Calgary Flames: Ranking the top 5 coaches in team history
The Calgary Flames have a rich history in the NHL. They also have some pretty legendary coaches. Flame for Thought ranks the top five.
Over their 50-year history, the Calgary Flames have had 21 coaches between Atlanta and Calgary.
Throughout this span of time the team has seen names like Al MacNeal, Mike Keenan, Doug Risebrough, Brian and Brent Sutter, and Bernie Geoffrion all take a stand behind the bench.
Many of them had great NHL careers as both players and coaches like Risebrough who won four Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadians as a player, then proceeded to win the cup with Calgary, before being the first general manger in Minnesota Wild history.
Both Brian and Brent Sutter had their success as players, and Brent ranks sixth in wins as a Flames head coach despite never sending his teams to the postseason.
Despite having a few high profile names as coaches, the Flames have only lifted Lord Stanley once. It’s certainly not from a lack of talent however.
The Flames were blessed in the 1980s with names like Lanny McDonald, Mike Vernon, Brett Hull, Al MacInnis, and Tim Hunter to name a few. And even in the 1990s-2000s Jarome Iginla, Mikka Kiprusoff, Robyn Regher, Val Bure and Gary Roberts dawned the flaming ‘C’.
Of course we all know what happened in 2004, but we’ll relive that pain in a little while.
Also a Flames Fun Fact: no coach as been around more than 5 years. Darryl Sutter is poised to be the longest tenured coach in team history next season.
The top three Flames coaches are pretty much set in stone. It’s truly just a matter of personal opinion as to where you’d rank them.
We’ve come up with the top five as (in no particular order here): Darryl Sutter, Terry Crips, Bob Johnson, Bob Hartley, and Fred Creighton.
We’ll begin with the most successful coach in Atlanta Flames history, Fred Creighton.
No. 4: Bob Hartley was one of the most beloved coaches during his time in Calgary.
Bob Hartley’s time in Calgary could be considered short lived. He was only with the team for four years and had only one winning (and playoff) season to show for it. But, was he ever a fan favourite.
During his time in Southern Alberta, the former Stanley Cup champion won his only Jack Adams award for Coach of the Year in 2014-15 and had many priceless quotes.
The best Hartley quote was when the Flames were about to face the New York Rangers. The Flames had been hit with the flu bug and he described the scene pretty well:
“You should’ve been in the locker room… the medical staff runs in the coach’s office saying ‘Guys are puking everywhere,'” coach Bob Hartley said. “You have Karri Ramo in the laundry room and you have Jiri Hudler in the doctor’s room and they’re throwing up and they’re white like ghosts and suddenly you look at Jonas Hiller and he’s coming in, and he’s whiter than a snowman.” Fox Sports
What separated Hartley from a lot of other coaches the Flames had was his father-like approach. He was a guy who wanted the best out of his players. Not only on the ice, but off it as well.
He was the first coach forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan had in the NHL, and he had enforcers like forwards Brian McGratten and Deryk Engelland. Oh and some forward named Jarome Iginla. Who knows what could’ve been if he had the roster as it is now.
Hartley also has the odd milestone of coaching both versions of the Flames organization. He was head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers from 2002-03 until 2007-08, before coming to Calgary in 2012.
The Hawkesbury, ONT native joins the top five list as he sits in fifth place in team wins with 134. A Jack Adams and one lone playoff series win also solidified his position.
No. 3: Bob Johnson: “It’s a great day for hockey.”
If you were to take a stroll in the Scotiabank Saddledome, you’ll see lots of memories from the 1989 Stanley Cup winning team. You’d also notice nods to the 1988 Winter Olympics which was held in Calgary. But you’d also see a spot for ‘Badger’ Bob Johnson.
Bob Johnson did everything but win a Stanley Cup with the Flames. He took them to three-straight 40+ win seasons, the NHL Division Semi-Finals or better every year, and in 1986 he took the team to their first Stanley Cup finals appearance where they lost to the powerful Montreal Canadians.
Johnson did get his coveted ring when he coached the Pittsburgh Penguins with forward Mario Lemieux.
