[Rumour] Backlund leaning towards not re-signing with Flames

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

I got the impression that Sutter saw a problem in the room, ran out of his old tricks, and decided to try to make himself the enemy in an attempt to gel the players against him. It didn't work and they just got sad instead.

No one got sad.

The way people talk its like players are not allowed to be human and get upset when put in a negative environment and treated like trash.

The problem in the room started acted out and got himself fired and 8 million dollars. Plain and simple.

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by Yamer

It could be the translation, but the last line quoted almost gives the impression it went deeper. Have to wonder if the alleged rift between Sutter and Treliving trickled throughout the staff/players and there were some camps.

Even in the dressing room, you would have to think guys such as Lucic, Toffoli, and Lewis were Team Sutter. Leadership types now out of the organization.

Sutter was part of the problem, but the more that trickles out it sounds as if it was toxic across the board.

This is a big one for me that is telling.

Sutter, Toffoli, Lucic, Lewis are no longer on the team. One way or another. Flames took no time in trading Toffoli away while they are taking a "wait and see" approach with Lindholm, Hanifin, Backlund etc. I think it's pretty clear evidence at this point. I think Conroy has tried to take decisive action towards the locker room and its direction towards the future as he has tried to rid the team of the potential "cancers".

[GullFoss]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm 100% not a Sutter apologist. His style had obviously worn thin and he made some very strange moves this season. But that "taking a s**t" business - that baffled me as far as how much outrage there was. It was so obviously tongue in cheek and not a reflection on Huberdeau at all.

Yeah, it was clearly directed at the media because if it was an injury, Sutter isn't going to disclose that in order to limit the opposing team targeting the player's injury. And as a result, he can't disclose either way. So why did the media ask a question that you know Sutter can't answer? Stupid questions get stupid answers. And you can say it was immature of Sutter or unbecoming of him or whatever. But it was obvious that the comment wasn't about Huberdeau at all.

The Pelletier comment was the same thing. Sutter hates when the media asks about individual players. So again, the comment was directed at the media and wasn't about Pelletier. Behind the scenes, apparently Sutter was very supportive of Pelletier.

The fact that certain players on the team both (1) knew what Sutter was doing and (2) then insinuated that Sutter directed these comments at Huberdeau and Pelletiir are indicative of a group of players who

(1) have thin skin and lack maturity
(2) are of weak moral character
(3) are more interested in tarnishing Sutter than looking inwards and realizing their garbage play is their own fault.

I have never seen players actively do more to get a coach fired than what these players did through the media and behind the scenes. And if they do that to a coach they don't like, what are they doing to other players on the team they don't like? And the reasons above are why I have little to no respect for the players who did this. And little confidence in these players going forward. I can see people like that being super toxic.

It's really sad to see rumors of players of high character - toffoli, lucic, Backlund, Lindholm, Hanifin - look for the exits. While we can make individual narratives for each of them, at some point it's hard not to think the flames have a major culture problem on their hands. And it's not Sutter.

[Paulie Walnuts]

The Pelletier comment was pre planned by Sutter and a dig at management making him play the player. Thats why they sent John Bean out to his press conferences so his boss could watch he wasn't doing things again.

[Ashasx]

Whether these comments by Sutter were meant to be digs at the media or management - neither scenario is acceptable. They came at the expense of the players, and it contributed to Sutter losing the room.

The players saw the comments about Huberdeau leaving the game as disrespectful. The players see it as a guy trying to play through an injury. It's not the appropriate time for a joke.

And the less said about the comments after Pelletier's first game, the better. The players have even acknowledged that this was the wrong thing to say.

I'm not even a fan of this group of players. Outside of a couple players, I wouldn't be sad to see any of them traded. But Sutter did himself no favours.

[Camronius]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

Huberdaeau was injured and left the bench.
After the game Salim asked what happened to Huby. Sutter never talks about injuries. So he very sarcastically says what he said. It was a shot at Salim for asking, what Sutter thought, was a stupid question. It was not a shot at Huby

Worth mentioning, Sutters intolerance of Salim was really evident throughout the season. A lot of pressers he fired shots at Salim in different ways.

