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xmyth writes...

Closed Door Meeting!

Posted Monday | Comments 0
My sources are telling me that early indications point to Sutter firing Playfair. Details to come.
xmyth writes...

A Summer of Discontent

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I delayed posting a blog after our overtime defeat because it would be ridden with grief and emotional outbursts. Tears are not rare when it comes to me and my beloved Flames. Needless to say I am struggling to find my way again, as I commit so much to the team and their journey. However, this blog is for looking forward. I would love to be in Sutter's position right...
Regardless of what you think about Sutter, one can't help but somewhat admire his vagueness in managing the Flames. Almost every trade or signing comes without warning or anticipation, and he never makes trades for the sake of doing so. I have no idea how he keeps the media out of his office. With that in mind, as excited I was for the UFA season this year after reading...
12-14 years ago I recall Lou Lams shocking me as a diehard Devs fan, he hired Jaques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. I can recall thinking, WOW, what a move to get those types of 'names'. We all know that what happened was an unexpected cup in 1995, and actually what many forget is a 2 goal lead in the first period in the infamous "Guarantee night" in game six of the semi's ...
ddp writes...

Sutter 1997 = Lemaire 1993

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
12-14 years ago I recall Lou Lams shocking me as a diehard Devs fan, he hired Jaques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. I can recall thinking, WOW, what a move to get those types of 'names'. We all know that what happened was an unexpected cup in 1995, and actually what many forget is a 2 goal lead in the first period in the infamous "Guarantee night" in game six of the semi's ag...
ddp writes...

Sutter 2007 = Lemaire 1993

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
12-14 years ago I recall Lou Lams shocking me as a diehard Devs fan, he hired Jaques Lemaire and Larry Robinson. I can recall thinking, WOW, what a move to get those types of 'names'. We all know that what happened was an unexpected cup in 1995, and actually what many forget is a 2 goal lead in the first period in the infamous "Guarantee night" in game six of the semi's ag...
dagley writes...

Best Wishes to Team Canada

Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://www.scholarships.ed.ac.uk/images/canada_flag.jpg[/img] [b] Best of wishes to Team Canada, and the coaching staff over in Russia for the Super Series between Canada and Russia, starting on Monday. I'd like to personally say thank-you to all the players/coaching staff that are over in Russia that are going into a war with the Rus...
It is the management's responsibility to the owners and to the fans you pay the tickets to keep salary to a minimum, it is the player's agents responsibility to get as much for their clients as possible. If we are to look at the Giordano signing in Russia for a minute and get past the initial shock of it we know a few things, that the flames were offering around just over ...
mslepp writes...

In Sutter we (don't?) trust.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Just a little warning... if you're on board with Keenan and Sarich and Nolan and the new faces of the Flames you may want to stop reading right now. Pre-season hockey is a chance for us to look at the questions our teams face heading into the season. We get a chance to share our usually high and lofty expectations for our own teams. When I look at the Flames this ye...
Jsaquella writes...

Random Thoughts

Posted Monday | Comments 0
'Tis the season to go shopping Fa la la la la la la la la la..... Go and get me something funny Fa la la la la la la la la Buy me now a Flyers jersey Fa la la la la la la la la.... Drink some beer and get real merry Fa la la la la la la la!!! -Steve Downie is out of control and needs to be stopped!!! He had another incident, this one with the AHL's Philadelphia Pha...
Trade deadline is a week from today. There has been so much discussion on who we (as Flames fans) want to see in a Flames jersey, who we want to see traded or let go, and what players we'd like to swap. But what's realistic? What's practical? And, knowing Sutter's past moves, what will he likely do before the deadline? We've heard so many rumored names coming... Sundin...
First off, let's see how I did with my off-season move guesses (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/user.php?user_id=19560) and what Sutter did in comparison to my guesses: 1) [i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen[/i]: [b]FAIL[/b]. Ok, so this big trade didn't happen, but that's not to say Sutter didn't try ...
Elchrisco writes...

Hurricanes version 2.0

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I'm going to begin by saying I'm quite excited for the upcoming season and I really like the moves made by Jim Rutherford to retool the team and it's defence. The Canes have a new look, a few solid prospects, and this is the first season that I can remember where the primary news about the Hurricanes is not about the financial situation. That said, how different are the...
In what can only be described as an incredibly surprising move, Daryl Sutter has signed free agent forward Jamie Lundmark. Lundmark had spent parts of two seasons with the Flames, his first of which after being acquired in the deal with the Coyotes for a fourth round pick. He was expected to add depth to our forwards for a playoff run and add some scoring. He did ju...
With training camp about 6 weeks away the Calgary Flames sit at about 2.3 million over the salary cap (according to Cap Central). If you count the signing of Andre Roy, which was actually a one-way deal at 550,000, it puts the Flames nearly 3 million dollars over the cap. GM Darryl Sutter has been seen on Canadian Media and read throughout local papers saying he's done...
Heading into the 4th post-lockout season, I want to take a look at the Calgary Flames from top to bottom. Where do they stand in the NHL? What does the future hold for our team? And, what can we expect from this season? Back in 2001 the Calgary Flames were mired in a slump that saw the team miss seven consecutive post-seasons. It was horrible. Although there's been...
True, I've been waiting for this day to come ever since he coughed up the puck to Danny Briere opening night last season in the 'dome. Anders Eriksson is officially an ex-Calgary Flame. But I'll get back to that in a second. First, I'd like to re-post what I wrote about Rhett Warrener when he was initially waived back in June. Sparking the notion that his time wi...
So, on to the Hurricanes, who have posted themselves a 3-2-1 record to kick off the season. A respectable record, having only played two home games thus far, but the team has seemed to regress as the season goes on, as opposed to getting better. Obviously I can't recap every game for you here, so I will give you some +/- ratings for players on the season.... +'s B...
Elchrisco writes...

