Devils coach Brent Sutter is back home in Red Deer, Alberta, working on his farm and checking on the major junior team he owns, the Red Deer Rebels. He is also contemplating his future with the Devils and whether he wants to return for a third season behind the bench.
"There's nothing new to report," Sutter said. "There's really nothing to say because I wanted to get home here and spend some time around here and spend some time in the office with everyone there (at the Rebels). I haven't had a chance yet to meet with everyone there either because it's near the end of the school year and kids are field trips and stuff. I'm waiting for (son) Brandon to get home (from the Carolina Hurricanes). I'm going to think this through properly and I'll make a decision here at a later point in time."
Sutter, who has one year left on his contract, said there is no timetable for him to make his decision.
"I'm just got home here," he said. "I haven't even been home a week, so it's going to be a while. I'm not talking about the end of the summer. I just need time. I can't put a timetable on it."
Although he has said he evaluates after every season whether he wants to continue coaching, he admitted that his second season away from home in New Jersey was more difficult than the first.
"I'm two years into it," he said. "Last year we went through a process with all of it and we went through the first year, but it was certainly more difficult this year in both my personal side of it and the family side of it than it was year ago."
The Devils were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in both seasons under Sutter. This year, they led Carolina 3-2 in Game 7, but gave up two goals in the final 1:20 to lose 4-3. Sutter called that "the most devastating loss I've ever had as a coach or a player," but said it would have no impact on his decision about whether to coach the Devils again in 2009-10.
"No bearing whatsoever," Sutter said. "It has nothing to do with any of it. You have to prioritize things. and that's the process I'm going through. The thing is no one understands it until you're involved in it. I've talked to people that said they tried doing to same thing I've done and they couldn't do it for longer than six, seven, eight months -- not necessariliy in the hockey industry, but in other work in their lives that's taken them down into the U.S. or has taken them up into Alaska and nothern Canada.
"That's what's different about all of this with myself. I own two businesses back here, too. Between both businesses I have over 25 employees. That has some impact on it, too. That's where I have to think this all through and sit down with people and go through things because this here is home for me. Whatever I decision I make, if the decision is to go back then the decision is to go back like I did last year and the year before. But I want to make sure that whatever decision I make, it's the right one moving forwarda and whatever one I make I'm going to be fully committed to doing it.
"I was fully committed for two years to doing what I did, but, by me doing so, it's had an impact on things back here."
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