▁began ▁as ▁the ▁last ▁had ▁ended : ▁with ▁forward ▁Marc ▁Sav ard ▁and ▁head ▁coach ▁Greg ▁Gilbert ▁in ▁bitter , ▁public ▁fe ud . ▁After ▁arg uing ▁in ▁the ▁media ▁for ▁nearly ▁a ▁year , ▁the ▁Fl ames ▁finally ▁granted ▁the ▁dis gr unt led ▁players ▁request , ▁trad ing ▁Sav ard ▁to ▁the ▁Atlanta ▁Th r ash ers . ▁Gilbert ▁himself ▁would ▁not ▁last ▁much ▁longer ▁with ▁the ▁Fl ames , ▁as ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁fired ▁by ▁the ▁club ▁bare ly ▁two ▁weeks ▁after ▁Sav ard ▁was ▁de alt . ▁ ▁The ▁Fl ames ▁would ▁quickly ▁find ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁Gilbert , ▁announ cing ▁they ▁had ▁h ired ▁Dar ry l ▁S utter ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁new ▁year . ▁S utter ▁immediately ▁began ▁sh aping ▁the ▁Fl ames ▁to ▁his ▁own ▁style , ▁and ▁the ▁Fl ames ▁finished ▁ 1 9 – 1 6 – 8 – 1 ▁under ▁their ▁new ▁ben ch ▁b oss . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁season , ▁the ▁Fl ames ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁not ▁renew ▁General ▁Manager ▁Craig ▁Button ' s ▁contract . ▁S utter ▁took ▁over ▁as ▁G M , ▁carrying ▁the ▁dual ▁roles ▁until ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 5 – 0 6 ▁season . ▁ ▁Fl ames ▁mas cot , ▁Har vey ▁the ▁H ound , ▁gained ▁w ides p read ▁public ity ▁in ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁following ▁an ▁incident ▁with ▁Ed mont on ▁O ilers ▁head ▁coach , ▁Craig ▁Mac T av ish . ▁With ▁the ▁Fl