Bob Hartley’s impressive run as the head coach in Calgary will continue beyond this season.
On Wednesday, the Flames announced they’ve re-signed Hartley to a “multi-year contract extension,” roughly one month after reports unveiled that the two sides were in contract negotiations.
Hartley, 54, joined the Flames three years ago and has led the team to a 71-79-13 record over that time. While not a winning record, the mark is rather impressive given Calgary’s been in the midst of a major rebuild; what’s more, Hartley got the club off to a great start this season (17-14-2, ninth in the Western Conference) and recorded his 400th career win in early December.
Earlier this month, Hartley made it abundantly clear he wanted to stick with Calgary for the long haul.
“I love the commitment that we’re getting from everyone,” he told NHL.com. “I’m having lots of fun with this group because it’s an easy group to work with. The kids, the veterans, they all really want to learn. The practices are intense. We’re fortunate here.
“I always wanted to be in a Canadian market and we’re in a beautiful growing city, the fans are in love with us, and on top of this we’re very privileged people. We’re working in the best hockey league in the world.”