After six weeks the Calgary Flames' extensive search for a new head coach has finally reached it's end.
GM Brad Treliving and co. interviewed a plethora of candidates for the vacancy and have settled on Glen Gulutzan as Bob Hartley's replacement.
Gulutzan will be introduced as CGY head coach at 10:30 MT.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 17, 2016
Gulutzan spent the last few seasons as an assistant coach in Vancouver. His lone experience in charge of an NHL bench came from 2011-13 when he coached the Dallas Stars.
Gulutzan's Stars missed the playoffs both seasons during his short tenure with the team but they owned a respectable record of 64-57-9 during that span.
Under Gulutzan the Stars didn't have great underlying numbers but they weren't necessarily bad, either.
In 2011-12 the Stars controlled 49.8% of the shot attempts and 48.8% of the scoring chances at 5 v 5. In 2012-13 the Stars controlled 48.9% of the shot attempts and 48.8% of the scoring chances.
Those aren't great figures but they're better than the Flames' underlying numbers during Hartley's tenure.
Here is how the Flames performed at 5v5 during Hartley's tenure as head coach. Never above 50% in any major cat. pic.twitter.com/sXN315AZ1F
— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) May 3, 2016
I don't know that Gulutzan is the best hire the Flames could have made - I would have preferred Geoff Ward, among others - but this appears to be at least a small step in the right direction.
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