Sutter, The Hit.

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Oh boy... here we go again. Another player out with a concussion after a great big shot to the head. For those who havent seen it yet (which is highly improbable, as it's one of the biggest hits of the past couple seasons).... [code][/code] After I had a minute to cool down, as any fan would be upset watching their teams top prospect go down in such a way, I st...
Newman writes...

Christmas Wishes...

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Was that a smile from Darryl Sutter? It might have been as his son, Brett Sutter, scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game to tie the Flames with the Ducks 14 seconds after the Quackers took their first lead. Sutter, after shockingly being called up from the minors just days before Christmas, made an impact that few thought possible as he was flying all night and...
An interesting question was posed to me: Why do you bother trying chasing rumors all over the place? I mean, in reality, do we really know what a GM is thinking? The two I find hardest to read General Managers are Sutter and Gainey. Yet we keep trying to do this all year around. The headaches are maddening. For one thing, I live here in Calgary. Trying to figure out...
After about five years at least of rumours, many dismissals, much skepticism, and about 800 different e-scale ratings, Olli Jokinen is a member of the Calgary Flames. Wow. I still haven't gotten used to the idea; after I expressed varying levels of skepticism for months, I expressed an audible “HOLY ****” when I saw the trade on the front page of TSN around noon. Darry...
After about five years at least of rumours, many dismissals, much skepticism, and about 800 different e-scale ratings, Olli Jokinen is a member of the Calgary Flames. Wow. I still haven't gotten used to the idea; after I expressed varying levels of skepticism for months, I expressed an audible “HOLY ****” when I saw the trade on the front page of TSN around noon. Darry...
The first game with Jokinen is in the books and was a success, that line will not be that great every night but it did look very solid! Having said that, and assuming the Flames will win the Stanley cup (7-1 odds in Vegas right now) then a quick look into the summer might be worth while. The players that could leave are Cammalleri, Bertuzzi, Roy, Moss, Aucoin and Leop...
Newman writes...

Season Thoughts

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The 2008-2009 version of the Calgary Flames was very unique. Probably the most talented group of players ever collected in cow town since 1989. So why did they once again get bounced out in the first round? How did they blow a huge lead in the division? Should Rich Preston still behind the bench after the power play went 0 for 40 to finish the regular season? Why was Ander...
Newman writes...

Sutter and Co.

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
One week after being ousted out of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calgary Flames have packed up their bags and headed off to their respected off season homes. Let’s talk about the front office and bench bosses for the Flaming C. Darryl Sutter was brought into the organization in 2002 to be the Flames head coach and General Manager. In his first full season in 03-...
Another disappointing end to what was looking like a promising season. But I have to admit, the effect and anticipation for the playoffs has worn off. I've had to brace myself for early departures in each of the last 3 seasons as it truly seemed inevitable. My season-long problem was Mike Keenan. He proved early and often that he's about 10 years removed from b...
Can we really hang this years early playoff exit on Sutter? The guy who has brought our beloved Flames to the post season for five straight seasons, and one of them to the Stanley Cup Finals? The guy who created what I think is one of the most talented teams we Calgarians has seen since the 80's? I say no. Here's why. Our team was performing well up until February. We t...
1) [u]Coaching[/u] – My first engagement in the Flames’ off-season moves would be to make a coaching change. But, unlike most of the outcry from Flames fans and media, I would not fire Mike Keenan as head coach. I know most fans are calling for Keenan’s head I believe that (other than the constant line-juggling and “strong encouragement” to have Kipper play all ...
You have to admit, you're waiting for it. Yes, Darryl Sutter met for one-on-one's last week with the Calgary media but did little to dispel the one thing we were all waiting for. The fate of Mike Keenan. Sutter never came out and openly backed Keenan, but he sure as heck never gave us an inkling of how he really feels on the situation. He's mastered the art of,...
mslepp writes...

The Sun Shines in Alberta

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Yes, it's true. Over the past week, cloud cover has been increasing in Calgary and area as the whole city waited for some light to finally be shed on a couple different things. Firstly, the weather's been absolutely horrible. And, working outdoors nearly every day for long hours was beginning to make me crazy. With the exception of some spurts here and there on (Ca...
[b]The Calgary Flame Coaching Carousel[/b] It wasn't quite as big of a jolt as the hiring of Mike Keenan, but the firing did come as a bit of a surprise. Not because of Iron Mike's firing, but because it was leaked to the media, late Friday afternoon. The timing alone tells you this is not what Darryl Sutter wanted, but the whole Keenan "era" (mess might be a better w...
Newman writes...

Pave the way for Darryl

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the firing of Mike Keenan and the letting go of the rest of the coaching staff, the Flames now sit with a vacant coaching staff. In Sutter’s press conference yesterday he mentioned that there are three qualified people in line for the Head Coach position and a fourth, Darryl himself. He stated that he was the best candidate for the position and if he can not find a...
I've been waiting for Ken King or the ownership group of the Calgary Flames to come out and publicly back Darryl Sutter ever since the season ended. If you are one of the folks who, for some reason or another, think that Darryl Sutter should have been on the chopping block for what happened this season, I urge you to give your head a shake. I am a staunch Sutter su...
amerk626 writes...

If Sutter Leaves...

