Sutter & Sutter

Today the Calgary Flames announced the hiring of Brent Sutter to be their new head coach. They also hired Dave Lowry and Ryan McGill as the assistant coaches as well as Jamie McLennan as their new goalie coach. Brent, brother of Daryl(obviously) comes from the Devils after resigning in early June for family and personal reasons. He is the only guy with NHL experience in the group but with only 2 seasons as the Devils head coach. McGill comes from the Flames farm team, really trading places with Jim Playfair while Lowry comes from the Calgary Hitmen after 1 season behind the bench where he was snubbed for coach of the year and finally McLennan has been in the organization for the last couple of years and really just gets a promotion. This was simply the worst kept secret.

I love this move by GM Sutter, even with the lack of experience from the group, every single one of them probably would have gotten a coaching job in the league eventually. Brent in only 2 seasons has become one of the best coaches in the league and has the ability to turn this Flames team around. He has lost in the 1st round in both of his seasons but this year he was minutes away from the 2nd round and still made the playoffs without having Brodeur for 3/4 of the season. Coach Sutter will bring in systems, especially on the defensive side that the Flames were so lacking in the two seasons with Keenan. Systems and lack of communication has been the downfall for the Flames the last couple of seasons, players admitted it and Sutter will change it. McGill, Lowry and McLennan all lack experience but bring good credentials. McGill has been with the baby Flames for 3 maybe 4 seasons now and it is his time, simple as that. Lowry lead a Hitmen team last year in the WHL that at the start of the season was suppose to just compete for a playoff spot, not win their conference and end up 2 wins away from a WHL championship and a trip to the Memorial Cup. Lowry can get the best out of his players, whether that translates to the NHL is something to be seen but along with McLennan all the respect that the players in this organization have for these 2 guys, the transition shouldn't be a tough one.

All in all this is the time to make the huge change in the coaching staff, with or without experience, it has worked in other places(Blysma and Boudreau) and I'm not worried it wont work here. I have alot of confidence in this group, especially coach Sutter, I think and hope he is the key thing this team is missing to becoming a consistent elite team and competing for the Stanley Cup. I cannot wait until the season starts already!! Until then we still have the draft on Friday and free agent frenzy starting July 1st.