NHL Sutter is selected to coach Flames; debut is tonight against Anaheim

He was fired as the San Jose Sharks coach on Dec. 1 following an 8-12-2-2 start.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) -- It took less than a month for Darryl Sutter to find a new team.
Sutter was hired as the coach of the Calgary Flames on Saturday, and will make his debut tonight at home against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He was fired by the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 1 after an 8-12-2-2 start.
"It's a thrill, it gives me shivers," Sutter said.
Calgary fired Greg Gilbert on Dec. 3. Gilbert was in his second full season as coach after taking over the team in March 2001, when Don Hay was fired.
Al MacNeil, the special assistant to general manger Craig Button, was the interim coach.
Sutter's name was among the first to surface as a potential candidate when the Flames fired Gilbert and assistant coach Brad McCrimmon. Sutter's family has roots in Alberta and his brother, Brian, coached the Flames for three seasons.
Record with Sharks
In just over five seasons with the Sharks, Sutter had a regular-season record of 192-182-60.
"This is not a short-term deal for me," Sutter said. "I want the identity of the Calgary Flames back to where it was -- this is a tough town, a tough place to play. Just to restore that is really important."
Last season, Sutter became just the second coach in NHL history to guide his team to five consecutive seasons of point improvement and led the Sharks to a club record five consecutive playoff berths.
Button said Sutter's five years of steady improvement with the Sharks made him the best fit for the Flames.
"He took a team that really wasn't very good and not only did he make the team better, but he made all the younger players better," Button said. "They're now a formidable foe.
"I think he's perfect for our team."
In playoffs 3 years
Sutter coached Chicago for three seasons from 1992-95, and reached the playoffs each year. He played eight seasons for the Blackhawks.
Sutter earned his 300th NHL coaching victory on Nov. 16 in a 7-3 win at Florida. He has a 302-262-86 career coaching record with San Jose and Chicago.
Sutter's hiring came one day after the Flames lost 4-3 to Toronto and fell to 2-9-4-1 at home. The Flames, ranked 29th in goals and 22nd in goals against, are tied with Nashville for last place in the Western Conference at 10-18-5-3.
The Flames had one of their worst months in franchise history in November, going 3-9-1-1.
Calgary also discussed the coaching position with Ted Nolan, Scotty Bowman, Larry Robinson, Kevin Constantine and Jim Playfair, the head coach of Calgary's AHL affiliate.