Flames name Saskatchewan’s Glen Gulutzan as new head coach

But one possible coaching candidate was taken out of consideration Friday.

The Flames are reportedly expected to announce Gulutzan as the team’s new head coach at 10:30 AM MST on Friday morning, via a press release. He also suited up for a game with the Las Vegas Thunder in 1997.

Last season, however, the Flames finished 12th in the Western Conference. Gulutzan led the Wranglers to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in five of his six seasons with the team, including a berth in the Kelly Cup Finals in 2008.

Gulutzan was just 39 when he was fast-tracked from coach of the AHL’s Texas Stars to the helm of the parent club in Dallas.

Two years later, he was named head coach of the NHL’s Dallas Stars. His option for a third year was not picked up after new general manager Jim Nill chose to go in a different direction.

Calgary has retained assistant coach Martin Gelinas, goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet and video coach Jamie Pringle. When Willie Desjardins replaced Tortorella in 2014, he retained Gulutzan as his assistant.

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

“Part of Glen’s experience (in Vancouver) was working with the young players there, and we’ve seen some of the advances young players have had there”, Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. “He’s a communicator. He answers the questions of why and how”. What we want to be is a real connected group here.

He will move within the division from the Canucks to the Flames, taking on his second-ever head coaching job at the National Hockey League level. “I was a young guy, I was 39”. “I can write you a list of what I did well and I can write you a list of what I could have done differently”. When you’re a head coach, it’s a trial by fire. “This is where I started to cut my teeth in the National Hockey League and it’s a special honor to be the head coach”.