The Calgary Flames fired head coach Geoff Ward on Thursday night, replacing him with former coach and two-time Stanley Cup champion Darryl Sutter.
The Flames routed the Ottawa Senators, 7-3, at home on Thursday night, but Ward’s fate was apparently sealed after going 11-11-2 to start the season. He was officially hired in the offseason after replacing Bill Peters on an interim basis last season.
Overall, Ward was 35-26-5 in his first NHL head coaching stint.
Sutter has been a head coach for 18 seasons in the NHL, with the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Flames and the Los Angeles Kings. Sutter led the Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, playing a puck-possessing system that made the Kings one of the league’s top defensive teams.
He has a career 634-467-101-83, including 107-73-15-15 as head coach of the Flames from 2002-06, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. Sutter has had winning seasons in 15 of his 18 years behind an NHL bench as head coach. His last NHL job was as an advisor to the Anaheim Ducks.
This is the fifth head coach hired by GM Brad Treliving since taking over the Flames in 2014. The Flames are currently two points out of the final playoff spot in the West Division, although the Montreal Canadiens — who fired their head coach last week — have two games in-hand.