Wrapping Up The Brent Sutter Ordeal

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Well, we know the whole story now. Brent Sutter is in Calgary, and the Devils won't be receiving anything in return.

There is (and always will be) speculation that there was collusion.

Brent's brother Darryl is the Flames' GM, and it's silly to think they hadn't discussed this even while Brent remained head coach. Even if they didn't technically directly speak to each other about it, they surely beat around the bush to "legally" discuss the matter.

But no matter what it looks like, and no matter what we believe, we'll never be able to prove anything, so the point is moot.

However, there are some very interesting details about this entire situation, details that really don't make Brent Sutter appear like a stand-up individual.

Darryl plainly stated that he'd asked Lou Lamoriello for permission to speak to his brother on June 12th. For those keeping track at home, that's three days after Brent resigned. That's a very, very fast turnaround.

Say what you will about Calgary's proximity to Brent's home in Red Deer, and whether or not he'd have ultimately decided to coach in Calgary, but you'd think Brent would at least take a little longer to think about it.

Three days? That's all it took to pull him back into the coaching world? Doesn't seem like Brent needed much time to think about it.

Keep in mind that the Devils' season ended on April 28th. It took Brent over 40 days to consider his resignation, but only three to jump back in. His deliberation reached a relatively quick end when Mike Keenan was fired on May 23rd.

The dates just don't add up. He took a very long time to decide about his future (understandable, even though it put the Devils in a very difficult position right before the draft and free agency), then reconsidered only three days later.

I know, Calgary is only 90 miles outside of Red Deer, and he's closer to his family. But he's still spending a tremendous amount of time away from them. Three days is awfully fast to make a decision.

Incidentally, as just mentioned, Calgary is 90 miles away from Red Deer. That's not exactly the same city. I know it's closer than New Jersey, but it's not as if he's going to have much time to spend with his family and his ranch.

There are still 41 road games to be played, and he won't be making the 90-mile drive through the Canadian winter before and after every home game. And even if he would, that still doesn't leave so much time for his family, and certainly not his ranch.

Being a hockey coach is a full time job. In fact, when Sutter resigned, he said he'd just had "he first decent night’s sleep... in seven weeks." How many "decent night's sleep" does he think he'll have as coach of another NHL franchise? Are the beds that much more comfortable in Canada?

He also won't be able to micromanage his minor-league team (the Rebels) in Red Deer. This was supposedly a big factor in his resignation, as the team had missed the playoffs both years that he was in New Jersey.

But, to re-hash, being an NHL coach is a full-time job. When, exactly, does Brent intend to run his team?

Here is an exact quote from the day Sutter stepped down:

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