Flames fire Geoff Ward, hire Darryl Sutter, signs 3 year deal

[Jetfire]

Originally Posted by motorcrosser

Now we'll see that's it's the core.

Absolutely. We'll make moves as needed in the offseason and go from there. Darryl will weed out the garbage.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I’m good with him being coach
Just keep him away from the gm chair please

Amen to this. But if you've gotta squeeze every drop of juice out of your players there's nobody better.

An anecdote, I woke my brother up for this and he asked why Sutter and not Gallant. I told him about how he ironed the Kings out around the same time frame of that core to this one.

And then I said he has a 3 year shelf life as coach and lo and behold, 3 year deal.

[oldschoolcalgary]

I mean, not really surprising, as keeping Ward, IMO, was a bit of a reach.

I thought they would at least interview people (and they may have, but certainly nothing leaked to the press about any other coaches being interviewed) in the off season.

Darryl will be interesting. He's been out of coaching for a while now, so I am not sure how he will do...but the team needed a shake up, through a trade or firing.

So we'll see how they respond...at some point just firing the coach isn't sufficient. Brad Trelving, who owns all of these coaches, needs a hard look as well as every single player on this roster...

[VANFLAMESFAN]

Originally Posted by looooob

for some reason I'm not shocked at all - to me this was the obvious option. still I get it, its a surprise tonight

Yeah, I guess if it happened yesterday during the day, the shock is less, but I’m still shocked about it being Sutter.

[Johnny Makarov]

Wow! Are we bringing this back too?

Flames in six. Show your tats!

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

I still would have preferred Boudreau or Gallant, but there is no question Darryl is an exponentially better coach than Ward and has had proven success in this league.

I just worry that he's still not the right coach for this group.

Anyone is better than Ward. At least Sutter will get them playing good defensive hockey and some good break out patterns. Then the obvious, his knowlagde of the game and the ability to adjust the lines to the flow of the game.

[nieuwy-89]

This team just got an identity again!

And will be much more entertaining game in and game out.

[atb]

Super stunned, also pretty happy with this move. I like to think that Sutter takes time off between coaching gigs to evaluate how the game has changed, kind of how he did between his time in Calgary and LA.

So was this Treliving or ownership. If it was ownership, what does this say about Trelivings tenure.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I’m good with him being coach
Just keep him away from the gm chair please

Tkachuk to Toronto for Simmons, Mikheyev, and Hyman incoming.

Seriously though... Happy with this move, but really hope Sutter does not end up as GM.

[Flame On]

Seems a popular thread.

[Ashasx]

I wonder if we're going to hear Carcillo's Darryl story now.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I know what he wants. I also know what Johnny does. he works hard when the spirit strikes, and sometimes he doesn’t. Huselius and Tanguay didn’t play for him as a coach. But they weren’t that happy in Calgary.

Juice played for Darryl as coach - he hit a post in game 6 on a breakaway that would’ve sent the Flames to face Chris Pronger’s Oilers in Round 2.

Christ that was a while ago.

[Coach]

This makes me excited.

Finally get to see what this team is really made of.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

I'm totally stunned.

And happy at the same time.

Wow..........just wow.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DeluxeMoustache

What’s all this about?

They didn’t mind leaving. Huselius went UFA and Tanguay requested a trade (under the Keenan team). He did come back to play for Brent S though. Not sure if he thought that was a good decision.

[Mr.Coffee]

This is the right move. No question. Great move by the Flames.

[Moneyhands23]

I love you all! Lol

[Calgary4LIfe]

There are a lot of players on Calgary that fit with what most people assume as "Sutter Players" - hopefully this is going to turn Bennett's career around too.


I don't think for a second that Gaudreau is going to have an issue playing in his system. Sutter values having a fast transition.


What we all can agree on 100% with is that a Sutter-coached team is a well coached team that looks after their own end well. This team has been bleeding chances continuously for far too long. Always the "Best defence on paper" (well, used to be anyway) that never got much accomplished. I think Sutter is going to fix that for sure.


I remember hearing him break-down the Flames on his short stint as an analyst in the Gulutzan era, and he specifically stated how the Flames absolutely needed to have a faster transition. I will be surprised if he changes his mind.


Sutter is an elite coach. He has a very good track record of turning a team around. I believe in this team. I think this team has been coached terribly for years now, and the 'rot' was starting to set-in. I think Darryl will really rejuvenate this club.


I also think that he will make Monahan a much more effective player. Monahan has the size now - he has really bulked up since the draft as we all can see, but I think he doesn't use his size effectively. Sutter has a knack for getting players comfortable in that area. Remember Regehr when he was first playing for the Flames? Yeah, me neither.. until Sutter got a hold of him and turned him into the "Tunnel of Death".


Sutter loves speed, hard work, skill along with toughness. He will come in, tell everyone where they are in the lineup, how they will contribute, lay out the x's and o's, and expect them to in return to provide him with effort. Those that don't do it, will get benched. He did it to Iginla, and he most certainly would do it to any current player on the Flames right now.


I have long argued that Sutter is the exact coach this team needs right now. They need to stop being so sloppy defensively and in the neutral zone, they need to play with more speed, they need to play with more toughness (they aren't a weak team - but they play weak).



It may take a few weeks, but I bet this team gets turned around this season. Hopefully it will be in time to sneak-in as a low seed, and just go on a spree of upsetting the top seeds around the league


I am damn excited now.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by blankall

Tkachuk to Toronto for Simmons, Mikheyev, and Hyman incoming.

Seriously though... Happy with this move, but really hope Sutter does not end up as GM.

not tonight ....please

[burn_this_city]

Hopefully he can pull them together and get them to believe again.