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Aside from figuring out what free agents he wants to try to sign and re-sign, how to handle the upcoming draft, and what direction to steer this seemingly broken Devils team towards, Devils GM Lou Lamoriello may be faced with another problem if head coach Brent Sutter decides to step down from his post and part ways with the Devils. I think the hiring of Brent Sutter w...
Today Darryl Sutter confirmed he is keeping the 2009 first round pick, he had the option of giving phoenix this pick or the 2010 pick in the Jokinen deal. This draft is generally considered deeper than next years draft which some are saying could be as bad as the '99 draft but having said that is the 20th over all pick going to be that great? At number 20 the Flames cou...
If you asked any hockey fan who was going to win the Stanley Cup in February there was only 1 answer: The New Jersey Devils. It was a shock to everyone that the Rock fell silent as Eric Staal capped game 7 and carried his team to the second round and the Devils made an early exit. Thankfully that is all over. 5 thing the Devils need to do: [b]1. Release Madden and Gion...
thejerseydevil writes...

Good Riddance

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I did not expect to have to write about this, at least not until the summer of 2010, but the powers that be have forced my hand. Today, Brent Sutter has announced that he has resigned from the head coaching position for the Devils, deciding that he'd rather hang around Alberta and save his dying junior hockey team. Now as a statement on its own, that's perfectly reasonable...
[b]Who Will be at the Helm?[/b] This is the major cloud that's been looming over Calgary for the last couple weeks. Darryl or Brent? Sutter or Sutter? Even with the firing of Dave Tippett in Dallas (which doesn't make a whole lotta sense, but is an issue for another day), the Calgary Flames have been super quiet about what's going on in the search for a head ...
saneopinion writes...

Flames Draft Thoughts

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We all know Sutter likes to make a splash at the draft, we also know in deep drafts he has traditionally traded down for more picks. What makes this draft a little different is that there is no first round pick next year to bank on. The schools of thought being trade down and get two okay guys or trade up and get a sure fire blue chip prospect. In addition the Flames h...
old time hockey writes...

New Coaching Staff

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Moving into the Calgary Flames thirtieth season, we as fans have been given hope for a chance to move forward from a disappointing end to a very promising season. Today at 3PM local Darryl Sutter has announced a new coaching staff for the Calgary Flames, bringing in his brother Brent Sutter, Former flames Dave Lowry and Jamie McLennan, and Former head coach of the Quad Cit...
mslepp writes...

Calgary Flames: Movin' on Up

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Does the hiring of Brent Sutter really require another blog? Probably not. I mean, this is one of those "worst-kept secrets" that gets attached with any story being leaked these days. But the hiring of Brent Sutter is gonna get a blog. Why? Because this may go down as one of the most important moves Darryl Sutter has made during his tenure with the Calgary...
Newman writes...

Sutter's Re-Unite

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Brent Sutter was introduced as the new Head Coach of the Calgary Flames today; the 4th Head Coach in the past 5 seasons. As well Ryan McGill, Dave Lowry, and Jamie McClennan were named as Assistant coaches. A decision met with a lot of scepticism by the local media and fanbase, the Flames now have 5 Sutter’s working within the organization. General Manager Darryl, Dire...
saneopinion writes...

In response to Jim Kelly.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Please read this drivel before reading on: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2009/06/25/kelley_sutter_devil/ Let me respond if I may do so. I'd be a whole lot more comfortable with your reaction if everything you wrote was not an anti Calgary blog or you worked for a network that has a slew of Oiler fans working for it. First of all, and I know this might be hard to ...
The biggest change this year for the Flames isn't going to be the loss of Cammy and Bertuzzi. Or Aucoin. (And certainly not Vandermeer.) Or the dependence on youngsters due to cap issues. It isn't even going to be the signing of J. Bo. It's going to be Brent Sutter. He's going to (hopefully) bring the structured system and accountability this team has been so...
Newman writes...

Sneaky Sutter

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the recent pick ups of Fredrik Sjostrom, Brian McGrattan and now it looks like Nigel Dawes, Darryl Sutter is following his usual routine of sneaky pick ups during the summer season. Looking at the three less than flashy pickups, as opposed to J-Bo, each one can offer a great upgrade at their position. Knowing Sutter’s history over the past five plus seasons h...
jasonkavanagh writes...

Dion out the door?

Posted Sunday | Comments 0
A lot of rumors have been swirling lately about the state of the Calgary Flames. With Darryl Sutter making moves left and right this off-season, most notably the acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester, fans and analysts alike have raised the question 'is Dion Phaneuf on his way out of Calgary?' Now before we jump to conclusions let's review the situation the Calgary Flames are ...
Newman writes...

Early Start

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know its August 6th, but lets look at October, because really its only 53 days away… How much does October mean to the Flames? Is the first game of the season really indicative of whether or not they will be raising Lord Stanley’s Mug nine months later? The answer simply is no. But, the first meaningful hockey game of the season is usually the most highly anticipa...
I'm a homer, I will not even try defending myself when accused of it, but I have to seriously wonder if the Flames aren't projected first by default! Not to say they will be so good they can compare to the Detroit and San Jose's of the world...or even Chicago in my opinion (except in net). My Friends and I discussed this and some interesting N.W. division questions came up...
Newman writes...

That Was Something...

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Watching the Flames blow a lead like that should not be surprising for any true Flames fan. We watch year after year, game after game as the Flames jump out to early leads and either wind up blowing them, giving up last minute goals or barely hanging on. And there are some prime examples only six games into this very young season. The opener against Vancouver where the...
Nidder14 writes...

Disturbing Trend....

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well, it happened. Why is it the Flames always find a way to do this? They came out like gangbusters and managed to lose the game, in what became the biggest comeback in league history. I'm not going to say I knew they'd blow the 5-0 lead, but one thought did cross my mind after the fifth goal - "Is five goals enough for the flames?" Just as I thought 3 goals wasn't enough...
Newman writes...

Overtime Heroes!

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Two nights, two cities, two goaltenders, two overtime wins. For the second straight night the Flames managed to win an overtime game on the road, due in part to the goaltending they received on both occasions. Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been battling the flu for the past while, came into the net tonight and shut the door on the St. Louis Blues. Stopping 30 of all 31 shot...
saneopinion writes...

