It’s official. Darryl Sutter is staying in L.A.
The Los Angeles Kings and head coach Sutter agreed to terms on a multi-year contract, Kings president and general manager Dean Lombardi announced Friday.
According to a report from Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times, Sutter’s new deal is for two seasons (plus and optional third year) and carries an annual salary above the $3 million Todd McLellan earns in Edmonton.
Sutter was scheduled to become a free agent on July 1 and said he would take some time to weigh his future after the Kings’ first-round playoff exit to the San Jose Sharks. He spoke about his commitment to the organization Thursday.
“I’m under contract until July 1,” Sutter told the Los Angeles Times. “I have no desire to go anywhere else or do any of that. We’ll get it worked out. That’s my plan.”
Los Angeles won two Stanley Cups under Sutter in 2012 and 2014, reached the Western Conference final in 2013, and missed the post-season in 2015.
Several reports indicated that Lombardi offered the 57-year-old Sutter a two-year contract.
“Two things for me are important,” Sutter told the Times. “Family obviously. [My wife] Wanda and [son] Chris really like it here. The next part is: Our team is going to change. We have to be able to adjust. You want to be able to do it sooner than later. So you want to know what you’re going to have and how you’re going to play. That’s the challenge, and that’s the good thing.”
Sutter’s teams have qualified for the postseason in 14 of his 16 seasons as a head coach, and his 595 career coaching wins rank 14th all-time. His teams have eclipsed the 40-win mark eight times, the 100-point mark four times, and his clubs have finished in first place three times.