Summer Report: Calgary Flames

Tuesday, July 18, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry

The Flames had a disappointing end to the 2005-06 season, blowing a 3-2 series lead against the Ducks in the first round. It was fitting that the offensively challenged Flames would be shut out on home ice in a decisive seventh game.

Since then, the biggest change has taken place behind the bench. General manager Darryl Sutter decided to surrender his coaching duties, turning the club over to assistant Jim Playfair. Some Flames insiders believe the team is ready for a new voice. This will be Playfair's first NHL head coaching job. The move will allow Sutter to spend more time focusing on his GM duties.  
 

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  • E.J. Hradek E.J. Hradek

    E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.

    In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.

    Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.


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