Quebecer Jonathan Huberdeau would have hoped for a better start to the season with the Calgary Flames, his new formation. And his production so far has hardly impressed his head coach, Darryl Sutter.
So Sutter decided to put Huberdeau on the team’s third line, explaining “he tried it everywhere else and it didn’t work.”
Prior to the Flames’ 6-5 win over the Los Angeles Kings the day before, Huberdeau had just six points, including one goal, in 11 games.
This is also a situation that does not please ex-NHL player Maxim Lapierre at all.
“It infuriates me so much that he says he put him on the third line because he had done nothing on the other two lines, underlined Lapierre, Tuesday, during the show The Blue Pocket noon, on TVA Sports. That was the message, theoretically.
“Johnny “Hockey” (Editor’s note: Gaudreau) left Calgary and we agree that it is certain and certain that the coach was not a positive factor in his decision. (Matthew) Tkachuk requested a trade. And it had been hard for him in Sutter’s freshman year because he didn’t agree with his role.”
Lapierre did not stop there.
“You lose big stars in Calgary in a market where it’s not so easy to attract them,” he continued. You have a guy like Huberdeau who agrees to sign for the long term […] and we treat him like that?! I find that ridiculous.
«[…] Everyone left Columbus because of (John) Tortorella. We will be told no, but that’s the same. There, speedboats depart from Calgary. General managers need to come down and tell their 1920s coaches that in 2022, that’s not how it works. It is not like that.
“You have to make the players feel (good), they have to be good in the locker room. The guy was in the top 3 in NHL scoring last year, can we just let him have some fun? He sends a sign to fans that he loves playing in Calgary and that he will do everything for this organization by signing long term. Can we put him on the first line and on the power play, please?
“Dinosaurs,” sighed Lapierre as he finished.
See it in the video above.