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Should Darryl Sutter be in the Hockey Hall of Fame?
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Folks, former Calgary Flames head coach and general manager Darryl Sutter released a book this past week, which he wrote with Justin Bourne.
After we chatted with Sutter about his book and his coaching career, we spent some time pondering his legacy in the game. He’s the only full-time coach in Flames history to have multiple tenures, and he’s one of just two people to serve as both coach and GM for any length of time – the other was Doug Risebrough.
Moreover, in the history of the Flames franchise, the list of more important non-players is pretty short. When we broke down the Top 50 Flames in 2022 – the 50th anniversary of the franchise – the only non-player ranked higher than Sutter was Cliff Fletcher. It cannot be understated how crucial the 2004 Stanley Cup Final appearance was to the franchise’s future, on and off the ice.
We know Sutter was extremely important to the Flames. But have his career bonafides pushed him into Hockey Hall of Fame inductee territory?
Sutter would be eligible as a Builder. The Hall of Fame defines what’s weighed when assessing someone being a Builder inductee on their site: “Coaching, managerial or executive ability, or ability in another significant off-ice role, sense of fair play, character and contributions to his or her organization or organizations and to the game of hockey in general.”
After retiring due to injuries following the 1986-87 season, here’s how Sutter’s coaching career went:
- 1987-88: Assistant coach, Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
- 1988-89: Head coach, Saginaw Hawks (IHL)
- 1989-90: Head coach, Indianapolis Ice (IHL)
- 1990-92: Associate coach, Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
- 1992-95: Head coach, Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
- 1997-02: Head coach, San Jose Sharks (NHL)
- 2002-06: Head coach, Calgary Flames (NHL) (Also general manager, 2003-10)
- 2011-17: Head coach, Los Angeles Kings (NHL)
- 2020-23: Head Coach, Calgary Flames (NHL)
As a head coach, Sutter won the Turner Cup (the IHL’s championship) in 1990, and won two Stanley Cups with Los Angeles (2012 and 2014). He also reached the 1992 Stanley Cup Final (with Chicago, as an associate coach) and 2004 Stanley Cup Final (with Calgary, as head coach and general manager). He won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach in 2021-22 while with Calgary after previously being a finalist for the award in 2003-04 during his prior Flames stint.
But how does Sutter stack up on the all-time coaching leaderboard?
He’s coached 1,479 regular season games (10th) and 182 playoff games (6th). The coaches with more regular season games are Scotty Bowman, Paul Maurice, Lindy Ruff, Joel Quenneville, Barry Trotz, John Tortorella, Al Arbour, Peter Laviolette and Ken Hitchcock. Howman, Arbour and Hitchcock are in the Hall of Fame. (While active coaches are technically eligible to be inducted as Builders, by convention very few active coaches have been inducted.)
He’s won 77 regular season games (10th) and 94 playoff games (tied for 7th). The same nine coaches have more regular season wins.
He’s won two Stanley Cups. The coaches with more Cups – as in, three or more – are Bowman, Toe Blake, Hap Day, Dick Irvin, Punch Imlach, Arbour, Glen Sather, Tommy Ivan, Pete Green, Jack Adams and Quenneville. Bowman, Imlach, Arbour, Sather and Ivan were inducted into the Hall as Builders, while Blake, Day, Irvin and Adams were inducted as Players.
Finally, only four coaches have more regular season games coached than Sutter at a higher winning percentage: Bowman, Quenneville, Laviolette and Hitchcock.
What do you think? Does Darryl Sutter’s coaching resume merit Hall of Fame consideration? Let us know in the comments!
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