Vanderbeek says Sutter's quick move to Calgary is "surprising and upsetting"

Devils chairman and managing partner Jeff Vanderbeek said today that Brent Sutter's quick defection to become head coach of the Calgary Flames today only two weeks after he stepped own from the same post in New Jersey -- despite having time left on his contract -- "leaves a bad taste in your mouth" especially after Sutter had talked about wanting to spend more time with his family in Red Deer, Alberta.

"It's suprising and upsetting," Vanderbeek told me. "The conversations that Lou (Lamoriello) was having and even to the extent that I had [with Sutter] really all revolved around his family, specifically his daughter (Brooke) who is going to be a senior. Never was there any inkling that this was about taking a head coaching job so soon thereafter."

Vanderbeek said he knew that Sutter's move to Calgary was coming in the last week or so he was aware that Lamoriello had granted the Flames permission to talk to Sutter and because "where's there's smoke there's fire." 

"I'm talking about being surprised based on the conversations between the last game [on April 28] and when he made his decision [to leave the Devils], not anything in the last week," Vanderbeek said.  

Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said that he is "going forward" and has no emotions over Sutter joiniing his older brother and Flames GM Darryl Sutter in Calgary.

"I don't think there's any feelings because what transpired when Brent left, we respected his reasons for doing so -- his family and being close to home and you never had any second thoughts of what the reasons were nor do I now," he told me. "When I received a call from Darryl, two things go through your mind -- you either make the decision to say, 'no', which you have the right to do when there is time remaining on a contract because a commitment is a commitment. Then, what you do is you handle it with it uniqueness and extenuating circumstances and then you make a decision and that decision was to allow Calgary to speak to him knowing that once you allow that, there is no compensation, which you cannot get anymore in these situations. So, you just move forward, you don't look back."

Lamoriello said it is not permitted under league bylaws to even ask for compensation before granting permission to talk to a coach who is still under contract. (There's still a possibility that Darryl Sutter and Lamoriello have some "off the books" agreement, but they can never admit to it and we'll probably never find out.) 

So basically, Lamoriello either had to make Sutter wait until his contract with the Devils expired or give Darryl Sutter permission and let Brent Sutter go. (Although it is believed that Sutter had only one year left on his contract, Lamoriello would not confirm that and seemed to hint that there might have been more than that).

Vanderbeek is not a fan of the new rule about no compensation, but said he understands it.

"I understand the intent of it and it [the old rule] probably was abused over time," Vanderbeek said. "But certainly, just based on knowing the conversations we had, it leaves a bit of a bad taste in your mouth. That being said, I don't think it helps an organization ever to have somebody working for it that is not 110 percent committed."

Other things of note from my conversations with Lamoriello and Vanderbeek (as they pertain to the Sutter situation).

**Lamorielo said he had no pre-arranged agreement with Sutter that would have allowed him to get out of his contract early if he was unhappy being so far away from his family.

"Absolutely not," he said. "There was no commitment before."

**Lamoriello said, "I wasn't expecting it nor was I surprised," when Darryl Sutter called to ask for permission to speak to Brent only three days after Brent resigned his post with the Devils.

**Lamoriello would not discuss whether he was satisfied that there was no evidence that the Flames were guilty of tampering with Brent Sutter before he stepped down as head coach of the Devils or before Darryl Sutter was granted permission to speak to him.

"I don't allow myself to get into any of those discussions," Lamoriello said. "Once we made the decision to go and allow them to speak to him, you just don't look back."

When I asked Vanderbeek the same question, he replied, "I wouldn't be the right person to ask that. Lou would be and if he is content with that, certainly I would be."

***

This probably isn't the best spot for this, but Vanderbeek was pleased that Lamoriello was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame today. He will be inducted in a ceremony on Nov. 9 in Toronto.

"It couldn't happen to a better person," Vanderbeek said. "He had dedicated a huge part of his life to hockey on many. many levels, even more recently with USA Hockey and a lot of stuff the league is moving on with them and certainly the college side of the sport and the professional ranks in the NHL can stand by itself. A lot people forget what he did to get some of the first Russians over here (Slava Fetisov and Sergei Starikov in 1989). He took risks and, as I said, it couldn't happen to a more deserving person."

Comments

[Jason]

Honestly, our compensation for losing Sutter, is losing Sutter.

[Sergeich]

2 Jason: good point!

PS What a wuss... "family, daughter, 25 employees, I'm never home... I won't work for my brother... and yes I'd sign for another 40 road games in a heart beat"

He just should've said

"I AM WHAT I AM,
Brent Sutter"

[BishopQ]

good point Jason. I agree with Vanderbeek, if he wasn't committed then he shouldn't be here. Clearly 80 seconds more commitment would've helped this season.

[Jack the Bear]

Mr. Vanderbeek is dead on. As far as I am concerned.....good riddance. Sutter can easily be replaced.

[Arteg]

I'd like to learn a bit more about that last sentence, TG.

