Are There Too Many Sutters in Calgary?
September 3, 2009 by Jeanne Dupuis
Filed under Calgary Flames, NHL
I know that some people might disagree with me but I really liked Daryl Sutter as the head coach for the Calgary Flames and I was pretty disappointed when he stepped down (especially when Jim Playfair stepped up as his replacement).
I was encouraged with Mike Keenan was brought out since, after th
eir abysmal season with Playfair, I thought Iron Mike’s style might whip the boys into shape. From the outside, it looks like Keenan made Miikka Kiprusoff stressed, Dion Phaneuf weak and the locker room intense. I like the Flames’ reputation as a hard-working, aggressive team but they just seemed angry these past two seasons.
Now Sutter, who is the team’s GM, has brought his brother Brent Sutter out from the New Jersey Devils and while I want to be optimistic, I’m a little worried. First of all, just because they happen to be brothers doesn’t mean that they are the same person. The roster was a little different under Daryl and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether this new team will respond well to Brent’s slower-paced style.
Plus, there is the sibling element. I know the Sutters are close but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to be smooth sailing. Sometimes being related makes things even more emotional so we could see some potentially massive blowouts between the brothers. Hopefully, though, they will be able to work together because there is no reason why this team should be sucking the way it has in the playoffs.
image: TSN
