After four seasons with the team, head coach Bob Hartley was fired by the Calgary Flames on Tuesday. Hartley was named the league's coach of the year last season after leading the Flames to the Western Conference semifinals. That was the team's only playoff appearance in Hartley's four seasons there.
This season was the tipping point, as the team went 35-40-7, finishing fifth in the Pacific Division. The coach had one year left on his current contract, but after a thorough review of the team, management felt it best for them to move on.
In Hartley's one playoff season with the Flames, they finished 45-30-7, good for third in the Pacific. This season was a different story, despite returning most of their players from the year before. The team traded away the likes of Jiri Hudler to Florida, and David Jones to Minnesota in February. Calgary did receive goalie Niklas Backstrom in the deal with the Wild.
The team dropped 20 points from last season, finishing 26th overall this year. They were the surprise of the NHL last season, which included a first-round series win over the Vancouver Canucks. They fell to that same Canucks team in the season opener this year, and got off to a tough 2-8-1 start.
The situation between the pipes may have kicked off the struggles for the team, as they dealt with three sub-par goaltenders. Both Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio were waived at some point this season, while Jonas Hiller recorded an .879 win percentage, which was the worst by a goalie in the last decade.
Harltey finishes his stint in Calgary with a record of 134-135-24, but has had success in the past, including the 2001 Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. He has 14 years of coaching experience under his belt with Colorado, Atlanta, and Calgary, which points to him not staying on the market for too long.
This season was the tipping point, as the team went 35-40-7, finishing fifth in the Pacific Division. The coach had one year left on his current contract, but after a thorough review of the team, management felt it best for them to move on.
In Hartley's one playoff season with the Flames, they finished 45-30-7, good for third in the Pacific. This season was a different story, despite returning most of their players from the year before. The team traded away the likes of Jiri Hudler to Florida, and David Jones to Minnesota in February. Calgary did receive goalie Niklas Backstrom in the deal with the Wild.
The team dropped 20 points from last season, finishing 26th overall this year. They were the surprise of the NHL last season, which included a first-round series win over the Vancouver Canucks. They fell to that same Canucks team in the season opener this year, and got off to a tough 2-8-1 start.
The situation between the pipes may have kicked off the struggles for the team, as they dealt with three sub-par goaltenders. Both Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio were waived at some point this season, while Jonas Hiller recorded an .879 win percentage, which was the worst by a goalie in the last decade.
Harltey finishes his stint in Calgary with a record of 134-135-24, but has had success in the past, including the 2001 Stanley Cup with the Avalanche. He has 14 years of coaching experience under his belt with Colorado, Atlanta, and Calgary, which points to him not staying on the market for too long.
