Huberdeau Takes Low-Blow Shots at His Coach Who Was Just Fired

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Sky
May 2, 2023 (1:26 PM)

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The Calgary Flames made headlines on Monday as they announced the firing of their head coach Darryl Sutter, just two months before his new contract extension was set to come into effect. It's no secret that Sutter's relationship with some players and personnel within the organization had been strained in recent times, and Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau didn't mince words about his own personal feelings towards his now-former coach.

"It really didn't click between me and Darryl last year," Huberdeau stated. "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."

Clearly, the 28-year-old Huberdeau didn't mesh with Sutter's system, and he is hopeful that a new coach will allow him to find his footing once again. The forward also touched on Sutter's treatment of rookie Jakob Pelletier following his NHL debut. After the Flames' 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 21st, Sutter was asked by the media how he thought Pelletier played, to which he replied "what number he was again?".

"Why say that to the media and then go see the kid to tell him he played well?" Huberdeau said of the incident.

The Quebec native saw a significant dip in production during the 2022-23 season compared to his previous campaign where he had an impressive 115 points in 80 games. In 79 games during his first season with Calgary, Huberdeau managed 55 points, consisting of 15 goals and 40 assists.

Looking forward, the Flames forward will be entering the first year of his lucrative eight-year contract, which will see him earn $10.5 million annually. With a new coach set to take the reins, Huberdeau and the Flames will undoubtedly be hoping for a fresh start and a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup once again.