Darryl Sutter Continues To Quietly Fuel The Fire In Calgary

I'll admit it, Darryl Sutter is nothing short of brilliant when it comes to managing a hockey club.

Don't tell him that though, as I would much rather rag on him than give him praise.

After all, I am a wannabe sports writer, and that is what good ones do...right?

Anytime I think there is the crazy notion that the Calgary Flames aren't going anywhere, I will quickly think back to what I like to call "the B.S. years" or before Sutter:

The time when the Flames went seven years straight without making the playoffs and looked about as good as Rosie O'Donnell in a pair of short shorts.

In Darryl Sutter's five-year tenure with the club they have been to the Stanley Cup finals once, made the playoffs in each year, and had no fewer than 94 points.

That's not too shabby for a farm boy from Viking, Alberta.

The fact is that Darryl Sutter genuinely cares about his players, the organization, and the city of Calgary, for that matter, which in pro sports is about as rare as a bad episode of The Office.

He consistently makes big time moves (i.e. trading for Olli Jokinen, signing Jay Bouwmeester), surrounds himself with smart hockey people like his brother Brent, and continues to put the Flames in a position to win year after year.

Yet at times he seems like the forgotten man when there is talk about the NHL's top GM.

Sutter just may be the NHL's version of "Mutt" Lange as he quietly produces good teams on a yearly basis.

This season's edition of the Calgary Flames is no different as they have got off to an impressive 7-4-1 start.

And they have been doing it with some of Sutter's subtle additions over the past few years, names like Rene Bourque, Curtis Glencross and Nigel Dawes.

Players that all make well below the league average.

Yes Darryl Sutter doesn't have the cup rings that Detroit's Ken Holland sports.

He isn't as outspoken and bold as the Leafs' Brian Burke.

Instead he just goes out and does his business quietly and efficiently, putting the pieces together for hopefully a championship team one day.

As a sports writer I may always want more, but as a fan, that's about all I can ask for.