The Calgary Flames have had an extremely successful season so far. With just three games remaining in the regular season, the team has clinched a playoff spot, the Pacific Division, has two 100-point players in Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, could have four 40-goal scorers by the end of the season, and have all six main defencemen set career-highs in points.
Sound good?
Well after Saturday’s win against the Vancouver Canucks, there was another record broken by a member of the Flames organization: Darryl Sutter.
Yes, despite his illustrious 19-year coaching career with the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames and Los Angeles Kings, Darryl Sutter just had his best regular season record broken.
Sutter’s coaching numbers
In nineteen seasons, here are Sutter’s numbers at the helm of an NHL squad, sorted in order of points
| Season | Age | Team | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Points | Point Percentage | Division Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22* | 63 | CGY | 79 | 49 | 20 | 10 | 108 | .684 | 1st | |
| 1992-93 | 34 | CHI | 84 | 47 | 25 | 12 | 106 | .631 | 1st | |
| 2005-06 | 47 | CGY | 82 | 46 | 25 | 11 | 103 | .628 | 1st | |
| 2015-16 | 57 | LAK | 82 | 48 | 28 | 6 | 102 | .622 | 2nd | |
| 2013-14 | 55 | LAK | 82 | 46 | 28 | 8 | 100 | .610 | 3rd | |
| 2001-02 | 43 | SJS | 82 | 44 | 27 | 8 | 3 | 99 | .604 | 1st |
| 2000-01 | 42 | SJS | 82 | 40 | 27 | 12 | 3 | 95 | .579 | 2nd |
| 2014-15 | 56 | LAK | 82 | 40 | 27 | 15 | 95 | .579 | 4th | |
| 2003-04 | 45 | CGY | 82 | 42 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 94 | .573 | 3rd |
| 1993-94 | 35 | CHI | 84 | 39 | 36 | 9 | 87 | .518 | 5th | |
| 1999-00 | 41 | SJS | 82 | 35 | 30 | 10 | 7 | 87 | .530 | 4th |
| 2016-17 | 58 | LAK | 82 | 39 | 35 | 8 | 86 | .524 | 5th | |
| 1998-99 | 40 | SJS | 82 | 31 | 33 | 18 | 80 | .488 | 4th | |
| 1997-98 | 39 | SJS | 82 | 34 | 38 | 10 | 78 | .476 | 4th | |
| 2011-12 | 53 | LAK | 49 | 25 | 13 | 11 | 61 | .622 | 3rd | |
| 2012-13 | 54 | LAK | 48 | 27 | 16 | 5 | 59 | .615 | 2nd | |
| 1994-95 | 36 | CHI | 48 | 24 | 19 | 5 | 53 | .552 | 3rd | |
| 2002-03 | 44 | CGY | 46 | 19 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 47 | .511 | 5th |
| 2020-21 | 62 | CGY | 30 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 30 | .500 | 5th | |
| 2002-03 | 44 | SJS | 24 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 20 | .417 | 5th |
The win against the Canucks gave the team 49 wins on the season, which broke his previous high of 48 with the 2015–16 Kings. The extra two points also gave the team a total of 108 points on the year, which eclipsed his previous high with the 1992–93 Chicago team, which happened to be his first season coaching in the NHL.
Imagine that, getting 106 points in your first season as an NHL head coach and then taking it to your nineteenth season, which was 29 years after the fact, to reach your newest career-high. Legendary stuff from Sutter.
After leaving the Kings organization in 2016–17, it looked as if Sutter would be setting off into the sunset on his ranch. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the immediate and sudden turnaround of this Flames team. Taking into consideration all of the factors playing against them at the start of the year to be in the current position they are in now, that’s simply astronomical.
A bulk load of that credit goes towards Sutter, who at this point should be a lock for the Jack Adams Award—despite the fact he may not really want it.
More to come for Calgary
Even better, with three games left in the season, Sutter and the Flames have the chance to push those record numbers even higher. Although the team won’t be able to catch the 1988–89 Flames in terms of points and wins, they could end up finishing with the second most wins in franchise history along with the second best points percentage.
Although this accomplishment deserves to be celebrated, you can bet the team and Sutter only have one goal in mind. If history is any indication, I say they have a great opportunity to do so.
Photo by Juan Ocampo/NHLI via Getty Images
