MAJOR | An upsetting internal investigation was reportedly the reason for Sutter's firing and Brad Treliving's departure
After underachieving last year, the Flames went through massive changes in their front offices and behind their bench. While it could be argued that Brad Treliving was quite efficient in his time as the GM, there were multiple times during the year when Flames' players came out and openly criticized Darryl Sutter's job.
When Treliving left the Flames, the early reports suggested that his departure was due to the fact that he could not work alongside Sutter anymore. A recent article in the Athletic has now confirmed those reports.
Known for his 'old ways, Sutter went from being one of the top coaches in the League to the most criticized bench boss in a year:
Just one season earlier, Sutter had been the kind of leader Calgary needed, and he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year. But at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, players ripped Sutter's behaviour in exit interviews, stating they didn't see a way forward with him as coach; some reportedly threatened to ask for a trade if he remained. On May 1, when team president Don Maloney announced Sutter was out, he also acknowledged that Sutter, once tailor-made for the job, had become the poorest of fits.''�
Ryan Huska will be taking over the team's bench as soon as the next training camp. Not only will he look to take the team to its former glory, but he'll also try and get their superstars back on track. Jonathan Huberdeau, who came from the Panthers, went from the league's top winger to an average player after only a year with Sutter. Nazem Kadri also lived through a similar transformation.
With their changes and a new philosophy, can the Flames make their way back into the playoffs? Will they live up to the expectations this year?
| POLL | ||
Is Darryl Sutter's coaching career over? | ||
| Yes | 260 | 71.2 % |
| Yes in a different column | 54 | 14.8 % |
| No | 51 | 14 % |
| List of polls | ||
