bucket list of things, but it’s fun to look back at some of those milestones,” he said.
“I just love sports and art as well, but photography is always something I’ll continue to enjoy.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Live updates Israel and Hamas trade blame for ceasefire's end as combat resumes
Israel resumed fighting in Gaza minutes after a temporary ceasefire deal ended, and accused Hamas of having violated the truce. Hamas blames Israel, saying it declined offers to free more hostages.
'The only choice': Defence Department going with Boeing to replace aging Aurora fleet
The federal government is buying at least 14 Boeing surveillance planes from the United States to replace the aging CP-140 Aurora fleet, cabinet ministers announced Thursday. The deal costs more than $10.3 billion in total, including US$5.9 billion for the jets themselves, and the planes are expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Blasted by Bloc, Conservative MP apologizes for asking minister to speak English
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas has apologized after drawing criticism from other members of Parliament for asking Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge to answer questions in English at a committee meeting.
Jaw-dropping video shows collapse at Coquitlam, B.C., construction site
Emergency work is underway after a collapse at a Coquitlam, B.C., construction site that was caught on camera this week.
NHL veteran Perry apologizes for 'inappropriate' behaviour, says he is seeking help
Corey Perry says he has started seeking help for his struggles with alcohol following his release from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
Filmmakers in Bruce Peninsula 'accidentally' discover 128-year-old shipwreck
Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick were looking for invasive mussels when they found something no one has laid eyes on for 128 years.
On 1st day, UN climate conference sets up fund for countries hit by disasters like flood and drought
Nearly all the world's nations on Thursday finalized the creation of a fund to help compensate countries struggling to cope with loss and damage caused by climate change, seen as a major first-day breakthrough at this year's UN climate conference
B.C. man tries to appeal driving ban by claiming his designated driver crashed his Mercedes, fled the scene
B.C.'s Supreme Court has upheld a 90-day driving ban for a man who refused to give a breath sample after crashing his Mercedes into a ditch – rejecting his claim that an "unnamed designated driver" was behind the wheel and fled the scene.
Suspect arrested in Morocco could be behind Ontario bomb threats, OPP says
Investigators have 'strong reason' to believe that a suspect taken into custody in Morocco could be behind numerous bomb threats across Ontario in early November, police say.