Darryl Sutter on signing a three-year extension with the Kings: ‘It was a clear and easy decision’

Darryl Sutter’s contract extension was made official on Friday, and the Kings coach doesn’t see his career wrapping up any time soon.

In other words, this won’t be his last rodeo.

“I have lots of coaching left. I don’t look at it in that light,” Sutter said on Friday via a conference call.

The two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach and the Kings agreed to terms on a three-year deal on Thursday afternoon, and Sutter is said to be making in excess of $3 million per season, above what Todd McLellan received from the Edmonton Oilers. McLellan is reported to be making $3 million per season.

Sutter, 57, guided to the Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014 and to the Western Conference finals in 2013, He also went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004 as coach of the Calgary Flames. His first head coaching job in the NHL was with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1992 to 1995.

This contract extension is a far cry from his first deal with the San Jose Sharks. Kings GM Dean Lombardi was Sutter’s boss in San Jose and they sealed their first contact with a handshake, according to accounts. Sutter’s base salary with the Sharks in 1997-98 was $450,000, the San Francisco Examiner reported at the time.

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“I’ve coached in four different decades now,” Sutter said. “It’s all relative to revenue, contracts, those things .… I think it’s fairly clear: Coaches don’t have a lot of security in terms of the actual years part of it.

“I think years are important. And I tell a lot of young coaches that, too. Careers are so short. They should find a good place and get what they can to make sure they take care of their families.”

Sutter’s youngest son, Christopher, is a Dance-Cam fixture at most Kings home games, and it is clear that the personal and professional fit has worked well for the Sutter family in Los Angeles.

“If I don’t sound excited that’s because I don’t have to sound excited,” Sutter said. “But you know that Christopher is.”

That was reinforced by a later tweet from Sutter’s oldest son, Brett, who plays for the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Ontario, Calif.

“Just talked w/Chris on phone,” Brett tweeted. “He’s super excited 4 his dad’s new contract. Says he’s a free agent looking for a dance cam extension.”

Darryl Sutter covered a lot of the same ground that he did in an interview with The Times the day before. He said Thursday he had “no desire” to go anywhere else and repeated that Friday.

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“It was a clear and easy decision,” Sutter said on the call. “I wasn’t interested in going elsewhere or any of that.”

He indicated that his coaching staff would also be returning next season.

One off-season issue to be resolved is the progress of defenseman Alec Martinez, who recently had shoulder surgery, according to the Kings’ official website. Martinez was hampered by a groin injury late in the regular season and played limited minutes in Game 1 of the Kings-Sharks series.

Sutter said Martinez will be ready well before the start of training camp, which is to open in late September.

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