If he is not fired, I will leave the Calgary Flames head coach, as he has a misunderstanding with his player.
AP reporting from Calgary, Alberta The Calgary Flames made a long-term commitment to head coach Darryl Sutter at the beginning of the 2022–2023 season and concluded it searching for a new voice behind the bench.
Following a dismal season, the NHL team made a significant adjustment on Monday when they let go of Sutter. Sutter was sacked eleven months after winning the Jack Adams Award as the best head coach in the NHL.
“I spoke with renowned agents who represent important players on our team, interviewed 25 players, coaches, coaching staff, and training staff, and it became clear to me that we need a new voice to guide us forward,” said Flames interim general manager and president of hockey operations Don Maloney.
The Flames dropped to fifth in the division and missed the postseason with a 38-27-17 record, one year after winning the Pacific Division and making it to the Stanley Cup playoff second round.
“The season had left the players really, really frustrated,” Maloney said at a news conference on Monday. They really think we have a squad worthy of the postseason.
Two weeks after Brad Treliving, the previous general manager of the Flames, declined a contract extension and left the team, Sutter leaves.
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The athletes of today demand a voice, and you have to listen to it, according to Maloney. “You don’t want to create the impression that the prisoners are running the asylum, so to speak, but they had some true observations on how we should proceed.”
Throughout last season, Sutter, who was renowned for his tough, no-nonsense style, came under fire.
Jonathan Huberdeau’s output fell by 60 points in 2021–22 after he tied for second in league scoring with 115 points while a member of the Florida Panthers.
“Darryl is a very sharp man with a good hockey mind,” Maloney remarked. He is a tough, hard-working, and firm coach, and that kind of coaching has a shelf life. It seemed, quite obviously, that his time with us had come to an end.
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Matthew Tkachuk declared he would not sign a long-term contract in Calgary; thus, Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar were traded to the Flames in a sensational deal last summer.
Huberdeau inked a $115 million, eight-year agreement that starts next season shortly after being acquired.
“We underachieved, and generally speaking, underachieving does not make for happy days,” Maloney remarked. We are hopeful that when we appoint the next manager and coach, we will approach things differently because many of our players—including some of those who had challenging seasons this year—will be starting over.
Reports also surfaced about Nazem Kadri’s dissatisfaction. The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, and he subsequently signed a seven-year, $49 million contract as a free agent.
Maloney claims that since the league has changed, the squad must improve at integrating young players.
“A lot of the younger players now, at 18, can play in the NHL at a younger age and believe they should be there,” said Maloney. “They’ve had instruction and grooming.
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