Is Bob Hartley the right coach for this team?

[RedMileDJ]

Originally Posted by devo22

- his comments ahead of today's Jets game have really pissed me off. Stay professional, Bob.

Coles notes or link please?

[dissentowner]

I heard that Sven will play tonight which makes his comments brilliant. If that does not light a fire under Sven's ass nothing will.

[Rerun]

When you look at the number of coaches the Flames have hired in the past 33 years (13 not counting the two interim coaches), is any coach the right coach?

Average life span for a Flames coach is about 2-1/2 years (205 games) with Bob Johnson holding the record for longest Flame coach at 400 games and Don Hay and Jim Playfair for the shortest at 68 and 82 games respectively.

Take Bob, Don, and Jim out of the equation and the average Flames coaching career is 181 games.

On that basis alone, Hartley's days are numbered.

Frankly, I'm a little tired of the revolving door coach here in Calgary.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Rerun

When you look at the number of coaches the Flames have hired in the past 33 years (13 not counting the two interim coaches), is any coach the right coach?

Average life span for a Flames coach is about 2-1/2 years (205 games) with Bob Johnson holding the record for longest Flame coach at 400 games and Don Hay and Jim Playfair for the shortest at 68 and 82 games respectively.

Take Bob, Don, and Jim out of the equation and the average Flames coaching career is 181 games.

On that basis alone, Hartley's days are numbered.

Frankly, I'm a little tired of the revolving door coach here in Calgary.

And one could argue that even Johnson was let go too soon.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by wingmaker

Yeah, and Kadri has gone from being a player with widely reported motivation issues to a key contributor.

If it wasn't obvious that was my point, and I have made it several times.

In this case, some Flames are playing the part of Don Cherry complaining about the team not playing him. But it worked out well for Kadri and hopefully will for Sven too.

[Stay Golden]

Hartley doesn't have much to work with compared to the rest of the West. Just keep in mind Feaster put this beauty of a roster together the last few seasons.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Hartley doesn't have much to work with compared to the rest of the West. Just keep in mind Feaster put this beauty of a roster together the last few seasons.

Given what he inherited, I'm not sure what you expected Feaster to do. Trade our first rounders?

[troutman]

There were plenty of times Hartley pushed Tanguay, and when the coach was fired, the player was a bit relieved.

“At the time, he was hard on me and now I’m later in my career, I understand what he was trying to do,” Tanguay said about his new head coach with the Calgary Flames.

“I’m appreciative. He gave me that chance out of junior. To be an NHL player, there is a lot of work that needs to be put in. He’s put many hours in to help me be an NHL player.”

So years after they parted, Tanguay would be struggling and he picked up the phone and asked Hartley for advice.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/05/31...helped-tanguay

[Flamesguy_SJ]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Is it too much to ask for the Flames, now in their first official year of rebuilding, to conduct a wide reaching interview process for a General Manager and Coach that have no current affiliation with the organization to help guide this rebuild?

That's my problem here.

All the decisions are made through the lens of the previous terrible decisions having been made.

The lineage goes back to Darryl Sutter now. Is it too much to ask for a clean break; a fresh start?

Go outside the organization and interview candidates. See what is out there for GMs and coaches. Just TALK to them and see if maybe there is a better alternative to a guy who got the job based on his 'interim' basis, and a coach who is that guy's kids Godfather who hadn't coached an NHL game in nearly a decade? Can the Flames at least try something that doesn't reek from the outset?

Bring in a new GM and Coach. If they have the same problems with Baertschi the current ones do now then so be it, but don't make me second guess every decision made by this group with the trailing perspective of ineptitude. I don't care about the wins and losses this season, I care about setting the franchise up for long term success. If the rumblings that they are already looking to add bigger pieces is true, the writing should be on the wall for Burke the same way it was for Davidson when Howson started to look to trade their first rounder last season. Canned before he could do any more harm.

I know he is flavour of the month right now, but if the Oilers don't pick up Regier, the Flames should be making a heavy push for him. Having a guy like that in control of trades would give me a much better feeling about the direction of the team than having Feaster pulling the trigger, even if he is a glorified yes-man at this point.

Burke might be the first step in that direction, and I hope the makeup of the front office and bench staff is completely different by next season.

That is still the one thing I can't get over about Feaster being hired: that Ken King flat out said the team didn't interview anyone else for the job after the 2010-11 season and just gave it to Feaster.

[Stay Golden]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Given what he inherited, I'm not sure what you expected Feaster to do. Trade our first rounders?