I noticed it many times throughout the season. It was so bad I went on a google hunt trying to figure out who this reporter was. I wouldn't have known his name otherwise.

I noticed in early pressers Salim was guilty of framing questions in a way that weren't really questions. He would construct a narrative and then ask Sutter to confirm, which always drew out some sort of aggressive or passive aggressive response from Sutter.

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Yeah, it was clearly directed at the media because if it was an injury, Sutter isn't going to disclose that in order to limit the opposing team targeting the player's injury. And as a result, he can't disclose either way. So why did the media ask a question that you know Sutter can't answer? Stupid questions get stupid answers. And you can say it was immature of Sutter or unbecoming of him or whatever. But it was obvious that the comment wasn't about Huberdeau at all.

The Pelletier comment was the same thing. Sutter hates when the media asks about individual players. So again, the comment was directed at the media and wasn't about Pelletier. Behind the scenes, apparently Sutter was very supportive of Pelletier.

The fact that certain players on the team both (1) knew what Sutter was doing and (2) then insinuated that Sutter directed these comments at Huberdeau and Pelletiir are indicative of a group of players who

(1) have thin skin and lack maturity
(2) are of weak moral character
(3) are more interested in tarnishing Sutter than looking inwards and realizing their garbage play is their own fault.

I have never seen players actively do more to get a coach fired than what these players did through the media and behind the scenes. And if they do that to a coach they don't like, what are they doing to other players on the team they don't like? And the reasons above are why I have little to no respect for the players who did this. And little confidence in these players going forward. I can see people like that being super toxic.

It's really sad to see rumors of players of high character - toffoli, lucic, Backlund, Lindholm, Hanifin - look for the exits. While we can make individual narratives for each of them, at some point it's hard not to think the flames have a major culture problem on their hands. And it's not Sutter.

Clearly. That's the most obvious conclusion one can arrive to after all of the anecdotal evidence.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

Huberdaeau was injured and left the bench.
After the game Salim asked what happened to Huby. Sutter never talks about injuries. So he very sarcastically says what he said. It was a shot at Salim for asking, what Sutter thought, was a stupid question. It was not a shot at Huby

This makes sense to me, it was a shot at the media but collateral damage was done to the player and team and stirred up more than it should have.

[Bandwagon Surfer]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Yeah, it was clearly directed at the media because if it was an injury, Sutter isn't going to disclose that in order to limit the opposing team targeting the player's injury. And as a result, he can't disclose either way. So why did the media ask a question that you know Sutter can't answer? Stupid questions get stupid answers. And you can say it was immature of Sutter or unbecoming of him or whatever. But it was obvious that the comment wasn't about Huberdeau at all.

The Pelletier comment was the same thing. Sutter hates when the media asks about individual players. So again, the comment was directed at the media and wasn't about Pelletier. Behind the scenes, apparently Sutter was very supportive of Pelletier.

The fact that certain players on the team both (1) knew what Sutter was doing and (2) then insinuated that Sutter directed these comments at Huberdeau and Pelletiir are indicative of a group of players who

(1) have thin skin and lack maturity
(2) are of weak moral character
(3) are more interested in tarnishing Sutter than looking inwards and realizing their garbage play is their own fault.

I have never seen players actively do more to get a coach fired than what these players did through the media and behind the scenes. And if they do that to a coach they don't like, what are they doing to other players on the team they don't like? And the reasons above are why I have little to no respect for the players who did this. And little confidence in these players going forward. I can see people like that being super toxic.

It's really sad to see rumors of players of high character - toffoli, lucic, Backlund, Lindholm, Hanifin - look for the exits. While we can make individual narratives for each of them, at some point it's hard not to think the flames have a major culture problem on their hands. And it's not Sutter.

It really does not matter what you think of the employees. A managers job is to manage their employees. If they fail to manage their employees, they have failed as a manager. When your management style is not working with your employees, it is your job to figure out what works, and change your management style to be successful at your job.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by Johnny Makarov

Leadership decides on which goaltender to start? Or puts out one of the worst powerplays in the league?

