Calgary Flames hire former NHL player Clint Malarchuk to coach goalies

CALGARY - The Calgary Flames have hired former NHLer Clint Malarchuk as the club's goaltending coach and named Chris Snow director of video and statistical analysis.

Malarchuk, from Edmonton, spent last season with the Atlanta Thrashers as their a goaltending coach. He played 10 seasons in the NHL with Quebec, Washington and Buffalo from 1981 to 1992.

Malarchuk was also a goaltending coach with Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets during his career. He'll work with Flames starter Miikka Kiprusoff and other netminders in the system.

Flames general manager Jay Feaster said head coach Brent Sutter strongly recommended hiring Malarchuk.

“When we concluded our interview with Clint, I asked Brent what he thought, and without hesitation he said, ‘I think we should offer him a contract right now,'” Feaster said in a statement released by the Flames.

"We had interviewed half a dozen candidates at that point. It was the first time Brent had such an immediate reaction and felt so strongly that we had found the perfect fit both for Brent but, even more importantly, for our goaltenders."

Snow was Director of Hockey Operations for the Minnesota Wild for four seasons. He analyzed team rosters and cap commitments to plan strategy and prepare for contract negotiations and arbitration.

His job with the Flames will be compiling video and statistical data for use by the club. Before he entered the business of hockey, Snow was a Boston Red Sox beat writer for the Boston Globe.