What is Dion Worth?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I know I know... one fight with the coach does not not a trade rumor justify. In case you weren't aware several media outlets have blogged (but not reported) on a shouting match Between Dion Phaneuf And Brent Sutter. Some blogs say it may or may not have been Sutter or may or may not have been Phanuef but with a -2 on the night and the shouting about being selfish apparent...
saneopinion writes...

Fish Slapped!!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Embarrassing. Humiliating. Disgusting. Oilers-esque. just a few adjectives to describe what Flames fans are feeling today. Looking at the score you can't help but think of the fish slap dance from Monty Python, it is very fitting and if I was more computer savvy I would have inserted a picture to accompany this blog. 9-1 is a score the best team in the league should h...
Just a quick note, I noticed Conroy is centering Iginla at practice again... are Langkow or Jokinen hurt?? That is embarrassing. Wish they would stop going back to this junk. Conroy is a third or fourth line guy now... that you drag off the bench to take a face off ...period. His first line days are long gone. -------------------- RFA and UFA issues face the flames this ...
saneopinion writes...

Flames Lineup Thoughts.

Posted Monday | Comments 0
Conroy is back at centering Iginla again in practice. Hasn't worked in 9 games, might as well stick with it. Lundmark actually looked alright on that line, give the guy some time, Conroy is not an option anymore. **** When Sutter says he doesn't see how the flames could get Kovulchuk is he kidding? Most armchair g.m.'s know that you have 5 mil off the books if you simp...
saneopinion writes...

Flames news!

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Flames have offered the Los Angeles Kings Olli Jokinen for a bag of pucks and their water boy, apparently the Kings are unwilling to make this deal as they think their bag of pucks will find the back of the net eventually more than Jokinen and the water boy at least shows up to work and doesn't have a gay biker handlebar mustache. >>>>> In other news the Flames have ...
Slump Busters.....not quite. The big guns for Calgary: Phaneuf, Iginla and Jokinen all scored while others like Lundmark chipped in with a nice assist. It was not enough. Once again, some unlucky bounces did the Flames in. Not making excuses here at all, but when two unlucky goals go in after being up 3-1, for a fragile team like they are now, it's hard to recover. That do...
(I'd put Kotalik in the title but that would screw up my alliteration, plus I'm trying to pretend the trade hasn't happened until the trade call is actually made...) For the past three weeks, I have been refreshing TSN constantly after every loss, waiting for Darryl Sutter to make a big trade. I felt it was inevitable, to the point where I’ve had a blog in the queue a...
I don't like to look back and say, "what if" because it becomes a ridiculous exercise and as Jim Rome likes to say, "if if if...if my aunt had a package she's be my uncle...but she doesn't... so there's not point in going down that road." Having said that, I have a few what if's... What if Calgary beat Colorado six times instead of the other way around. What if Calg...
Sutter came out and said he doesn't expect too much activity at the deadline from the Flames. This can also be translated as: Like I would tell you Mr. Journalist if we are going to be busy, i lie to the media about player movement on purpose because I don't give a flying crap about you. Simply the Flames have too many forwards and logic dictates some have to go. In add...
saneopinion writes...

Sutter on Deadline day: F-

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I'll trade you... Staios- 2.7. millioncap hit sloted as #6 d . 36 yearls old -22 Toskala- 4 Million cap hit, is 7 and 12, 30 years old -36% win rate For Boyd- 650 thousand cap hit, on pace for 10 goals and 14 assists, 23 years old +5 Johnson- 525 thousand cap hit #7 defensman, 26 years old and is even. Mchelhinney- 500 thousand cap hit, is 3 and 4, 26 years...
saneopinion writes...

Flames issues

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Inhale...exhale...inhale... scream in frustration...inhale. I'll be fair, I waited a long time to post this because I wanted to not write while still upset over the Islander loss. I wanted to step back and look at things logically, maybe speak to some people who have an outside point of view, surprisingly some Oiler fan friends of mine are being pretty classy about it a...
Even the most delusional of Flames fans have to have given up by now. Even if the Flames managed to win all six of their remaining games, which the Flames have given no reason to believe they would be able to, they would still only have a 70% chance of making the playoffs (unlike Eklund, I will cite SportsClubStats.com for these numbers). The only thing Flames fans can loo...
It wasn't lack of effort although the 2nd period kind of was a sleep walk. There were a ton of chances, the system provided a lot of opportunity for the Flames to manage some goals. The real issue here is lack of finish and lack of skill. Mathematically the Flames can still make the playoffs and if you read my blog you'll know that I have stated the Flames will tickle ...
brodie403 writes...

European Connection

Posted Monday | Comments 0
As an avid Flames fan I sit here and wonder why is it all the great and exciting teams today in the NHL have that "it" factor then it hits me no exciting european. (All do respect to Kotalik who really is not that good now that we have seen him play out west) For now we have to wait on Backlund and Hagman who do have upside there no Ovie and Geno or Datsyuk or I hate to sa...
saneopinion writes...

Flames Post Mortem

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have my scalpel, I'm ready to do the post mortem. 8:45 A.M April 7th My first incision into this body that represents the Flames organization is where I would typically find something wrong, the brains. I'm seeing some slight decay where the contract negotiation cluster is and also some decay in the trade stem. Conclusion: Darryl Sutter's 2010 season will go ...
As a testament to how dumb we are Darryl Sutter has now told us, in all of his wisdom, why the Flames did not make the playoffs. Apparently, and unbeknownst to us, the Flames had a bad home record and the goal scorers did not score! In other Darryl news the name of the hockey team is the "Flames" and they play in Calgary. I don't have to be a G.M. to also tell you the powe...
Newman writes...

