For almost two decades, Darryl Sutter was highly revered throughout the city of Calgary. The now 64-year-old nearly led the Flames organization to its second-ever Stanley Cup championship, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a series that went right down to the wire. Nearly 20 years later, that is still the closest this team has gotten to its second Cup, and it’s why many throughout the city still say “it was in.”
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Despite having nothing left to prove for his career, Sutter and the Flames shocked everyone in the hockey community when it was announced that he was returning as their head coach partway through the 2020-21 season. At the time, he claimed he had “unfinished business,” a quote that got many fans excited. Now, two years later, that is used in sarcasm when discussing his most recent tenure.
Sutter’s Heroism Quickly Sizzled Out
In his first season back behind the bench, the Flames failed to make the playoffs and had a mediocre 15-15-0 record. Despite the struggles, he didn’t get much heat from the fan base, given that he had the difficult task of taking over a team midseason. Many felt that with a training camp, he could make this group successful, and that theory proved to be right.
The Flames were fantastic in their first full season under Sutter’s watch, finishing the year with a 50-21-11 record, which marks the second-best season in franchise history. They were then able to squeak by the Dallas Stars in the first round before getting beaten rather handily by the Edmonton Oilers in Round 2. Sutter faced criticism for the first time since his return after this series, as many felt he failed to adjust his game plan throughout the series.
Despite the criticism he faced, however, Sutter was able to take home the first Jack Adams Award of his career. While the playoff exit stung, there was still plenty of optimism among the fan base that this team would be competing for a Stanley Cup once again in 2022-23. Unfortunately, that never came close to happening.
Though we didn’t hear anything about Sutter’s antics while the team was winning, stories quickly came out once they struggled. Things started on the wrong foot from the get-go, with Sutter downplaying a Jonathan Huberdeau injury that forced him to leave the bench prior to intermission, instead telling the media that his star forward “had to take a s***.”
Things didn’t get better. There were plenty of rumours from some of the NHL’s top insiders that many players, including another newcomer in Nazem Kadri, were unhappy with how things were being run. Fans started to grow tired as well, as Sutter’s stubbornness to play veterans instead of giving youth a chance rubbed many the wrong way. When he finally did choose to give a young player in Jakob Pelletier a shot, he seemingly mocked him to reporters postgame, as he pretended not to know the 22-year-old’s number when asked how he thought his NHL debut went.
There continued to be more rumours of players’ discontent, paired with some baffling personnel decisions from Sutter. Perhaps the tip of the iceberg was throwing out Nick Ritchie in the third round of a shootout in a must-win game versus the Nashville Predators. It was a confusing move given that the team’s leading scorer, Tyler Toffoli, as well as their best all-around player, Elias Lindholm, remained seated on the bench.
Things really boiled over after the season, with a number of reports coming out regarding how much the majority of the locker room despised Sutter. TSN’s Darren Dreger even mentioned he heard several players say they wouldn’t return if Sutter did. It wasn’t only the players, either, as reports indicated that the deteriorating relationship between Sutter and Brad Treliving was why the now Toronto Maple Leafs general manager (GM) chose not to sign a contract extension with the organization. By this time, the fan base had completely turned on the veteran bench boss, giving then-interim GM Don Maloney no choice but to relieve him of his duties.
Since getting fired, several players have been vocal about life under Sutter. Huberdeau called him out for his postgame comments on Pelletier, while MacKenzie Weegar admitted he told management in exit interviews that a change was needed. Nikita Zadorov said that while he personally got along with Sutter, he, too, knew a change was needed. Suffice it to say, the reports of players being unhappy in the dressing room throughout the season were correct.
Sutter Stories Still Being Revealed
Even with the stories listed above, Sutter’s legacy in Calgary has been severely tarnished. The once highly thought of man from Canada’s most iconic hockey family was one who nearly the entire fan base wanted going and celebrated on the day he was fired. While already seen as a good decision, a recent report from The Athletic proves even further how badly a change was needed.
According to the report, the Flames organization became aware of an incident in which Sutter was alleged to have hit a player on the bench during a game. Though he has since denied the allegations, there were several players and staff members interviewed. The player in question is said to have told his teammates he didn’t find the contact to have crossed a line. But it paints an even more negative image of what was already out there (from ‘Katie Strang, Julian McKenzie, Hailey Salvian: How a fiercely defiant Darryl Sutter lost the room, and his job, in Calgary,’ The Athletic, 6/16/23).
As far as hockey minds go, there are few individuals on the planet who are smarter than Sutter. There is a reason the Flames asked him to return three seasons ago, just like there was a reason he led the L.A. Kings to their first two Stanley Cup championships. That said, his old-school methods are simply not permitted in today’s society, and based on these stories, he’s only gotten worse with age.
Despite the money Sutter made this time around, you have to wonder if he wishes he never took the job to begin with. The man who just three years ago would have received thunderous applause any time he made an appearance at the Saddledome will now be thought about in a negative light by the vast majority of the fan base. It is unfortunate, but it didn’t have to happen if he could have just cut down on his erratic behaviour.
