"I don't need that": Sutter shares who he'd vote for Coach of the Year

Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Darryl Sutter certainly acknowledges his nod as a finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s coach of the year.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he wants it.

Sutter, who earned his second career nomination and first in 18 years, would rather see it go elsewhere.

“The way I look at it is I don’t need that on my resume,” Sutter said bluntly. “Some guys do. I’d rather see young guys win it, quite honest, or guys that maybe got a raw deal somewhere like a guy like Gerard (Gallant). Got a raw deal in Florida, got a raw deal in Vegas.

“I know who I’d vote for.”

Gallant, who currently serves as coach for the New York Rangers, was nominated alongside Sutter and Florida Panthers coach Andrew Brunette. Each still has his team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I think he feels sorry for me for all the times I got fired,” Gallant said, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.

Each has a worthy resume, including Sutter.

In his second stint behind the bench in Calgary after being hired mid-season last spring, Sutter orchestrated the biggest season-over-season improvement by any team in the NHL.

“From the time Darryl came in to obviously this summer was really huge and it’s something he pushed on that, that we need to prepare to play deep and prepare to play long seasons and go into the playoffs,” said Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom, a Vezina finalist. “The structure and the way he wanted it, he can really put a stamp on it when you have a full training camp and the summer and I thought he’s done a great job with that, in the way we play.”

The Flames missed the playoffs in 2020-21 with a 26-27-3 record but captured a Pacific Division title after boasting a 50-21-11 record — sixth-best league-wide. Calgary upped its goals per game from 2.77 to 3.55, sixth-best in the league, and trimmed the goals against from 2.86 to 2.51, third-best in the NHL.

“Real good coach, and obviously the coaching staff as well has been really good,” said centre Elias Lindholm, himself nominated for the Selke as the league’s best defensive forward. “We’re all excited for them and him to be named to that prize or award. It’s good to see that the organization is doing pretty well.”

Sutter was last nominated for the Jack Adams 18 years ago when he finished third in voting in the 2003-04 season with Calgary.

He hadn’t been a head coach since leaving the Los Angeles Kings, a team he helped to two Stanley Cup titles, in 2017.

“The reason I came back, I said this lots, I watched the team lots, watched the Oilers and the Calgary lots…thought the Flames were falling behind in terms of what was going on in the division and what was going on in the league,” Sutter said. “That was the biggest reason I came back. I’ve been fortunate to be in the places I’ve been with the owners and types of teams you’d like to see have success. You get to the point where you can, not pick and choose, but don’t have to go through the process to take that position.”

Now, he finds himself a finalist for best coach and has his Calgary club in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, one game up of the Oilers in the best-of-7 series.

The Jack Adams winner will be announced June 2 during pregame shows in the Conference Finals.

“It’s not the best coach, first off,” Sutter cautioned. “If the coaches votes on the best coach everybody would see a quite bit different list the last 15 years.

“I’d take the Jennings over that any time. Any time. It means your team is a playoff team.”

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