The Calgary Flames have had a disappointing season, no mistake about it. Yet it may have caught many off-guard when it was announced Tuesday morning that head coach Bob Hartley and assistant coach Jacques Cloutier would not be returning for a fifth season of hockey. After all, one year prior Hartley guided the Flames into the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the magical cup-run in 2004, en route to winning the Jack Adams as the best coach of the year.
So why fire him?
Something people tend to forget is that Hartley has been a coach for the Flames for four seasons, and in those four seasons he has only made the playoffs once with a combined record of 134-135-25.