The Darryl Sutter effect: Assessing the aftermath

[redmile04]

Sorry if already posted but thought i would share, especially with recent discussions about how he didn't practice 3 on 3. Weird analogy i know but i feel like we got a player past his prime in his re-hiring vs the original Sutter ( 04 cup run/2 kings cups.. to the disaster we got last year).. Jordan Bulls vs Jordan Wizards or something along that line.. times have also changed.... warning a bit of a depressing read, especially this piece:

Knowing Sutter would be returning as head coach for at least one more season, Matthew Tkachuk requested a trade and left town and Johnny Gaudreau took the Flames to the final hour before decided to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency.

It’s impossible not to question whether or not the Flames’ two best forwards since Jarome Iginla would still be Calgary Flames if it weren’t for Darryl Sutter.

https://flameforthought.com/2023/09/...algary-flames/

[redmile04]

Very hypothetical but how do you all think he would have fared if hired in 18/19 instead of Peters? Potentially better, 5 years ago a bit of difference in head coaching styles as he just came off a very successful run with the Kings, we wouldnt have the Bill Peters fiasco, had a damn good team as per winning the west, maybe better in playoffs with Sutter? No free agents leaving/wanting out as the contract situation was different then.. etc

I mean it couldnt have gone any worse than it did in his actual return...

[Manhattanboy]

I bought right into the unfinished business. Thought it was a great move and that Darryl could lead us to the promised land.

What the hell happened?

[monkeyman]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I bought right into the unfinished business. Thought it was a great move and that Darryl could lead us to the promised land.

What the hell happened?

Some of the moves he made as GM totally undermined the team and its future. maybe his unfinished business was to finish destroying the team.

I was all for the Sutter hire. He talked about players and how important it was for them to develop, not only on the ice but prepare them for life outside of hockey and stuff like that. Then he turns around and treats people/players with utter disrespect.
He's a smart guy and hockey coach, but he couldn't seem to get past his pettiness and biases. Maybe the game hasn't passed him by, but I think society has. That's not how you treat people.

[Jiri Hrdina]

He was fired in part for how he treated support staff
An embarrassing end to an amazing career

[TheSquatch]

I thought bringing in Sutter for a season or two made sense, a solid coach and a Calgary hockey god. I thought the extension was silly and dangerous, given his tenure at other destinations - how things finished for him in LA should have been a serious warning bell here.

It was as though he became one of his characters... lost his sense of humor and was trying to out-bluster the media, taking the "smartest guy in the room" approach quite seriously.

One of my favorite Darryl moments from years ago, like around the 04 run, was after a game where the Flames lost, and a media guy asked Darryl what the Flames did wrong and he said "Geez I thought we played great, we just didn't win." and I didn't see that kind of humor or positivity out of him this time, not with the media anyway. It was all gruff and squinty-eyed frustration this time around.

Remember that Johnny nearly left when Hartley was here - I think Hartley's removal and Johnny's then re-signing were directly connected, and I think something similar occurred here last year, Lindholm, Backlund, Kadri, Huberdeau, Toffoli... nobody was having fun (Tkachuk, Gaudreau skipped it cuz they could).

So yeah, there's pieces to pick up, hopefully Huska can find some fun and some wins and get the thing on track.

[Hackey]

I'm curious how much of the decision to bring back Daryl was Trelivings and how much of it was ownerships.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Hackey

I'm curious how much of the decision to bring back Daryl was Trelivings and how much of it was ownerships.

Ownership.

When it all went south, Treliving got the hell out of Dodge.

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He was fired in part for how he treated support staff
An embarrassing end to an amazing career

Yeah, it's one thing to be a dick to the players in an attempt to get them ready for games. But to be a jackass to arena and support staff? He's not their boss. He should have no say in how they do their jobs. Hopefully he was told to #### off more than once.

Sutter had a long leash given his success in '04 and the respectability he brought back to the franchise afterwards. But IMO his legacy here will be tarnished after he won that Jack Adams. Always said it was like he was off his meds during the Phaneuf trade, but seems he did the same after the JA award ceremony. Good riddance.

The best revenge the players can have is to go on to have a great season and everyone pointing to how the change in coaching was the reason.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I bought right into the unfinished business. Thought it was a great move and that Darryl could lead us to the promised land.

What the hell happened?

According to Rhett, winning the Jack Adams was the worst thing that could've happened to him. That plus no captain so there was no one guy feeling he had the authority to approach him and make him back off etc.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Probably the same support staff who went out of their way to be kind to his son.

[Spurs]

Sutter seems to be an easy scapegoat for things that weren't his problem or was wrong of him to do.

Sad that people have let this sour what should be looked at as a Flames legend and a guy that got more out of this team that anyone else would have.

[FlamesAddiction]

Honestly, I think Sutter had the best intentions and thought he would get the Flames a Cup, but then after losing both Gaudreau and Tkachuk, he became bitter. At that point, I think he took out his frustration on the team.

[NegativeSpace]

No one doubts his talent as a coach. However talented he was, the toxic atmosphere he created had to be fixed, starting with his removal. That is no way to run a modern organization.

Yet, there were obvious things that needed fixing last year that simply weren’t worked on. The power play, over time, the line ups, trying some other younger players … those were all obvious things to work on or attempt while over the season, and he didn’t as the coach. The team didn’t win more than two in row for a long time. Failing to attempt address the deficiencies in the season alone could be grounds to let him go regardless of his talent.

I’m not saying he needed to solve them but at least try. The fact they didn’t practice overtime last year was a huge question mark.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Spurs

Sutter seems to be an easy scapegoat for things that weren't his problem or was wrong of him to do.

Sad that people have let this sour what should be looked at as a Flames legend and a guy that got more out of this team that anyone else would have.

How is anyone but Sutter responsible for how he treats people?

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

How is anyone but Sutter responsible for how he treats people?

I think people are going over the top in saying that Sutter treated people badly.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I bought right into the unfinished business. Thought it was a great move and that Darryl could lead us to the promised land.

What the hell happened?

Maybe it was unfinished business wrecking the Flames after he was fired prematurely from the GM position before he could finish the job.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Spurs

I think people are going over the top in saying that Sutter treated people badly.

He was fired for it
What evidence do you have that he wasn’t treating people poorly

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

He was fired for it
What evidence do you have that he wasn’t treating people poorly

I am going off the reports we heard. For example the comments from Weegar in the interview he did on Backlund and many people thought that was Daryl going over the line with him.

I haven't heard any reports, verified or unverified, that he went over the lines. Players whining about him being tough is more likely to be on weak players we have.

If I read more evidence of actual wrongdoing I would change my opinion but I haven't seen it.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Spurs

I think people are going over the top in saying that Sutter treated people badly.

Captain Sutter played far too many head games and caused the loss of our best two players.