Sutter steps down

Playfair has been an assistant coach with the Flames for the last three years.

Following stints with the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, Sutter became head coach of the Flames in 2002 and guided them to the 2004 Stanley Cup finals, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.

Last season, Sutter led his team to first place in the Northwest Division with a 46-25-11 record before they fell to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the Western Conference quarter-finals.

"I've done it a long time and coached a lot of games so obviously I'm going to miss it (coaching)," Sutter said on the team's website.

"I have a tremendous responsibility to the organisation. It's not that you're just dealing with 23 players; you're dealing with 50-60, plus a big scouting staff and a coaching staff, so I really don't think I'll have time to miss anything."

Before joining Calgary as an assistant, Playfair spent two-plus seasons as head coach of the Flames' minor league affiliate in Saint John, New Brunswick taking them to the Calder Cup title in 2001.