Muller returns to coaching in Calgary

CALGARY — Kirk Muller isn’t bitter. He’s beaming with pride.

While it’s fair to wonder if there may be some mixed emotions for the 55-year-old as he’s watched the Montreal Canadiens — the team that gave him the heave-ho in late February — advance to the third round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he insists that isn’t the case.

Muller is rooting for these familiar faces — but only until fall. He’s already back in the biz after being hired Thursday to join the Calgary Flames’ bench staff as associate coach.

“It’s a really good group of guys and I truthfully am happy to see them succeed so far,” Muller said of the Canadiens’ improbable run from fourthseed to final four. “You know, I was there when Carey Price came in. I’ve dug in with a lot of those guys for a long time. And then guys like (Nick) Suzuki and (Jesperi) Kotkaniemi, those are young kids that I’ve worked with for the last couple of years, so I see their growth.

“So for me, honestly, when you invest that much time with the guys, I’m really happy that they’re doing so well.”

Muller will always have a soft spot for the Habs — he helped that iconic franchise to a title in 1993 as a key forward and alternate captain and he’s since been on staff for two separate stints — but he can hardly wait to get started with his new team.

As associate coach, the same title he held in Montreal for the past five campaigns, Muller will be Darryl Sutter’s right-hand man at the Saddledome. He will oversee the forward cast and run the power play.

The Flames also announced Thursday that Cail Maclean — previously the skipper for the American Hockey League’s Stockton Heat — has been promoted to become an assistant with the big club, while Ray Edwards and Martin Gelinas will be reassigned to player-development duties.

Ryan Huska, goaltending coach Jason Labarbera and video ace Jamie Pringle remain in their roles from this past season.

“Darryl really liked the staff, but one of the things he wanted to bring in was an experienced coach, a guy with head-coaching experience,” said Flames general manager Brad Treliving. “You build the profile before you start looking out into the market and we spent a lot of time on that, really drilling down, and I think Kirk fits exactly what we were looking for. Not only his skill-set, but he’s a really upbeat guy. He doesn’t have too many bad days. He connects well with the players. He’s experienced a lot as a player, so he understands what they’re going through, but he also brings a real strong foundation from a coaching perspective.”

Indeed, the new guy has seen almost everything.

Muller was the second overall pick in 1984 — Mario Lemieux was the top prospect that year — and he would skate for nearly two decades in The Show, earning six all-star invites and racking up 1,349 regular-season appearances (in NHL lore, only 50 gents have logged more games).