Former Kings coach Darryl Sutter says he’s ‘at peace with not coaching’

Quite honest, Darryl Sutter is done coaching.

Sutter often said “quite honest� to preface a blunt assessment, and the former Kings coach was again candid in saying that he’s not seeking another coaching job in the NHL.

“I love my schedule now — that’s the best way to put it,� Sutter told Sportsnet. “I enjoy watching the game on TV and I pull for certain players and I’m totally at peace with not coaching. That’s for sure.�

Sutter, 59, was believed to be interested in coaching as recently as last year. He was asked about the Washington Capitals’ position vacated by Barry Trotz when he basically announced his retirement.

Sutter found his greatest success with the Kings in guiding them to Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014. Upon his hiring in December of 2011, he molded the eighth-seeded Kings into a buzz saw through that season’s playoffs to end a 45-year franchise Cup drought.

He is the Kings’ winningest coach with a record of 225-147-53.

A farmer from Viking, Canada, Sutter enjoyed life in the South Bay; his son, Chris, was popular for his dance moves on the Staples Center video board during Kings games. But the brusque Sutter’s relationship with the team grew strained as the Kings missed the playoffs twice in three years, and he was fired, along with former general manager Dean Lombardi, following the 2016-17 season.

Kings coach John Stevens, the defensive architect under Sutter, said in November that Sutter set an incredible example of leadership.

“Darryl’s attention to preparation was unbelievable, and his attention to emotional preparation of a hockey team, I thought, was unbelievable,� Stevens said. “And everything he did for the team was for the best interest of the team to have a chance to win. He was relentless in the preparation and how important every game was and how much emphasis he put on the individual being prepared, and that certainly left an imprint on me.�

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