Flames Season in a Nutshell

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, the season finally comes to an end and the Calgary Flames have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003. What is wrong? What needs to be done? What has transpired that led to this? Well to diagnose the problem we must go back to the beginning. The season opened in early October with a much hyped match-up between the Flames and their arch rival Vancouver ...
saneopinion writes...

Leeman for Gaborik! S>O> 5

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
It seems Doug Risebrough is in the rumor mill as a replacement for Sather possibly, he's a really nice guy and I had a run in with him one time. A long time ago Doug Risebrough came through my shop when he was the G.M. of the Minnesota Wild, I called my buddy up and told him Riser was here and he suggested I make the following offer to him: Gaborik... for the rights ...
saneopinion writes...

A sign in a signing

Posted Friday | Comments 0
So the Oilers want to go ahead and draft one of the OHL's best players? Well in what appears to be a smart move, Darryl Sutter has signed Bryan Cameron of the Barrie Colts. Who's Bryan Cameron? Bryan is a notable signing as he led the OHL in goals this year, not Seguin, not Hall but Cameron. 52 goals. Haven't heard of him? I'm not surprised, neither have I. The prob...
I have to wonder why the flames have not made an announcement regarding anything lately. There is a public perception out there that the evaluation is not just about the on ice personal but also about the office guys, namely King and Sutter. One might take it that a signing of a junior player to a free agent contract is a move, and it is, but is it a significant one? ...
saneopinion writes...

Welcoming Kelly Kisio

Posted Friday | Comments 0
What Kelly Kisio would bring to the Flames is a popular question right now. The Calgary Hitmen are in the Memorial cup and over the past few years have been perennial contenders in the WHL and there is a very simple reason for that. Drafting and trading. The Globe and mail is reporting that Kisio has a job waiting for him after the Memorial Cup and to be honest I like i...
Jarome Iginla will get 30 goals this year. You heard it here first, it is probably the safest prediction I have made to date considering he's always got 30 in recent memory. My other prediction is that Calgary will not have a number one center for him no matter what. You may think this is another easy prediction considering the salary cap of the Flames and their inabili...
Newman writes...

Sutter staying put...for now

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
''What we want to do here is put an end to the death watch; to other people's speculation. We move forward.'' – Ken King, CEO and President of the Calgary Flames- The ‘Death Watch’ he was referring to was that of Darryl Sutter’s relationship with the Calgary Flames organization and whether or not he would be the General Manager of the team for the upcoming 2010-...
“Ken came out and said that, but it wasn’t important for me to have that publicly. It’s more important what happens internally.” Darryl Sutter made these comments in response to Ken King coming out last week and publicly endorsing the Flames GM. We all are aware of Sutter’s dealings with the media and how he, how do I say this, would rather eat hot garbage tha...
saneopinion writes...

Flames need a depth charge

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
There's a record in Calgary that has been skipping since Joe Nieuwendyk was traded to the Dallas Stars in 1995. We need a number one center.....we need a number one center...we need a number one center. It's like the unofficial anthem of the Flames. If an anthem does ever get written it will be something like,"Star Spangled Center" or "O'centermen" or "God save our cent...
What are the chances Patty Kane took a cab home last night after landing in Chicago??? What?? I'm just saying... Now that the Blackhawks have won the cup, congratulations Chicago fans, they can now look forward to clearing out salary. It's too bad they can't keep this team together but that gaff by Tallon when he didn't get the offers to his restricted free agents in ti...
saneopinion writes...

The perfect solution.

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Sometimes life hands you a perfect solution. Ian White is really under rated and he knows it, he was 8th in goals by a defenseman last year and 29th in points by a defenseman, no one talks about it but that is really good. As his agent you would look at comparables right? Who also had 38 points and what do they get paid? I'll tell you. Campbell- $7.1 Million Kubina...
If the Flames had an info-mercial for the draft it would sound like this: A guy with a "NHL GM" name tag picks up the phone and says, "Gee... I wish I could improve my team right away instead of drafting, I think we can win now but just are missing a few pieces..." sigh. (appearing out of nowhere and obviously reading off queue cards) D.Sutter, "WELL... fear not my...
What does it mean when Sutter signs Breen and Cameron as UFA prospects? It means that they are his 1st and 2nd round picks in essence. Cameron had more goals than any other CHL player, more than Hall, more than Seguin, more than Eberle, more than Beach even more than number 10 on the list, and Flames prospect, Ryan Howse. Flames fans, Cameron IS our first round pick. H...
Somebody should be hired to be a translator for the Calgary Flames General Manager Daryl Sutter. Seriously, we should develop a new language called Suttereze. If we had a translator, then we could understand than what the Flames General Manager means. Daryl has been telling everyone that will listen that he is not trading any of his good players. Does he really mean i...
Well that was Vanilla. Calgary has made no significant moves at the draft as of yet after 5 rounds unless you count the acquisition of Henrik Karlsson from san jose, he a huge Swedish goalie, for a late round pick at this draft. He's 26 and you'd imagine he's the top spot for the #2 position in Calgary this year. The biggest and most mind boggling blunder was when Ka...
I haven't shared my thoughts with the fine readers of Hockeybuzz for quite some time but I've recently been quite impressed with the amount of response given to the Flames bloggers and the great debates and speculation that has taken place. Unfortunately, I feel that some of the Flames faithful have set the bar too high in their expectations of Sutter during this offsea...
saneopinion writes...

Uh oh...the advocate.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
First, how come there's at least 5-6 guys on here that regularly blog for the Flames but the oiler fans are only passionate enough to comment on other people's blogs?? Just saying... I get that you guys got Hall and are making some good moves but one of you wrote on Vetter's blog about the cup... c'mon!! **** Okay so everyone is all thinking Sutter is all going insa...
saneopinion writes...