[Jack the Bear]

Jason said it all....

[HF]

"I don't allow myself to get into any of those discussions," Lamoriello said What does that mean???

[Will in Maine]

I just wish Sutter would have made his move last summer so we could of gotten Torts... oh well... .2 seconds of commitment and focus would have been nice so we wouldn't have needed the 80 seconds... (yes I know the .2 goal was game 4).

[DH]

I don't give a sh@t who the new coach is because this is Marty's team for the next three years. Might as well make him coach as long as he insists on playing 75 games a year and then sucking it up in the playoffs. We could get Scotty Bowman out of retirement, but I don't think he has a good glove hand.

[Joe stinson]

I"m sorry but I'm pissed at this whole fiasco by the Sutter clan. If anyone buys that this wasn't long in the works, there's some land in the swamp I wanna sell you. I'm a big fan of Lou I think he should have said "NO." Brent got on the job training here in N.J on our nickel. I get the feeling that Vanderbeek wanted to say "NO."

[HF]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=4281908

good article...

[jerseytom]

I hope we beat the pi$$ out of Calgary the one or two times we meet them next year...That's all I can say.

Hope its on our home ice too.

[IA]

Wow. Ok so the guy left, let's just move on. He moved closer to home, let him be now if you hate him so much quit complaining about what a classless act he is. The positive out of this? He changed the team into an offensive-minded team. And as for all of you people saying ".2 seconds of focus" or "80 seconds" crap...it wasn't his fault, it was the players who were on the ice. He made the choice of sending out that group of players because they were responsible when it comes to defense. So they messed up, it's over, let's please move on. I wish Brent the best of luck but now it's just time to move on.

[Lou is a FRAUD]

Why is it that we are now hearing that it is not even possible to request compensation when all of the reports before today were saying we could request compensation for the right to talk to Brent but couldn't ask for anything after granting permission. I think that "error" has us fans riled up more than anything else. If we knew it wasn't even allowed, which I'd still like official confirmation of, we wouldn't be screaming at Lou here, we'd be going to Google Maps and looking for the closest pitchfork stand to Calgary. It just looks awfully convenient this "new" information is coming out today.

PS, great article on ESPN. I'd like to hear a quote from Bettman on whether the NHL will look into this or if it considers it a dead topic.

[RJ]

Sutter better make sure he still has a pair of balls. What a whiny little girl. During the press conference, He sounded like a man who was castrated. Don't worry Brent, the next coach will take us farther than you have ever gone before. You could not take this great team out of the first round.

[TG]

I was previously told by someone that it was possible to ask for compensation beforehand, but apparently that's not true. Like I said, it's always possible that Darryl Sutter promised the Devils something we'll never know about to entice Lamoriello to give him permission to talk to Brent. Remember the 2006 trade of Malakhov to San Jose. That was essentially a trade of cap space between the Devils and the Sharks, but neither side was ever allowed to say that.

Perhaps, a similar "hockey" transaction is in the future for the Devils and Flames.

[Will in Maine]

Do I dare read a Scott Burnside article and contemplate suicide for the next couple of hours? fine...

Sounds like Burnside is trying to "stir the pot" I think more so with Calgary fans.. When will the truth really come out? Looks like the Sutters were really trying to cover their asses in this situation. I also will be curious to see if Brent chooses to live in Red Deer, Calgary, or somewhere in between. I cannot see him driving 90 miles during a Western Canadian winter.. That like me driving from where I live hopping on the Maine Turnpike and driving to the ME/NH state line and in winter?? yeah right.. Id have to be making a hell of a lot of money which I doubt Brent will.

[Matt R]

I'm pretty sure when we play the Flames next season, that it will be in Calgary. Considering the fact that we played them in NJ last season is a pretty good hint that they'll play in Calgary next season. I think the only way to play them in NJ would be for the Flames to be one of the 3 Western Conference teams we play twice next season.

[Scratch]

I'm curious to see what type of reception Sutter gets next time he shows his fish-face at the Rock.

HF, thanks for the link to that article, enjoyed reading it.

[Harvey Lou-Face]

The night is darkest just before the dawn, and I promise you, the dawn in coming!

[Chef Mike]

I have one word for Brett and then I'll move on.

Boo

[dannyd]

Lou can be the most irritating person on the planet. He makes politicians look honest and straight-forward.

[Matt]

Honestly Lou did nothing wrong, and he's right there is no point in saying no about granting talks. It just makes you look like a jack a$$. Sutter did that for him self twice. New thing, Just beat them. Also, Didn't the league vote yes to playing every team in the season atleast once last year.

[Noam N. Kogen]

Good riddance, Brent Sutter. You're practically home now.

I hope you're happy. Now, the New Jersey Devils will have a better coach than you were come playoff time, phony baloney.

I can't wait for us to beat you when we play you.

[Steve]

We were not going to win a Stanley Cup with Brent Sutter on the bench.