Flames Jonathan Huberdeau Opens Up About Darryl Sutter

The Calgary Flames continued their sweeping changes as the team showed head coach Darryl Sutter the door. There's been a ton of speculation about Sutter's relationship with a number of team employees, however it's his relationship with some of the Flames best players that continue to make headlines. 

Forward Jonathan Huberdeau opened up about the news Sutter was let go and admitted, he and the team's ex-head coach were never on the same page:

It really didn't click between me and Darryl last year. There were a lot of factors. There was a big difference in points between my last two years. And the style of play he wanted to play, it didn't fit my style. Having a new coach is going to help my game and my confidence, too.

Sutter also was under a lot of heat for the way talked about rookies or young players trying to crack the Flames lineup, including Jakob Pelletier who made his debut in January. Huberdeau had this to say on that matter:

Why say that to the media and then go see the kid to tell him he played well? We were all disappointed. Especially for a young kid who comes in and doesn't need that as a young player. He just wants to play well for himself and the team. ... We were saying, 'That's Darryl

Needless to say, the trouble is paradise appears to be behind them and expect a bounce-back season out of Calgary in 2023-24. New bench boss, new GM and a new lease on life for Huberdeau and company.

Photo credit:  Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports