Flames Fire GM And Coach

April 11, 2000 / 9:16 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The Calgary Flames, who missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season, fired general manager Al Coates and coach Brian Sutter on Tuesday.

Director of player personnel Nick Polano and assistant coach Rich Preston were also fired.

"It is clear that we need more supporters and better results if we are going to go to the next level," team president Ron Bremner said.

Sutter, who previously coached in Boston and St. Louis, just completed his third season with the Flames. He was coach of the year in 1990-91 with the Blues but failed to lead a young Flames team into the playoffs.

"In two years you don't build a team," Sutter said. "Last year the players could see the playoffs, but they never felt them. This year they got a taste of it and they felt it."

Coates, who was also the team's executive vice-president, spent five seasons with Calgary.

"It's devastating," Sutter said. "The part that really hurts is that Coatesy did a hell of a job with what was available to him."

Twenty-one teams finished ahead of the injury-plagued Flames this season and only Nashville had a worse record in the West. Calgary finished last in the Northwest Division with a 31-41-10-5 record.

"I have had fans phone me in the past week and say I should be shot if I make any changes," Bremner said. "I've had fans phone me and say I should be hung from the Saddledome if I don't make any changes.

"So at the end of the day, you have to go in the direction that you feel in your heart and mind is the best possible decision for your organization."

Sutter's record with Calgary was 56-81-27 going into this season.

"When we made trades we had to dig real deep to bring some ingredients and character that you hoped in a couple of years would become something," he said.

Sutter, who succeeded Pierre Page as coach, didn't have a lot to work with this year. The Flames lost 479 man-games to injuries with 45 different players playing for Calgary this season. Only Montreal's training room was more crowded this season.

Calgary lost defensemen Steve Smith, Tommy Albelin and Denis Gauthier and were without 20-goal scorer Cory Stillman for most of the season.

"I was proud of our hockey club," Sutter said prior to being fired. "We could have hung it up and quit a lot of times. But instead we stayed together.

"I can't explain to you the hurt that you have inside when you iss the playoffs. It's sickening."

Sutter was the 10th head coach in Flames franchise history and eighth in the 20 years the team has been in Calgary.