‘Badger’ Bob was known for his catchphrase “It’s a great day for hockey.” Everyday he arrived at his office in the Saddledome he was dressed practically like a fan, according to his assistant Bob Murdoch.
“I remember he’d come into the coaches room in the morning and go: ‘Great day for hockey! These people here in Calgary, they’re unbelievable. They recognize you and they want to talk hockey.’ “Well, you took a step back from Bob. He had a Flames’ cap on. A Flames’ jacket on. Flames’ pants on. Flames running shoes on. “He was a walking billboard for the Calgary Flames. And he was so pleased people would recognize him. Well, he practically had a string of neon lights across his body that blinked CALGARY FLAMES on and off. “You couldn’t help BUT recognize him.” -by George Johnson
Johnson passed away in 1991, but his legacy still lives on within the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins organizations, as well as within the NHL.
No. 2: Darryl Sutter brings his “call it as it is” demeanour to second on the top five list.
He doesn’t smile often but when he does he’s either talking about his son Chris, or telling a joke to the media. Darryl Sutter is one of the best coaches the Flames organization has ever seen behind the bench and behind the mic.
Sutter currently sits 31 wins behind Johnson with 162. He’ll obviously creep closer as the 2021-2022 season draws to a close, but he’ll have a decent chance to make history next year.
This is his second tenure with the Flames. His first go around was quite successful leading a 2004 squad with two stars and a bunch of underdogs to game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. It was then the Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but not without some controversy.
Game six in Calgary saw Calgary up 3-2 in the series. Forward Martin Gelinas thought to have scored which would’ve set the Flames up to win their second cup in team history. Unfortunately, the technology back then wasn’t as advanced as it is now so there was no whistle and no video replay.
Sutter eventually won two Stanley Cups with the LA Kings.
When the Flames decided to bring him back there was a lot of conversation about his coaching style and if it would mesh well with this group of players.
As it turns out, he’s the coach they needed all along. This was a team who needed a fire lit under them. Sure, they had success with former head coach Bill Peters, but Sutter brings a different vibe. A “the jobs not finished until the cup is raised over your head” vibe.
He’s been able to get the most out of this edition of the Flames. Forwards Johnny Gaudreau (30), Matthew Tkachuk (32), Elias Lindolm (34), and Andrew Mangiapanie (30)have eclipsed the 30 goal mark. This is the first time since 1991 the Flames have four 30 goal scorers.
Depening on how this season turns out, Sutter could immediately be number one on the list. But until then, he’ll have to settle for second.
No. 1: The lone coach to the lead the Flames to the promised land, Terry Crisp is the best coach in team history.
It’s pretty obvious who number one would be. Terry Crisp has earned this right leading the Flames to a Stanley Cup Championship in 1989.
He guided his championship squad to 54 wins (still a franchise record) in the regular season and took them on a 16-6 playoff run which ended with revenge against the Montreal Canadians.
The Flames were the only team to beat the Canadiens at the Montreal Forum to win the Stanley Cup. If you’d like to relive the memories, you can do so here:
Crisp had some pretty legendary players on his roster. Captain Lanny McDonald scored his final NHL goal in the infamous game six in Montreal, while Al MacInnis won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the postseason.
Forward Joe Mullen also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy and the NHL Plus/Minus award. He also lead the team with 110 points. It was good enough for seventh in the NHL because, well, it was the 1980s and Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Steve Yzerman were taking the league by storm.
Mullen would still be near or at the top in points if he played today.
Crisp took over a pretty much Stanley Cup caliber squad. He acknowledged the foundation in an interview with the Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson:
“Badger Bob Johnson had been here before me and laid a solid, solid foundation with Cliff (Fletcher) and them. The mandate was to win a Stanley Cup. The owners had all the money they ever needed, but our fans wanted a Stanley Cup. Our goal was to do that and we were fortunate enough to do it“ -Terry Crisp
After his coaching career ended, Crisp and his wife went down to Nashville and enjoyed 23 years with the Predators organization. Crisp worked as a TV analysis and just recently announced he’s retiring.
It’ll be hard to top being the coach to win a franchises first Stanley Cup, but Terry Crisp will probably be one of the top three coaches in Flames history for a long time.
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Who are your top five coaches in Flames history? Let us know in the comments.