Flames quick hits

Posted Friday | Comments 0
So if Kotalik can be "persuaded" to play in Russia and Langkow can be buried in the IR as to not count against the cap due to his broken vertebrae in his neck...and White re-signs then what does Sutter do with the space he has left? Still too many D!!! It's almost universal everyone wants Robyn "Rocket" Regehr gone now as well as Sarich for the most part. Staios can stay, ...
saneopinion writes...

The Flames as it stands.

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There is a legitimate numbers game going on with the current Flames lineup, no one thinks Sutter is done making some moves but it's hard to tell where he'd move from and what he'd want back. Aside from Cap restrictions the positions are all out of whack if you consider that players are most proficient when playing from their comfort position. At Center: Jokinen, Langko...
So today the Herald finally picked up that the Flames have let go their head of amateur scouting and two other scouts, well for regular readers of my blog you read it here July 2nd. I am not ashamed to tell you when I think I'm ahead of the curve because it only happens a few times a century! In political, talk to the media type of talk Tod Button, head of scouting addr...
Chadavitch writes...

Feaster or Famine?

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Hmmm... Jay Feaster is the new Flames assistant GM... or is that assistant TO the GM? Could it be that after swapping out the amateur scouts they've now realized that Sutter is at the very least in need of some "assistance"? Perhaps his first order of business should be to show Darryl where the door is and pass on the old axiom about letting it hit him on the way out. ...
Before reading on i would like to introduce the Calgary Flames Drinking Game, it's pretty simple, every time there is a Flames press conferance you do a shot when Sutter says, "To be honest". Prepare for a hangover my friends.... on to the blog... I feel confused. At first I thought I have just lost some perception, sometimes it's hard to take a step back and see wha...
Recently Sutter came out and said that he was willing to go to 1 or 2 year contracts, this flies in the face of the Hossa like deals that are ranging 10,12 even 15 years in length. My question is why? If Sutter is only giving out one or two year contracts is that because ownership is only giving him that amount of time to turn this around? Most of Sutter's contracts have b...
miikka4ever writes...

What to do with 4 lines

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I have often asked myself, why cant a team ice 4 lines that can score? Well the obvious reason now would be 4 number 1 lines would be a crazy cap hit. The old school thought of 2 scoring lines 1 checking and 1 fighting/energy line scheme is gone (tell that to some gm's...sutter) so what can, or should teams be doing. Look at what the blackhawks did this last season, no ...
Much has been made of Daryll Sutter's strange decision to bring Olli Jokinen back into the fold. Pundits and fans across the hockey world blasted the move, some speculating that he had gone crazy. Bringing back Jokinen may have its pitfalls, but it is not the worst move Sutter has ever made. That distinction belongs to the decision to let Kristian Huselius walk in favou...
saneopinion writes...

Flames Butterfly Effect

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's funny when you look at how a few decisions can have a massive butterfly affect on a team. Release a player here, trade a player there, draft this player instead of that player. When the dust settles, sometimes years from a certain move, you either win the Stanley Cup or you draft first. There have been some major things the Flames organization has done that spring...
BlueBloodPat writes...

Hockey Totems Revealed

Posted Friday | Comments 0
To make a long story short, for those who have not seen the summer blockbuster Inception (which I highly recommend you do), a totem is an object that separates reality from dream. The totem distinguishes reality from dream because it takes on different characteristics in a dream state. Therefore, if the owner of the totem knows their totem well enough, they should be able ...
With the addition Wednesday of Michel Goulet as their Western Professional Scout, the Calgary Flames have slowly surrounded Darryl Sutter with some much needed help for the upcoming season. Sutter has been on the hot seat with many fans, including myself, since the end of the season due to the Flames disappointing finish in last years regular season. With the addition o...
Many flames fans are already giving up on the season. Some are even hoping for the team to tank this season which would spell the demise of Darryl Sutter. Is this approach towards the 2010-11 season justified? Lets look at the various reasons as to why this season is considered to be over before opening night faceoff by the fans Last I looked at the Ales Kotalik Trade ...
saneopinion writes...

premature e-blogulation

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Blogger vs. Mainstream Media debate continues and still there's no end in sight. Sometimes there's respect and sometimes there's not. Basically the main difference is one gets paid to do a job, one does it out of pure passion. The new debate circles around if bloggers should get media credentials and access to players etc after a game, for the N.H.L.'s position on it r...
Newman writes...

Talk to Me About Depth Sutter

Posted Friday | Comments 0
People who know me or read my blog, understand that I do not care much for Darryl Sutter and the way he has chosen to run this franchise. Well, Sutter’s comments on Thursday at the Flames Charity Golf tournament struck a chord with me, as they tend to do. Before I rant though, let’s start with a good quote from the farmer himself: [i]"This is going to be th...
Darryl Sutter's Cookie-cutter Comments: It's another year and already its become clear that Flames fans need to brace for more of the same from Darryl Sutter. After having quite possibly one of the worst seasons a GM can possibly put together without actually [i]trying[/i] to screw up, Sutter is back with the same-old shenanigans. Late last week an article in the ...
Newman writes...

Goons "R" Us

Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Raitis Ivanans and Tim Jackman. When Sutter made these signings I couldn’t help but scratch my head. Jackman is 6’4” and 210lbs. Ivanans is 6’4” and 240-256 lbs, depending on which website you look at. Jackman had 98 PIM, 4 goals, and 5 assists last year in 54 games, while Ivanans had 136 PIM, 0 goals, and 0 assists in 61 games last season. Bot...
Newman writes...

