Calgary Flames find 'perfect match' in Glen Gulutzan hiring

All 30 head coaching slots will be filled as of Friday after Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving revealed the league's "worse-kept secret" by announcing the hiring of Glen Gulutzan as the team's new bench boss.

Gulutzan, who had served as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks since 2013, was head coach of the Dallas Stars for two seasons, compiling a 64-57-9 record. His option for a third year was not picked up after new general manager Jim Nill decided to go in a different direction.

The biggest thing that challenged Gulutzan in Dallas was his lack of experience, something he’s cited since. 

“I think the only way to you can get to that point is to live it or be an assistant for three or four years in the league,” he told Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Sun. "With more experience, I probably would have done some things differently, but that’s what experience is. It’s not so much dealing with players, it’s being in the league.”

Now 44, and with some seasoning as a head and assistant coach in the NHL, Gulutzan will be better prepared for his second opportunity running a bench. He’ll also have one familiar face on his roster, Deryk Engelland, who he coached while with the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers between 2003-05.

Treliving mentioned that before he began talking to candidates he went to work with his staff and created a profile of the type of coach they wanted to bring in. Gulutuzan, he said, was a "perfect match" for their needs.

Gulutzan noted that between the youth on the Flames roster and the depth on their blue line, there's promise in Calgary.

"It's a team on the cusp," he said.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy

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