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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Flames surprise by picking Hartley
Bob Hartley (POSTMEDIA CALGARY HERALD)
CALGARY -- Bob Hartley is back in the NHL. What's surprising is it's with the Calgary Flames.
The Montreal Canadiens seemed a likely destination for the Stanley Cup winner because of Hartley's Franco-Ontarian roots. Hartley was in discussions with the Canadiens and some pundits had already made his arrival in Montreal a foregone conclusion.
But the 51-year-old from Hawkesbury, Ont., has signed a three-year contract to coach the Flames, a stalled franchise that hasn't made the playoffs in three years.
He replaces Brent Sutter behind the Flames bench after Sutter and the club parted company in April. Hartley is Calgary's fifth coach since the 2004-05 lockout.
The Flames narrowly missed the playoffs under Sutter for three years in a row, finishing ninth in the Western Conference this past season at 37-29-16.
"One of the teams in the Stanley Cup finals, the L.A. Kings, just finished five points ahead of the Calgary Flames," Hartley said. "It's just to show you the difference between being a Stanley Cup winner and a non-playoff team is very, very slim.
"There's special expectations that come with a Canadian market. Growing up in Ontario, I've won many Stanley Cups playing pond hockey or in the street. I was very fortunate to win a Stanley Cup with Colorado and that's the kind of attitude I want to bring to this dressing room.
"I can promise you and I can promise the fans that we will not only give you entertaining hockey, but we will make sure that the Calgary Flames are a top team in the National Hockey League."
Hartley and Flames general manager Jay Feaster have a close relationship from their days together with the AHL's Hershey Bears. The two men won a Calder Cup together in 1997 before embarking on their respective NHL careers.
Hartley is the godfather of Feaster's son Ryan.
"We've always stayed in touch," Hartley said.
He has experience and a track record of success. Hartley coached for a decade in the NHL with both the Colorado Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers and won a Stanley Cup in 2001 win the Avs.
-- The Canadian Press
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 1, 2012 C4
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