[News] Darryl Sutter out as Head Coach. Maloney presser at 11:30 AM MT

[Calgary4LIfe]

Well, things didn't work out here. It looked like it was about to last season, but this team doesn't have the horses to really compete anyway, and Darryl is the coach you get to try and win a cup with when the team is set. That's how I feel about it anyway. Maybe the third time will be the charm in 5 or 6 seasons from now? LoL


Really curious what direction the Flames go with both in terms of who they hire for the GM and coaching positions. Wonder which assistants stay and leave as well, and what the general direction of the team will be (i.e. rebuild, retool, compete, run it back for another year and decide then?). I guess we will all know soon enough as the pieces start coming together.

[Yeah_Baby]

sort of feel bad for Darryl Sutter, the human.
much less so for Darryl Sutter, the coach.

[droopydrew19]

Im gonna miss Chris Sutter

[bluejays]

Oh to be a fly in Beans board room. What Venn diagram is he drawing up now?

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Owner just ate $8mm. Wow.

Wonder if they negotiated a smaller payout.

Why would Sutter do that?

[Strange Brew]

Surprised but not shocked. This organization loves the quick k fix.

Not disappointed either, looking forward to a coach where I don’t cringe every time they address the media.

Darryl is an all time coach and wish he had finished his coaching career differently. He just doesn’t play real well with others which in a big organization just doesn’t really work. IMO he still knows how to coach hockey and those who characterized his approach as “try harder” or dump and chase are off base.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Big mistake. As usual with this org.

I'm one of the majority that thinks this is the best move they could have made.

When you're such a jerk that you turn the fans, players, other coaches and management against you, it doesn't matter if you're good at the coaching part of it. Moreso when the team you coached is a failure.


Why do you think it's a huge mistake?

[burn_this_city]

Feels like Sutter lost the room mid season with the baffling roster decisions. Always playing washed up vets and letting the goaltending sewer the season. Still believe they could have made the playoffs with better deployment and playing the backup goalie and rookies more.

[Doctorfever]

Unfortunately, it had to happen.

Sutter is a tough, demanding coach. I am ok with players who make as much as they do being held accountable for their play, but it that style has a shelf life, and now is the time.

I really wish the Flames had made the playoffs this year just to see what this team and coach really had, but regardless (even if they won the cup), this should have been end of the road for Sutter.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Big mistake. As usual with this org.

No kidding. Who in their right mind would want to work for an organization like this?

I guess if you want to get paid to not work, it could be appealing.

[Jiggy_12]

Two things can be true:

1. Sutter was no longer beneficial for this franchise. Despite the incoming extension, keeping him was just loss-chasing.

2. I feel bad for him. I think he had his best intentions and did do a really good job for a season and a half. He was the coach we needed at the time. for it to end this way, really sucks for a guy who was happy being retired on his farm.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Wow. Surprised they did this.
My general reaction is positive. I don't think all the blame sits with Sutter but he sure didn't seem to be helping things with some of his antics. The team had a negative cloud the entire year that he fed into.
Hopefully this is a start of a new beginning for this franchise.

Edit: Also relieved that he will not have influence over player personnel decisions going forward.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Sandman

The guys on the radio suggested they hire Andrew Brunette….

I'm not against it, so long as they keep Huska et al to handle the defensive structure because Brunette doesn't have the skills to coach that part of the game. Brunette learned a lot under coach Q and carried the Panthers pretty far, but he was also unable to adapt his team's style of play in the playoffs and they were out pretty quick after facing a more experienced Lightning team.

I think he's in the mix along with Love and maybe a few others, but one thing is for sure...no more older coaches. Find someone young and ready to make the next step to go along with a youth movement in the core.

This is the way.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Probably for the best.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Feels like Sutter lost the room mid season with the baffling roster decisions. Always playing washed up vets and letting the goaltending sewer the season. Still believe they could have made the playoffs with better deployment and playing the backup goalie and rookies more.

Yeah, not playing rookies. Like Pelletier undressed for 2 weeks straight made no sense, especially on a mediocre team with no jump and slow starts.
The day Coronato signed, he should have been in there.

[Goriders]

I fugured it was 50/50 so not really surprised.

I think Sutter added a lot of value last year in terms of building structure and identity. This year was a train wreck though and when there’s a train wreck in pro sports someone is usually held accountable.

Hopefully it’s not just Sutter and some of the players are also held to account.

[JohnnyB]

No coach. No, GM. No clear direction.

Sutter leaving may well be for the best, but it feels like this has been the Flames since the final horn sounded on game 82 and the pistol fired to start the offseason.

[iggyloob12]

That's quite the golden handshake into retirement!

[Sandman]

Hire Coach Q!!!!

[GullFoss]

Huby and Kadri are so soft, they couldn't even handle one season with Sutter. Most unlikeable franchise players in my lifetime.

This franchise is a complete joke.