As people continue poking holes in Darryl Sutter’s legacy, I thought it’d be fitting to revisit one of the more head-scratching stories from his tenure: our 2003 2nd-round pick (39th overall), Tim Ramholt.
Sutter rarely valued 2nd-rounders, so there was genuine excitement about finally holding onto one and watching Ramholt’s development. Fast-forward to the 2007–08 season - Tim finally gets the call to play his first NHL game.
What happens? He gets a single shift. One. He’s out there for a goal against, and that’s it. Sutter, in all his wisdom, decides that’s enough to close the book. No second shift. No chance to redeem himself. No shot to prove he belonged.
That one shift, one minus, and it was over. Tim Ramholt never played another NHL game.
I can’t imagine how crushing that must have felt for him. And frankly, it’s a brutal look for the Flames. Whatever you think of Ramholt’s upside, burying a young player like that after literally one shift just reeks of Sutter’s trademark stubbornness.
The pettiness of Darryl Sutter really knew no bounds.
https://www.nhl.com/player/tim-ramholt-8470632