Days like today are always interesting in hockey mad cities like Calgary; people love change, new chapters, and starting a new once again.
The post mortem for another season that was deemed both a success and a failure was put to bed about eight weeks ago and it was the coaching staff that felt the icy glare of a disappointed general manager.
Darryl Sutter wanted a more hands on approach, attention to detail and accountability. Essentially he wanted himself, though in reality the last thing in the world he wanted was to step back behind the bench.
Players like Robyn Regehr were quick to grab the mic the day after Mike Keenan’s firing and suggest that his ways were part of a different era and today’s game takes a completely different approach.
With the five day overdue announcement that Canada had already digested taking place at the Saddledome today, the Calgary Flames now have a coaching staff that is very young (the youngest in team history), but also very Sutter (as in Brent and not Darryl), as well as very connected (as in the junior team’s head coach and former Flame Dave Lowry, the farm team’s coach Ryan McGill, and former backup goaltender and consultant last season Jamie McLennan).
You want detail? Brent Sutter is sure to deliver. You want a newer, fresher application to today’s NHL and you have a very young coaching staff.
You want accountability?
Lets put it this way; when the only soft touch on the coaching staff is comes by way of the prankster goaltender coach you just know 18 skaters are in for a very tough season in Calgary. Oh sure Dave Lowry was a much loved former teammate to some, but his one season at the Hitmen helm shows he demands respect and likes things done a certain way. Say “Ryan McGill” to any Flames farmhand and you might get either a shudder or a quick glance over the right shoulder. And Brent Sutter? Every bit the taskmaster of his brother and … get this one … with complete buy in for pushing the tough buttons from his general manager – about as unique a situation as you’re going to see in professional sports.
“Number one was leadership, that was very, very important,” he said. “Number two was structure and number three was detail.”
So Mr. Iginla … back checking, getting the puck deep, and not trying to score from your own zone. Heads up it’s coming.
Mr. Bertuzzi, should you get that elusive phone call … no more spinorama back passes at either blueline or skating backwards through the neutral zone all by yourself in a tribute to what back checking is supposed to be. Do that and you’re sitting down.
Mr. Phaneuf … you have four other guys on the ice that would love to help you, find them, and give them the puck, take shorter shifts, and hit the net once and a while.
Mr. Kiprusoff … a little less fishing and a little more work in the weight room please. And get ready to wear that Flames ball cap a little more this season.
Mr. Regehr … never mind … all good.
You get my point.
Darryl Sutter took the gloves off a few days after relieving Mike Keenan of his duties by singling out his core group of players as a tough group to guide from behind the bench. With his brother, one of the most sought after young minds in hockey and a known whip snapper now behind the bench it could be a rough ride for any high salary, high impact player that doesn’t show up with his work boots on.
“This is a difficult group to coach, obviously,” Darryl said. “There are star players that need a special type of coach.”
However, some of Jarome Iginla’s and Miikka Kiprusoff’s best hockey was played with Darryl behind the bench, and Dion Phaneuf was a growing machine when guided by Brent in Red Deer, so that isn’t to say that this writer is expecting any of that group to disappoint.
The big white elephant in the room; ethics, was finally broached and without much surprise it turns out there wasn’t all that much to consider. Firstly, Brent Sutter had a year to year arrangement with Lou Lamoriello to assess his intentions going forward because of the distance to his family and business interests. The Flames asked for and received permission to talk to Brent Sutter before approaching him, and as I suggested almost a month ago (The Utter Sutter) it turns out that no compensation was needed (to seek permission, compensation is no longer allowed for coaches in the new CBA).
So a new group of coaches will role up their sleeves and get to work tomorrow on a season that is a long ways down the road (or as long as you can imagine in a short off season). Roles will be defined, players will be discussed, strategies and style of play will be drawn up on the white board.
And on Friday night in Montreal with four Sutter’s at the table, TSN, Canada, and Calgary hundreds of miles away will see the Flames for what they are; a family run business with locals at the helm.
Success will yield a great story; failure a clean sweep.
Bank on the former, or should that read … bank on the farmer.
