May 12--He did not sound like a man who was contemplating other NHL options or even planning to raise cattle full time.
Kings Coach Darryl Sutter was direct about his future with the organization in an interview Thursday morning with The Times. The Kings have made a contract offer to their two-time Stanley Cup winning coach, and Sutter indicated his intention was to be behind the bench in Los Angeles this fall.
"I'm under contract until July 1," he said. "I have no desire to go anywhere else or do any of that. We'll get it worked out. That's my plan."
Later in the day, Sutter and the Kings agreed to terms on a new contract, according to an individual familiar with the situation. The new deal is expected to be announced as early as Friday. Specific financial terms were not immediately available but the deal is said to be in excess of what Todd McLellan received from the Edmonton Oilers.
McLellan was reported to be making $3 million per season.
Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi said last week that the contract offer -- believed to be for two years plus an option -- was "very fair." The length of the negotiation is in keeping with Sutter's previous approach to contract talks. He likes to evaluate the organizational framework and then moves forward, which was also the pattern when Lombardi and Sutter worked together in San Jose.
Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, the Kings have missed the playoffs once and are coming off a first-round loss to the Sharks last month. Those factors, plus the continued success with their American Hockey League team in Ontario, Calif., suggest changes are looming.
"We have a lot of players that are free agents and a lot of young players that are close to playing here," Sutter said. "As coaches, you're trying to get through where you could be next year with your roster. That was more important to me the last two or three weeks than any of my stuff.
"The [contract] parameters are pretty clear. We just wanted to make sure ... trying to get everything lined up to make sure everything works out."
Sutter's playoff record is 42-27 with the Kings, who reached the Western Conference Final in 2013, in between the two Stanley Cup championships. When Lombardi hired him in December of the 2011-12 season, Sutter was out of hockey, at home in Canada and working on the family ranch in Viking, Alberta.
In recent years, his wife, Wanda, and youngest son, Christopher, have been able to spend more time with him in Los Angeles since Christopher finished school. His oldest son, Brett, plays for the Kings' minor-league team, the Ontario Reign.
The fit has worked on personal and professional levels.
"Two things for me are important," Sutter said. "Family obviously. Wanda and 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."
He has kept a close eye on the playoff run by the Reign; Ontario is in the midst of a second-round playoff series against the San Diego Gulls.
"We want to get a good read on some of those kids over there," Sutter said. "That's been fun, seeing a lot of those boys from last year's playoffs to this year's playoffs, seeing how they've come along. When we talk about our team next year, we have five or six guys that show they can contribute to our team. It's been a really good experience for them to go through a long playoff run again.
"They basically gained a year's experience. They're doing it again. That's going to help them become NHL players ... hopefully sooner than later."