Alex Tanguay: Back in the Saddle

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Brought back from the depths of darkness, Alex Tanguay is back in a city he loves and playing with a player, Jarome Iginla, which he dearly missed. Tanguay spent the last year wallowing away in Tampa Bay, getting ever so slowly pushed out of the team picture. By the time the season ended, it was clear that Tanguay did not want to be in Tampa, and Tampa did not want any ...
Many flames fans are already giving up on the season. Some are even hoping for the team to tank this season which would spell the demise of Darryl Sutter. Is this approach towards the 2010-11 season justified? Lets look at the various reasons as to why this season is considered to be over before opening night faceoff by the fans Last I looked at the Ales Kotalik Trade a...
With the announcement of Cam Cunning and Matt Pelech on waivers for the Flames, we now get a real look at the players who have the final shot at making the team for the start of the regular season. Of course - this could all end up being thrown out depending on the injury status' of both Ales Kotalik and David Moss who were to be fixtures on the third line with Glencross....
Brendan Morrison. I sat in the dome in '04, Flames vs. Canucks in a pivotal game 6. If the Canucks won it was going back to Vancouver for game 7 and along with it the home crowd advantage Calgary enjoyed. They turned the beer off after the 2nd period so by the third overtime we are basically hung over. Our seats weren't directly behind Kipper but they were just off center ...
OurStupidBlog writes...

GAME 1 of 2010-11

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Game 1 of the 2010-11 season! Game 1 of this season's "Battle of Alberta," it's about time! Hell yeah! Finally, we get to see how these kids are going to perform on the big stage. I'm particularly interested in seeing how the Oiler coaching staff manages ice time between the top 3 lines that all have to potential to put up some decent numbers. I'm also interested in wa...
That second period last night was awesome!! I don't recall a first or third though... I have to say Jordan Eberle... my hat is off to you, crazy goal there and I thought the best player on the ice last time the Flames and Oilers met in pre-season. What as Flames fans can we take from that game last night? I don't want to be just another guys who goes crazy after a ...
Stajan is back so Morrison has moved to the right wing, when Bourque, Moss or Kotalik come back we will find ourselves in an interesting dilemma. Do you keep Backlund or lose him to the minors when Morrison goes to third line center? For me Backlund is the star forward when it comes to turn overs, he's a little Datsyuk out there, it's amazing. Morrison has been given seco...
saneopinion writes...

In Sutter's Defense

Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know, two blogs in one day is overkill but I can't help myself. D. Sutter has been under heat for a while, this dates back to his Phaneuf trade and the Jokinen trade that brought Kotalik here. I'm not saying that they were great moves but in retrospect we're kind of eating our words aren't we? On Phaneuf, and Leaf fans you can't reverse facts here. Since going to ...
sirwin31 writes...

Flames Game/Snappy Blog Title

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Newman is on hiatus for about a week, so I'll be trying to fill the daily negative, I mean reality-check based, Flames' blogs that he is so aptly known for. Last night the Flames gave up the first goal of the game for the first time in as long as I can remember. Maybe we should get back into the Delorean and get it up to 88 mph ... nope, I'll just use the internet. It ...
In the wake of a wave of unsubstantiated Jarome Iginla speculation, Darryl Sutter decided to distract Flames fans by making another trade to complain about. Ian White and his facial hair as well as Brett Sutter are gone, replaced by Anton Babchuk and Tom Kostopoulos. My immediate knee-jerk biased reaction: it looks to me like an about equal trade in value, but a trade that...
I’m baaaaaaaack!!!! After spending a week talking about whether Man U could really win the premiership this year or whether the England victory over Australia will really shake the foundation of the rugby world, I am back in North America to talk about the sport we all know and love: ice hockey (or at least that’s what everyone kept calling it over in jolly old Engl...
betweenthelines writes...

He is The Saviour

Posted Friday | Comments 0
It was not long ago when Daryl Sutter was regarded as The Saviour here in The Stampede City. It seems that we've all forgotten to thank the man for giving us a competitive hockey team for the last 8 years. We are such a passionate city when it comes to sports, but as soon as the cards fall, we start pointing fingers and demand heads to roll. Together as a city, as a com...
From satisfaction to utter shock. What just happened? Did that just happen? Did I just witness that? Surely, some of the many responses from shocked Flames fans after they blew a late two goal lead in Detroit to lose 5-4 to the Red Wings. But really, they didn’t do the things necessary to win the game. They took too many bad penalties (see Stajan tackling Filp...
Here are some numbers from the five game road-trip the Flames just came back from: A record of 1-2-2. Outscored 14-9. Average of 2.8 goals against per game. Average of 1.8 goals for per game. Outshot 161-146. 1 for 15 on the PP or 6.67% completion, including going 0 for 12 in the final four games. 16 for 21 on the PK or 76.19% efficiency 1 -1...
saneopinion writes...

The Perfect "Suck" Storm

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I think the perfect storm for angry Flames fans is when the Oilers win and are two points back of catching the Flames (with a game in hand) and the Flames get blown out by the Vancouver Canucks on the same night. That is simply like pouring salt and lemon juice on our open heart surgery. There are fans clamoring for heads to roll however which heads and in what order i...
Just a few things I wanted to touch upon following the Flames 3-2 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild. Thing #1: Darryl Sutter and his claim that goals against are the Flames big problem Yes, the Flames rank 24th in the league in goals against per game. But, if you dig a little deeper you will see that these numbers are quickly skewed due to a couple blow out games...
I can't help but see Darryl Sutter's face sloppily super-imposed on the body of Bill Murray as he turns over in his bed to slap his alarm clock at the beginning of another day in the film "Groundhog Day". [IMG]http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w151/mslepp/darrylgroundhog-1.jpg[/IMG] That's what it seems like in Calgary, year after year. Yes - I used to be a stau...
saneopinion writes...

Sutter firing unlikely.

