Sutter signs two-year contract as Flames coach

Darryl Sutter signed a two-year contract as coach of the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

The contract begins in the 2023/24 season and runs until 2024/25.

Sutter, 64, won the Jack Adams Award for Best NHL Coach last season when he led Calgary to first place in the Pacific Division (50-21-11). The Flames lost to the Edmonton Oilers in five games in the second round of the Western Conference.

“When I came here, I promised we’d fix it,” Sutter said. “It’s not just a one-year thing. It’s the long haul. … To become a legitimate contender you have to do it over and over again to get there. The way you do that, you have. To build that, you have to establish an identity or a playstyle or a core group of players who have a long-term commitment. All of those things are part of it, and I think in a way I feel like I have a responsibility in being a steward.”

Calgary is 65-36-11 in the regular season since Sutter was hired on March 5, 2021.

“I think we’re lucky to have him,” said Brad Treliving, Flames general manager. “I think he’s one of the best coaches in the game here today. I think he has and continues to have a Hall of Fame career. The structure he’s introducing, his ability to drive teams… it was a given. Darryl and I talked about it and worked on it this summer, glad it was completed. Very deserved. … For me it was a no-brainer.

Prior to being hired by the Flames in 2021, Sutter had not coached in the NHL since 2016-17 with the Los Angeles Kings, whom he led to two Stanley Cup championships (2012, 2014).

Sutter is in his second stint with the Flames and served as coach from 2002-06. He was a finalist for the Jack Adams in 2003-04 when he led Calgary to third place in the Northwest Division and their first playoff appearance in eight seasons. He led the Flames to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals that season when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“I said the day we brought him in that structure and accountability are the two things that for me are Darryl’s business cards,” Treliving said. “… He has the ability to maximize players’ abilities. He’s done it in every place he’s been. He’s done it throughout his career. To me, your team takes on the personality of your coach, and I think our team did that.”

Sutter is 699-503-94 with 101 ties in 19 seasons with the Flames, Kings, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks and ranks 11th in terms of wins. He’s 94-88 in the postseason, tied for sixth-most wins.

“I think of Brad first and I’ve been talking about it all summer,” Sutter said. “The plan was that we take care of our players. Talk to him and [Flames owner N. Murray Edwards] and it’s not that hard to find out. It’s still the basis of what I said when I came here. Great team. good city Good owners. It wasn’t that hard.”

The Flames have signed a defender MacKenzie Weegar on Friday to one Eight-year, $50 million contract; He was acquired along with Forward in a trade with the Florida Panthers on July 22 Jonathan Huberdeau for forward Matthew Tkachuk. Huberdeau signed an eight-year, $84 million deal with Calgary on Aug. 4 ($10.5 million average annual value).

Calgary also lost forward Johnny Gaudreauwho signed a seven-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency.

“I really like our team,” said Sutter. “Honestly, it’s a mature group who certainly understand the whole process a lot better than they did two years ago. And that means there’s been a lot of turnover in this group, which obviously we didn’t exactly expect to happen so quickly, right? I still feel like the foundation is there and it takes time because the foundation and the type of player are changing.

Aaron Vickers, independent correspondent for NHL.com, contributed to this report