Calgary Flames: The Bill Peters Decision Feels Rushed

Bill Peters is the new head coach of the Calgary Flames. This is happening. You may love him as a coach, or you may hate him. Opinions on both sides are out there. I, however, am less concerned about the coach himself than I am about the decision-making process that went into hiring him.

In the 3 days following his resignation from the Carolina Hurricanes, it was the worst-kept secret in the NHL. Bill Peters was coming to the Calgary Flames. Sure, some other names were tossed around to make the speculation more interesting: Darryl Sutter, Alain Vigneault, Dave Tippett, even Stockton’s Ryan Huska got a mention or two.

But Glen Gulutzan’s dismissal, and how it coincided with Peters’ departure from Carolina, made it far too obvious. No clairvoyance was required when the Flames called their press conference on Monday. Bill Peters was announced as Gulutzan’s successor.

Many believe this to be the right move for the Calgary Flames. I do not.

Let’s forget for a moment that he as a grand total of four years worth of experience as an NHL head coach. Let’s also forget that, in those four years, he racked up exactly zero minutes worth of playoff experience as a head coach. His teams have finished no better than 6th in their division. And his PTS% is a mediocre .498.

Just put those facts out of your mind.

The problem with Peters is not the coach himself. It is how he was chosen.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – JUNE 27: Brad Treliving, General Manager of the Calgary Flames, looks on during the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 27, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

From the moment Peters announced his departure, and the rampant speculation began, something about the whole situation didn’t sit right with me. It just ‘felt’ wrong. And I couldn’t figure out why.

It wasn’t his record. One could explain away his sub-.500 win percentage with a shallow talent pool and poor goaltending. His lack of experience really wasn’t that big a deal either. Everyone starts somewhere. Even his lack of playoff experience wasn’t that troubling. He’d seen plenty playoff action as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings.

Why, then, did this feel so wrong?

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My answer came during the press conference where the Calgary Flames introduced Peters as the coach (the video posted is above). At about the 4:30 mark, Columnist Eric Francis asked Brad Treliving if he’d spoken to anyone else about the job.

“No,” he replied bluntly.

He would go on to explain that he was solely focused on Peters.

And, that’s why this felt wrong.

Brad Treliving is the poster child for measured decision making and due diligence. Yet, where the new head coach of his team was concerned, he did not speak to another living soul. He did not pick up the phone. He did not send an email. He did not even fire off a quick text.

Recall that this is the GM that took Johnny Gaudreau‘s contract negotiation through training camp in 2016 (that’s 4-plus months from his contract expiration). Prior to that, he waited until mid-August of the same year to get Sean Monahan‘s deal done (a month and a half from contract expiration). He even took his sweet time getting his own contract renewed.

Given all that, the fact that it took Treliving merely 7 days to fire Glen Gulutzan and hire his successor is an outlier. But it is downright astonishing that he spoke to no one else in that time. There is simply no precedent for Treliving acting this quickly, and without supplementary data, during his time as Calgary Flames’ GM.

That is unsettling. Bill Peters may very well be the best option available to the Calgary Flames. But the fanbase will never truly know that because nobody else was interviewed.

Put another way, history will view Treliving’s move here in one of two ways. He may be praised for acting quickly and decisively to get the best coach for the team. Alternatively, he will be chastised for panicking and acting impulsively in the pursuit of his favoured candidate at the expense of vetting other, possibly better, candidates. It all hinges on the success of the team under Bill Peters.

I certainly hope it is the latter.

Next: Calgary Flames Hire Bill Peters as New Head Coach

Perhaps Treliving should have chatted with Peters before signing Eddie Lack. See here.

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