Sergei Pryakhin was the first Soviet player to be granted permission to play in the NHL. The Flames drafted Sergei with the final pick in the 1988 NHL Draft and he arrived to play with the Flames in March, just before the NHL Playoffs. He managed to play in only 2 regular season games and only 1 game in the playoffs. Pryakhin did not play enough games to qualify to have his name on the Stanley Cup, but the Flames did give him a Stanley Cup ring.
Pryakhin would play 2 more seasons for the Flames compiling 11 points in 44 games.