Zadorov shares hilarious story about ex-Calgary Flames coach Darryl Sutter
There may not be another NHL coach quite like Darryl Sutter.
The Alberta farmboy carved out quite a career as an NHL head coach, winning two Stanley Cups with the LA Kings and serving two separate terms behind the Calgary Flames’ bench.Ā Throughout his coaching career, theĀ 68-year-old Sutter also gained a reputation for his old-school tactics and was known to be a harsh but good teacher to his players.
That was no different in Calgary, where his second term with the Flames between 2021 and 2023 spawned more than a few stories from players who he used to coach. Defenceman Nikita Zadorov was one of those players, playing under Sutter for two seasons with the Flames in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Russian defenceman appeared on the latest edition of The Cam & Strick Podcast, where he relayed a funny story about Sutter that perfectly encapsulated his coaching style just three games into Zadorov’s Flames tenure.
“I got traded from Chicago [to Calgary]… and I was not mentally ready to go and not mentally ready for Darryl’s hockey and Darryl’s team,” Zadorov said. “I was still kinda recovering from a wrist injury, and I was a little bit milking it. You know Darryl, he doesn’t like injured players… I told the trainer, ‘My wrist is really sore; you think I should be skating?’ and he said, ‘Yeah, I’ll keep you off the ice.’
“For Darryl, if you miss a practice, you’re done. I didn’t know that; nobody told me. He put me in the press box for seven games. That was probably the most miserable time in my career.”
Eventually, the six-foot-seven defenceman confronted Sutter and asked what exactly was going on. That is when the former Flames coach gave Zadorov a hug and told him he’d be playing in the next game.
Zadorov admitted that the brand of hockey that Sutter coaches can take some getting used to, and that he can be a harsh coach at times. Yet, despite all that, he said that he looks back on his time under Sutter fondly.
The lessons that Sutter taught him during those two seasons are ones that he carries around to this day.
“He was my favourite coach for sure,” Zadorov said. “You have ups and downs with him, but that was his way to teach me. He gave me a list of things he wanted to see from me every day on the ice and the way he thinks an NHL defenceman should be.
“Those tips have helped me so much through my career. I still remember them, and I still like reminding myself before every game.”
Sutter has been out of the NHL coaching game for four seasons now, but it appears he is still managing to have an effect on the players he coached. At 68, an NHL return seems a bit unlikely, as he would be the second-oldest coach in the league behind 71-year-old Rick Bowness in Columbus.