NHL teams
Emily Kaplan, ESPN 6y

After missing playoffs, Flames fire head coach Glen Gulutzan

NHL, Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames fired head coach Glen Gulutzan on Tuesday after two seasons.

Gulutzan, 46, guided the Flames to the playoffs after his first season in 2016-17, though the Flames were swept in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. The Flames missed the playoffs this past season with a 37-35-10 record. The team especially faltered down the stretch, losing 17 of its last 24 games.

Several key Flames dealt with injuries during the season, including goalie Mike Smith, defenseman TJ Brodie and forwards Sean Monahan and Matthew Tkachuk. Meanwhile, the free-agency signing of 45-year-old winger Jaromir Jagr was a bust; Jagr played only 22 games before he was put on waivers in late January.

Calgary also fired assistant coaches Dave Cameron and Paul Jerrard on Tuesday.

Gulutzan had previously been head coach of theĀ Dallas StarsĀ from 2011 to 2013.

This is the third head-coaching vacancy in the NHL; the New York Rangers fired Alain Vigneault after the season, and Stars coach Ken Hitchcock retired.

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