On the evening of December 4, 2014, Calgary Flames head coach Bob Hartley joined some elite company, and did so in dramatic fashion. Calgary’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Colorado Avalanche at the Scotiabank Saddledome was Hartley’s 400th regular season win as a head coach.
The win was Calgary’s 6th win when entering the third period trailing their opposition. Their 6-7-0 record in that situation is the best in the National Hockey League.
“It’s pretty sweet for him to get it against the team he won the Cup with back in the day,” shared Flames winger Curtis Glencross. “I imagine it’s one he’ll never forget and he came in after the game and said that his 400th win isn’t as important as it is for us to get in the playoffs.”
Following the game, the players awarded their coach with the fireman’s helmet – an honour given to the team’s hardest working player following wins. In his post-game remarks, Hartley shared that he was proud of the milestone, but remained focused on the business of team success.
“I told the players that I’m ready to trade this helmet to see them in the playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/YhEHTjM5eH
— Wes Gilbertson (@SUNGilbertson) December 5, 2014
The rebuilding Flames have not appeared in the Stanley Cup playoffs since the 2008-09 season.
Hartley is in his third season behind the bench of the Calgary Flames. He previously coached the Colorado Avalanche from 1998 to 2002, winning a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001. He moved on to the Atlanta Thrashers mid-way through the 2002-03 season and stayed until his departure early in the 2007-08 campaign – after just seven games. He was out of the National Hockey League coaching ranks for five years prior to being hired to guide the Flames. He’s the 33rd coach in NHL history to achieve 400 wins.