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Oh my. Looks like another loss, which means a win tonight and the record will probably keep skipping. In the meantime everyone is calling for Sutter's head on a platter for putting together a loser team with one of the highest salaries. Let's look at this calmly though. Sutter was made Executive Vice President this summer. Does that tell you that ownership wants him go...
California dreamin’ or California nightmare? I’d say the latter was a more apt description of the result of the two game road trip. Two games, one point – simply put, it’s just not good enough. Despite late charges in both games, the Flames fell short in each game – stretching it to the shootout in Anaheim while falling in regulation in LA. They fall be...
Newman writes...

The Return of Dion

Posted Wednesday | Comments 11
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames will face off on Thursday night at the Dome. You would think a game between the 22nd and 26th ranked team in the league wouldn’t exactly be a must see affair, but this upcoming tilt between two cellar dwellers has a little more oomph than your run of the mill basement clash. Did I mention Dion Phaneuf will be making his ...
mslepp writes...

Dion Phaneuf: Cheers or Boos?

Posted Thursday | Comments 12
It's a date most Flames fans had circled the very day the NHL schedule was released. My first thought back in July in regards to his return was that Calgary Flames fans will boo Dion mercifully. When I thought about his return in September when my season tickets were delivered, I laughed again to myself, "oh man, are people gonna boo this guy." But, today, when ...
Newman writes...

Flames options moving forward

Posted Thursday | Comments 27
In light of the Flames facing off against Toronto tonight, the team they partnered off with to make last year's blockbuster deal, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the Flames options moving forward. The Flames have issues. That’s clearly apparent. But fixing those issues -- therein lies the true work of art. How do you get yourself out from under...
“Do you struggle to save the puck? Are you having trouble stopping that little black piece of rubber from going in the net? Do you find yourself riding the pine more than you think you should? If so, we believe we have the answer for you. Come on over the Calgary where the Flames will show you what true hospitality is all about. Their under-achieving band of overpaid hoc...
The Flames are on a roll – sort of. Winners of their last two games, and four of their last five under the Dome, the Flames climbed to within six points of 8th spot in the western conference. Let’s just ignore the fact that the Flames have played more games than pretty well everyone else in the conference save the Ducks. Olli Jokinen has six goals in his last ni...
Newman writes...

Darryl Sutter is no more

Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Goosebumps can be caused by many things. Being scared, excited, nervous, cold, anxious, etc. So is it wrong that I had them running down my arms when I heard the news that Darryl Sutter was no longer the General Manager of the Calgary Flames today? To say I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time would be an understatement. It all happened so fast. One minute...
So because Sutter was so hated we could not wait to have him gone. It was obvious that a whole serious of wrong turns accumulated in his firing. The Jokinen trade for Kotalik, the Stajan deal etc. We all know where he went wrong and we assume that Feaster can see the issues and correct them. It's being made clear to fans that Feaster is actually of Sutter's mindset. ...
Newman writes...

Flames Chances are not good

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames have put themselves in a massive hole with 6 losses in their last 7 games. Come over to the The Sports Roundup to see hear more. www.thesportsroundup.com Newman twitter.com/TSRNewman
dude84 writes...

Flames state of team

Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is the start of summer the flames have traded away a blue chip prospect and a 5th rounder for two 2nd round picks and from what I know of Roman Horak a career AHLer. we all know the prospect is Tim Erixon who's father Jan played for the Rangers his entire career racking up 57 goals and 216 points. Apparently the entire family loves the city and organization which meant ...
[img]http://www.welive2ski.com/20080415_4318-.jpg[/img] Disappointment! Well here we are again folks, falling again to a very beatable opponent! When looking back, the flames gave an alright effort but nothing more then that. When Playing against a team like Nashville with its shut down back end we need to be in the offensive zone most of the time. Like I sa...
[img]http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/sports/photos/2009/04/13/blackhawks-flames-090205.jpg[/img] Im baccckkkkkk Well its been a bit of a trying week, first we saw the flames fall at the hands of the Nashville predators, then we saw the Tampa Bay Lightening and Florida Panthers both push Calgary out to only 1 point. What can we take away from this? Well the positive spin...
" ... This summer is shaping up to be a very busy one for the Flames organization. Should the Flames not make the playoffs as expected then it certainly seems likely that Brent Sutter will be fired, this will be more about his results than his ability. It should be noted that in my opinion no coach will be successful in Calgary until the entire culture of the organizat...
Newman writes...

Brent Sutter: The Bell Tolls

Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Three seasons with nothing to show for it. Is Brent Sutter's time in Calgary over? I think so. Read more here: http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/brent-sutter-bell-tolls Newman
"... So we start with the overall questions, What’s next? After three seasons of no playoff hockey the Flames fans are mad. We all remember the season after season futility and it seems like those scars are now being opened. The 04 run is now long gone and all good will it generated is depleted. After so long losing there has to be a major shift in culture with the Flame...
The predictable parting of ways between the Calgary Flames and Brent Sutter happened today. Three years of playoff-less hockey and a team in desperate need of a new identity eventually sunk Sutter. So who's next? Come join the discussion: http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/brent-sutter-and-flames-part-ways Newman
Jc61304 writes...

KeslerWatch

Posted Friday | Comments 0
Before I get started on this short writeup, I do realize the comments that have come out recently and that there's MAYBE a 1% chance of this actually happening. I'm totally in favor of the Pens making a run at Kesler. Without a doubt he's one of the best two-way forwards in the game and has one of the most cap-friendly contracts given what he returns on the ice. F...
Trade: Pens get Bonino, a 2nd and Clendening Canucks get Sutter and a 3rd Wow, immediately looks like a great deal for the Pens. After checking out the salary implications here this trade makes some sense. Sutter was once a top pick (11th) whereas Bonino was a 6th rounder. Sutter just had his 2nd 20-goal season, has never even hit 20-assists or 40-points, and has more...

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