CALGARY — That forefinger begins to wag. Not a threat, necessarily, but a sure sign that the boss means business.



That he wants something.



In this case, Darryl Sutter is ordering strength and conditioning coach Rich Hesketh to join him at a nearby picnic table. It’s the last day of the Calgary Flames’ 2004 summertime rookie camp, and Sutter has been conducting outdoor interviews on the University of Calgary campus.



Hesketh realizes that if Sutter requires his immediate attendance, there is a darn good reason. Because, in all matters related to hockey, his intuitiveness is beyond keen.



Despite no education in kinesiology, despite no experience in conditioning elite athletes, the Flames decider’s remarkable knack for understanding levels of physical readiness is well-established.



“He’d straight up tell me, ‘This is what I need from Chris Clark. This is what I need from Stephane Yelle. And Jarome...