CALGARY – Darryl Sutter says he has “unfinished business” as he returns to coach the Calgary Flames.
The Flames announced late Thursday night that they had fired head coach Geoff Ward and hired Sutter to replace him.
Calgary’s general manager Brad Treliving says he feels the move was necessary because the team had been inconsistent and was under performing this season.
Treliving says Sutter’s clarity and ability to maximize player performance will help the team that has gone 11-11-2 so far this year.
The move marks Sutter’s return to the team he coached from 2002 to 2006, and served as general manager for from 2003 to 2010. Under his guidance, Calgary went to the Stanley Cup final in 2004, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a seven-game series, and Sutter says he is intent on winning the Cup now that he has returned to the Flames.
Sutter is expected to join the team Monday after going through the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Assistant coach Ryan Huska will run the bench when the Flames face the Oilers in Edmonton on Saturday and host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2021.