Sutter was here 3 seasons ago.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by troutman

There were plenty of times Hartley pushed Tanguay, and when the coach was fired, the player was a bit relieved.

“At the time, he was hard on me and now I’m later in my career, I understand what he was trying to do,” Tanguay said about his new head coach with the Calgary Flames.

“I’m appreciative. He gave me that chance out of junior. To be an NHL player, there is a lot of work that needs to be put in. He’s put many hours in to help me be an NHL player.”

So years after they parted, Tanguay would be struggling and he picked up the phone and asked Hartley for advice.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/05/31...helped-tanguay

Good article to keep in the back of our heads at times.

When Backlund is outright benched for one, albeit brutal, shift that lead to a goal I'm left scratching my head. I'd be okay with if it he was consistent with vets. David Jones, TJ Galliardi, Glencross etc have all had brutal shifts leading to goals and weren't bump permanently on the 4th line.

Hopefully it leads to a better player.

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Sutter was here 3 seasons ago.

Ah yes, I had forgot that guys with NTCs and 3+ year contracts are easy to move and normally fetch top 10 talent.

This is not EA NHL 14, trades aren't as easy as clicking a button. I think you misunderstand what a rebuild is.

[Diemenz]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Good article to keep in the back of our heads at times.

When Backlund is outright benched for one, albeit brutal, shift that lead to a goal I'm left scratching my head. I'd be okay with if it he was consistent with vets. David Jones, TJ Galliardi, Glencross etc have all had brutal shifts leading to goals and weren't bump permanently on the 4th line.

Hopefully it leads to a better player.

We tend to have the same opinion on things so I will throw out on why I feel this is happening.

Glencross, TJ Galliardi and David Jones = not the future, when their contracts are done they will be gone or moved before the contracts expire.
Backlund, Sven = the future, time and attention is being invested in developing them the right way so they can succeed in the future.

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by Diemenz

Ah yes, I had forgot that guys with NTCs and 3+ year contracts are easy to move and normally fetch top 10 talent.

This is not EA NHL 14, trades aren't as easy as clicking a button. I think you misunderstand what a rebuild is.

Of the twenty players the Flames dressed tonight, nineteen were acquired or re signed by Feaster. This is not Darryl Sutters' team anymore. Not even close.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Stay Golden

Sutter was here 3 seasons ago.

You think another GM could have taken the aging, expensive, underachieving roster Sutter left and turned it into gold? The worst collection of under-28 talent in the league? I suppose he could have moved Iginla sooner, but King and Edwards were still in delusion-land.

[mustache ride]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

You think another GM could have taken the aging, expensive, underachieving roster Sutter left and turned it into gold? The worst collection of under-28 talent in the league? I suppose he could have moved Iginla sooner, but King and Edwards were still in delusion-land.

If Feaster didnt think it was a playoff team then why did he sell it as one? Feaster got the job strictly because he sold himself as capable of turning around this team without rebuilding. He is not a victim. All those crappy contracts and NTC that people want to bring up were good enough for him three years ago. He wasn't handcuffed by the owners, he was the one selling them the kool-aid!

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

And one could argue that even Johnson was let go too soon.

I seem to remember Johnson leaving to take a job with USA hockey, which IIRC was something he was quite passionate about. So I don't know if that was really letting a guy go moreso than letting him move to a job that was more important to him. Didn't he also have a couple of his own kids involved with USA hockey at the time too which my have influenced his desire.

I don't remember it being a situation where the Flames were trying to get rid of him. Certainly I could be dead wrong though, it's 25 plus years ago.

Dave King...that was a guy whom I think may have been let go too soon.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

And one could argue that even Johnson was let go too soon.

Badger Bob was the best coach the Flames have ever had. Even better than Darryl Sutter.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

And one could argue that even Johnson was let go too soon.

He wasn't let go, he left of his own accord.

edit: assuming "let go" means fired, which while natural may not be what you meant.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

I seem to remember Johnson leaving to take a job with USA hockey, which IIRC was something he was quite passionate about. So I don't know if that was really letting a guy go moreso than letting him move to a job that was more important to him. Didn't he also have a couple of his own kids involved with USA hockey at the time too which my have influenced his desire.

I don't remember it being a situation where the Flames were trying to get rid of him. Certainly I could be dead wrong though, it's 25 plus years ago.

Dave King...that was a guy whom I think may have been let go too soon.

Unless I missed things going on in the background, I don't remember Johnson being pushed out either. I think he left on his own to take the USA Hockey job. Was quite disappointed at the time.