Make no bones about it, Jay Feaster is gambling on Bob Hartley.
The friendship between the Calgary Flames GM and his new head coach made it the obvious hire when the club needed to replace Brent Sutter after the team missed the NHL playoffs for a third straight season in 2011-12.
But that relationship also puts the pair in the crosshairs should things go south at the Saddledome.
Feaster admitted it as much when Hartley was hired, saying, "If I'm put into a situation where I have to fire Bob Hartley, we can probably just help each other pack."
It was the same situation when former GM Darryl Sutter hired his brother.
But putting poker chips on Hartley is not the only gamble Feaster has made as the Flames head into Sunday's 48-game season-opener against the San Jose Sharks (4 p.m., Saddledome).
