Darryl Sutter’s time as head coach of the Calgary Flames is officially at an end after a tumultuous season full of questionable decisions. There are plenty of opinions floating around the interwebs regarding the current state of the organization, but one thing most fans can agree on is that it felt as if Sutter’s time behind the bench was done.
Lots of his lineup decisions were scrutinized over the course of the season, but the ones that made fans really roll their eyes were regarding young players, specifically one Jakob Pelletier.
In 35 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, Pelletier scored 16 goals and 21 assists for 37 points, and he eventually got the chance to come up to the NHL and make his debut two weeks later. When Sutter was asked about the young forward’s debut, he had this to say:
Not exactly the kind of thing that gives confidence to a young, impressionable player looking to make an impact at the NHL level for a long time to come!
Luckily, Pelletier is the kind of kid to take that and roll with the punches. However, in a recent interview with former head coach of the Flames, Bob Hartley, on French language radio, Jonathan Huberdeau made some statements about the feeling within the locker room after they heard that statement.
Pelletier made it known late in the season that Huberdeau was a big help during his time at the NHL level. Even during his struggles this season, Huberdeau made it his mission to help both Pelletier and Matthew Coronato after he made his way to Calgary. Words like this from a player with Huberdeau’s experience and pedigree aren’t something that should be taken lightly.
Everyone knew that Sutter was a coach that could be a bit rough around the edges sometimes, and we’re seeing an example of that kind of coaching creating a rift in the locker room with comments like these.
