Sutter out as Flames head coach

Darryl Sutter’s second stint as head coach of the Calgary Flames has come to an end.

The team announced that Sutter has been relieved from his duties on Monday.

The move comes after the Flames failed to make the playoffs this past season. The team finished the regular season with a 37-28-17 record.

The team had previously parted ways with general manager Brad Treliving on Apr. 17.

"On behalf of ownership and all Calgary Flames fans, we want to thank Darryl for his cumulative years of service to the Calgary Flames and to the community at large," president John Bean said in a statement.

The 64-year-old took over as bench boss during the 2020-21 campaign and had one of the best seasons in franchise history the year after, finishing with 111 points and a Pacific Division title.

However, the Edmonton Oilers eliminated Calgary in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and an off-season of change followed in Calgary. Johnny Gaudreau departed as a free agent for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Matthew Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Flames also inked Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, $49 million deal, reigniting expectations for the team to build on its successful 2021-22 season.

After starting 5-1, Calgary went on to drop seven straight and struggled to get out of first gear for much of the season. A Winnipeg Jets slide down the stretch of the season, coupled with the Flames winning six of eight from late March into early April, gave the club a sliver of postseason hope, but back-to-back losses to the Vancouver Canucks late in the season and the Predators on the final Monday officially sealed their fate.

Sutter finishes his second go-around in Calgary with a combined 102-63-28 record. He also coached the Flames for parts of three seasons from 2003 to 2006, helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2004 where it fell in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Viking, Alta., native won two Stanley Cups as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012 and 2014.

Sutter’s regular-season head coaching record stands at 736-530-101 in 21 NHL seasons split between the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Flames and Kings. As a player, Sutter spent eight seasons with the Blackhawks, scoring 161 goals in 406 games.

The Flames will hold a press conference later on Monday.