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Wednesday, October 27, 1999
Plea for patience
Coates knows there's no easy cure in today's hockey climate
A humiliating loss to an expansion franchise last night, a horrific 2-7-2 start to the season, three years without a playoff game, a decade without a playoff round win.
And GM Al Coates wants Calgary Flames fans to have, you read it right, patience.
Sitting alone with this writer in the Phillips Arena before last night's game, Coates reflected on where this team is headed, and although he admits to a certain level of frustration, he has no choice but to preach patience.
He's heard the growing impatience among fans, the not-so-quiet calls for his firing or the removal of coach Brian Sutter.
But four years into a major rebuilding effort, Coates has little choice but to stay the course.
And if you dispassionately examine his point of view, there is no real alternative.
You don't opt out of rebuilding on a whim -- you suffer through it, unless you have the unlimited resources of a New York or Philadelphia.
"Our goal all along was to have as many as 15 or 16 better-than-average players coming together at one time," says Coats. "We're pretty close to that -- they're just all not here right now.
"We understand it's pretty important to win and I believe in the team right now, that it will be successful. It's coming, but obviously, we would have liked to get off to a quicker start.
"We have a plan -- the plan was expressed and explained to the ownership and team president Ron Bremner in lots of meetings.
"I think this plan is the only way success is attainable -- to bring a nucleus of players together with the coaching we have, which I admire for what they are doing with these young players.
"Quite frankly, our scheme of things is the only way to operate a team -- to draft well, develop well and then realize the good fortune of all that having fun winning games and you are the toast of the town again. Ultimately, that is our goal here, to have Flames fans excited about our team."
But the truth is that the excitement in this club has never been lower. It's no wonder, considering how bad this team has performed.
To conclude that is a function of bad management or bad coaching is to misunderstand the process that the team ownership bought into out of economic necessity.
Rebuilding means pain. So suck it up, Calgary. Firing Coates is not the answer. At least not yet.
"I hear the talk about me, and feel it, obviously," said Coates.
"No one needs to put pressure on me because I put enough pressure on myself. Nobody wants to be more successful and see this whole thing work out the way we planned than I do. This isn't an excuse, but there is realization that in this process that every year now, if our franchises are going to be judged by post-season play, right now 12 aren't going to get in and 14 next year. You factor in all the economics that go with that and some might suggest we have a real tough, upward battle to achieve that.
"That's why I believe in the plan and staying with it. I don't see any other way, quite frankly, of getting to the desired goal."
But Coates has erred badly in one area that is costing this team dearly now.
Since the outset of the rebuilding effort, he has preached that a team can retool and continue to win at the same time.
By putting marginal teams on the ice, he's made runs at playoff spots, but in the long run, has diminished the team's future talent by lowering their draft position.
Still, this team is confident in its young talent, most of whom are only now becoming capable of playing at the NHL level.
"We need to have a little more success right now, and I think that is going to come," said Coates.
"Our goal is to vie for a playoff spot. We need to make some strides right now and I think the people who are judging us are no different than how we are looking at progress in the big picture.
"We need to factor in what we've done in terms of the long term of the acquisition and development of players and where they fit. We're maybe way ahead of the pack in that particular area. Those prospects are not all here yet, but you can do more damage by not being patient and waiting it out.
"I'd personally like to be judged against everybody when all the budgets are $30 million. Let's see who does the best job then, because that forces you to do what you are supposed to -- draft well, make good trades, develop well and coach and manage well.
"We're not on an even playing field and that is a high level of frustration for a lot of people, including me.
"I know it's difficult. We have to have patience ourselves to stay the course.There is no quick fix, no easy way to do this unless Wayne comes out of retirement to play in Calgary. Failing something like that, there aren't players available within our range who are going to upgrade the team. We'd rather give the opportunity to someone who has earned it within our own system."
Coates' message is clear. There are no quick fixes, no free-agent signings or blockbuster trades for this Flames team.
In a very real sense, the Flames are not much different than the expansion Atlanta Thrashers.
Calgary is effectively an expansion franchise building for the future.
At this point, there is little choice but to accept the fact that future is still a ways off.
"Maybe it's frustrating for fans. There is not much we can do about that but continue to work as hard as we are to try and fast-track the development process," he said.
"But remember, there have been a lot of teams, and we don't intend to be one, who have missed the playoffs a lot more years than we intend to.
"Some of those teams people point to now as great teams, but that's because they were able to draft four or five players who can make a difference.
"Quite frankly, there was some patience in those situations that was appreciated by the people who were running those teams.
"That's what we are going through right now. We would like to expedite the process. but it's a very difficult process to expedite."
Firing the GM doesn't expedite it, either.
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