The Calgary Flames will hold a press conference at 11:00 am local time to announce their new head coach. According to multiple reports, the Flames have hired former Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters. Peters resigned from the Hurricanes late last week.
Calgary Flames Pick Bill Peters
The Flames have selected Bill Peters as its new head coach. Contract details are not available at this time. Peters coached the Carolina Hurricanes for the last four seasons. This will be Peters’ second head coaching job in the league.
He amassed a record 137-138-53 and never made the Stanley Cup playoffs during his tenure. His greatest success was within the 2016-17 season. The Hurricanes finished with 87 points that year. Peters resigned at the end of the campaign.
Peters replaces Glen Gulutzan, who was fired at the end of the season. Calgary finished with a record of 37 wins and 35 losses and 10 overtime losses and ended up in 11th spot in the Western Conference and 5th in the Pacific Division.
Gulutzan made the postseason in 2016-17, but the Flames fell out of contention during the last month of the season. He’s made the Stanley Cup playoffs one time in four years as a head coach. Gulutzan helmed the Dallas Stars in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
What This Means for the Team’s Future
The Flames are looking to return to the playoffs after missing out in 2017-18. Carolina came close to ending the longest current playoff drought in the league but did not clinch a berth.
Peters is a Three Hills, Alberta native and it makes sense that would come home to coach the Flames. He’s preparing Team Canada for the upcoming IIHF World Hockey Championships. Peters led the Canadians to a gold medal in 2016.
The time was right due to new owner Tom Dundon taking over in Carolina and the Calgary job coming open. The Flames do have some good pieces in Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano.
RALEIGH, NC – JANUARY 21: Carolina Hurricanes head coach Bill Peters gets animated on the bench in a timeout during a game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC on January 21, 2018. Vegas defeated Carolina 5-1. (Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
