Flames fire Geoff Ward, bring back Darryl Sutter as new head coach

This just in, the Calgary Flames have fired head coach Geoff Ward, replacing him with former longt-time Flames coach Darryl Sutter.

The official announcement:

The Flames have named Darryl Sutter as head coach after relieving Geoff Ward of his coaching duties.

Sutter coached the Los Angeles Kings from 2011-2017, winning the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. He has been a head coach in the NHL for 18 seasons with Chicago, San Jose, Calgary and Los Angeles, accumulating a 634-467-101-83 record which ranks him 17th in NHL history for wins and 12th in Stanley Cups won. He has had winning seasons in 15 of his 18 years behind an NHL bench as head coach. Most recently he was named as an advisor to the Anaheim Ducks coaching staff in July of 2019. 

This is Sutter's second stint with the Flames after originally being named as the teams head coach on December 28, 2002 and coaching through July 12, 2006. He was also the team's General Manager from April 11, 2003 through December 28, 2010. In his first full season with Calgary, Darryl guided the Calgary Flames to game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004 after defeating Vancouver, Detroit and San Jose. He had a winning record all three seasons behind the Flames bench with a 107-73-15-15 record.

Sutter played eight NHL seasons all with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1979-1987, scoring 161 goals and 118 assists for 279 points and 288 penalty minutes in 406 regular season games, in addition to his 43 points in 51 playoff games. Darryl and his wife Wanda have three children, Brett, Jessie and Christopher and currently reside in Viking, Alberta.

And if you think Sutter is just in Calgary for the season on an interim basis, think again. TSN hockey insider PIerre LeBrun reports that Sutter has signed a three year contract with the team.

Check it out:

Buckle up for the next chapter in "The Sutter Era" of Calgary Flames hockey.