James Duthie speaks with Darryl Sutter: You Don't Know Darryl
I just saw this piece on TSN's Season Preview coverage, and thought it was a pretty nice glimpse into my hockey personality, Darryl Sutter. It looks like he's really taken to life in California, and has incorporated somewhat of a new mindset as the Kings bench boss.
I know he wore some us thin during his final few years in Calgary, but I am so glad that things worked out for him in LA, and that he proved all of his doubters wrong. If you're a fan of Sutter (and I know many of us are) this video (and article) is definitely worth a look.
This isn't an oxymoron. Or a dream sequence in another TSN Films skit.
This is truth
.
On a sunny evening on the boardwalk of Manhattan Beach, California, the coach of two of the last three Stanley Cup champions is sharing his views on, in no particular order:
Quote:
For years, when he was general manager and/or head coach of the Calgary Flames, our interviews on the stage at the NHL Draft would be dislocated elbow-painful. He was the one guy I thought might actually Patrick Swayze/Roadhouse my throat when he didn't like a question. Which was pretty much every question. Bob McKenzie would get giddy every year waiting for those two minutes, when Darryl would eye-murder me on the draft stage.
Around Year 3 of our stage (cage) matches, he got up at the end of the interview (after I'd thrown to commercial), smiled and punched me so hard in the shoulder it buckled me. This would become an annual ritual. I contemplated becoming the first TV host to wear shoulder pads underneath my jacket (not the suit type for guys with bony shoulders...the actual hockey kind). Still, I took this abuse as some warped Sutter sign of affection. Or tolerance at least. "I'm never giving you a thing kid, but I understand you have to ask."
After that, any time I'd see him away from the stage or the podium, away from the media masses, he'd smile and chat like we were on the same bowling team (which would be an AWESOME sitcom premise).
Last edited by trackercowe; 10-07-2014 at 11:19 PM.
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Regardless of how he was viewed in his final days, I will always regard Darryl as a principle reason for why I am such an avid Flames fan today.
The years I was a 'fan' started in the late 90s... because Jarome. But I was always the weird Ontario kid who liked this unloved floundering team with an... interesting captain. I also had the coolest hockey card in the deck:
But it wasn't until Darryl when other people started to rally around my team.
Best part was when he was asked if he'd like to meet any cool LA celebrities. All the sudden ehe beams 'well I'd like to meet Wayne Gretzky one day!' Had me crying!
I remember the last time I was in LA (just before the playoffs last year), the only celebrity I saw the whole week was Darryl Sutter leisurely sauntering down Manhattan Beach in his wrangler jeans. He looked about as out of place as you'd expect a central Alberta farmer to look in a California beach town, but seemed to be quite enjoying it. Maybe it's his zen place.
the look on Kopitar's face when he talks about putting the press conferences on in the dressing room is telling how much fun it is for the players. I think you can tell their fondness for Sutter is really high.
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But Sutter chuckles at those who thought he'd be a misfit in Tinseltown.
"They obviously didn't do their homework," he says. In fact, Los Angeles had been on a very short list of three teams that he would have left the farm to coach again (Toronto was one of the two others).
I shudder at the thought...
I like Darryl so I'm glad he ended up in LA instead
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This was such a great interview. It was sad when he was hired how much hate he got, and good to see the media treating him with respect and giving him his props.
For easier viewing.
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funny how DS was labelled a bit of a dinosaur when he arrived in LA and now one would ahve to think that he may be one of the top coaches in the NHL......
too bad he is not still here in calgary.....
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I'm not sure the hate for Sutter was about his coaching. If anything his coaching was always appreciated here. It was his GM role in the last year and a bit which garnered him criticism. As a coach his hiring in LA was lauded if I remember correctly.
There are lots of coaches that can coach in the NHL.
Sutter can coach a team to win in the NHL. If you look at what he started with as coach here in Calgary and the team that he got to the Stanley Cup final twice was floundering under other coaches. Not sure that there are too many other coaches that have the same ability to motivate teams.
funny how DS was labelled a bit of a dinosaur when he arrived in LA and now one would ahve to think that he may be one of the top coaches in the NHL......
too bad he is not still here in calgary.....
One of? Two cups in 3 years with absolute historic runs both times, first by being the only team to win a cup as an 8th seed (and completely dominating the whole way), and then by becoming the 4th team to come back from 0-3 down in a series. I'd say from the time he was hired in LA, there hasn't been a better coach in the league than Darryl Sutter
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James Duthie speaks with Darryl Sutter: You Don't Know Darryl