No, but leadership is usually a reliable medium between the rest of the players and the coach. Leadership can tell the coach what the players need, when to back off a little, etc. Leadership can also motivate players to pull together when the going gets tough despite a tough and demanding coach.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GullFoss

Yeah, it was clearly directed at the media because if it was an injury, Sutter isn't going to disclose that in order to limit the opposing team targeting the player's injury. And as a result, he can't disclose either way. So why did the media ask a question that you know Sutter can't answer? Stupid questions get stupid answers. And you can say it was immature of Sutter or unbecoming of him or whatever. But it was obvious that the comment wasn't about Huberdeau at all.

The Pelletier comment was the same thing. Sutter hates when the media asks about individual players. So again, the comment was directed at the media and wasn't about Pelletier. Behind the scenes, apparently Sutter was very supportive of Pelletier.

The fact that certain players on the team both (1) knew what Sutter was doing and (2) then insinuated that Sutter directed these comments at Huberdeau and Pelletiir are indicative of a group of players who

(1) have thin skin and lack maturity
(2) are of weak moral character
(3) are more interested in tarnishing Sutter than looking inwards and realizing their garbage play is their own fault.

I have never seen players actively do more to get a coach fired than what these players did through the media and behind the scenes. And if they do that to a coach they don't like, what are they doing to other players on the team they don't like? And the reasons above are why I have little to no respect for the players who did this. And little confidence in these players going forward. I can see people like that being super toxic.

It's really sad to see rumors of players of high character - toffoli, lucic, Backlund, Lindholm, Hanifin - look for the exits. While we can make individual narratives for each of them, at some point it's hard not to think the flames have a major culture problem on their hands. And it's not Sutter.

I think the media ginned up those comments far more than any players did. At most I saw players responding to questions about the comments, which they never even saw in context at the time.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Clearly. That's the most obvious conclusion one can arrive to after all of the anecdotal evidence.

That wall of text pretty much confirmed Sutter is the issue even though that poster tried to prove otherwise.

Coach throws shots at players/media/management and they are the ones who have thin skin and lack maturity.

Sounds like a family member coming to defend Sutter even with all the evidence against him.

Its like people are not allowed to voice their opinion when asked by management lol.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I'm 100% not a Sutter apologist. His style had obviously worn thin and he made some very strange moves this season. But that "taking a s**t" business - that baffled me as far as how much outrage there was. It was so obviously tongue in cheek and not a reflection on Huberdeau at all.

Weird timing but Francis discussed this today on 960 and his comment was not well received in the Flames locker room and really that's the only place where the outrage truly matters. One of many poor decisions made by the head coach last season.

[Toonage]

The inference was that Huberdeau wasn't hurt, and Sutter was taking a shot at him and his play to that point.

Basically downplaying a potential injury (which turned out to be a legitimate injury)

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Weird timing but Francis discussed this today on 960 and his comment was not well received in the Flames locker room and really that's the only place where the outrage truly matters. One of many poor decisions made by the head coach last season.

One of the many poor responses by the players last season.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

One of the many poor responses by the players last season.

Probably but the head coach should have stopped acting like a child and be respectful in front of the media like 99% of head coaches not named Tortorella

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

One of the many poor responses by the players last season.

Yeah this just points to salty players who want to hang onto every possible misstep the coach makes. Just because they want him fired. We all know this feeling, when you don’t like someone you don’t give them any slack or effort in understanding. You just jump to “#### that guy”

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Probably but the head coach should have stopped acting like a child and be respectful in front of the media like 99% of head coaches not named Tortorella

It wasn't out of the blue or out of character. Sutter had been giving smart ass answers to media questions for over 20 years.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

It wasn't out of the blue or out of character. Sutter had been giving smart ass answers to media questions for over 20 years.

Not like that one, IMO

(assume this is about the taking a #### comment, not Pelletier)

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

It wasn't out of the blue or out of character. Sutter had been giving smart ass answers to media questions for over 20 years.

For example, it seemed that the Pelletier comment was a direct shot at an unfair question. the guys first game, full of special teams, only got about 7 minutes of ice. Tough to make a fair evaluation. Not Pelletiers fault but any opinion on his performance in a weird game like that wouldn't be fair to him.
Sure Sutter could have answered it that way, but as you said, he usually made smart ass comments to questions like that, immediately after a game especially.