| abstract | - Jim Playfair (born May 22, 1964 in Fort St. James, British Columbia) is a retired former professional ice hockey player and a former head coach of the Calgary Flames. Before making the NHL, Jim played for the Fort Saskatchewan Traders located just north of Edmonton. He played for the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks over the course of his career. He played junior hockey with the Portland Winter Hawks and the Calgary Wranglers of the Western Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers drafted him in the first round, 20th overall, in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. Playfair played in only 21 NHL games, scoring 2 goals and 4 assists. Jim Playfair became the head coach of the Calgary Flames on July 12, 2006, a promotion from his role as an assistant coach and replacing Darryl Sutter who previously had been both head coach and general manager. Sutter's resignation as head coach was not unexpected; he had previously hinted he would make such a move due to the difficulty of his dual role and the handover had been planned. Sutter continued as general manager of the Flames. Playfair was also previously the head coach of the Saint John Flames of the American Hockey League, where he coached the Baby Flames to a Calder Cup championship in 2001. He lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife Roxane, and their 3 sons Dylan, Jackson, and Austin. On June 14, 2007, Playfair was replaced as head coach of the Calgary Flames by Mike Keenan, formerly of the Florida Panthers. In his first and only season as head coach of the Flames, the team went 43–29–10 which was good enough for the 8th and final playoff spot. The team went on to be eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in the first round 4–2. He is currently the Head Coach of the Abbotsford Heat as of June 5, 2009
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