In Calgary, what’s old is new again. Calgary Flames general manager (GM) Brad Treliving unceremoniously dumped his head coach Geoff Ward in favour of old-school bench boss, former Flames GM and one time Calgary head coach, Darryl Sutter.
So how will Sutter and his old-school coaching style play out in Calgary? I don’t know, but as they say, I’ll buy the popcorn — let’s sit back and enjoy the show.
The Old-School Defined
Treliving seems to think Sutter’s approach will go over spectacularly well, saying in an introductory press conference for Sutter that he “is one of the game’s greatest coaches.” Foreshadowing what may be in store for Cowtown skaters he said that with Sutter, he was sending, “a clear message to the players — we need urgency.”
So, what exactly is coming the Flames’ way once Sutter gets to town? The old-school coaching style is based on the belief that when rewards don’t produce high performance in an athlete, then discipline, humiliation, embarrassment, public shaming, anger and fear will. Players who are belittled and abused both verbally and even physically will eventually deliver results. And if they don’t they can be relegated easily to the minor leagues.
But Just How Old-School is Sutter?
Interviewed on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, the one-time Carolina Hurricanes’ captain Justin Williams, who also played during his career on…
