Calgary Flames coach Bob Hartley already hungry for the playoffs

Coach Bob Hartley says he and the Flames are already hungry for a playoff spot as they prepare to face off against their conference rivals Vancouver Canucks in Wednesday's season opener.

"Last year, basically nobody believed that we could be a playoff team, but from the inside, we're a very proud organization," he said in an interview with CBC Calgary News at 6.

Hartley is under no illusions when it comes to the hard work ahead.

"We will need to be better, because there's so much parity in the league, so much competition in the Western Conference, that you need to be at your best," he said.

"Last year, as much as we had a great season, we made the playoffs on our second-last game of the season. It wasn't that easy, we had to compete hard every game, and I really believe that this year the competition will be much harder."

With photos of the Stanley Cup plastered everywhere from the gym to the video room in the Saddledome, the team is determined to bring home another championship to a city that hasn't hoisted the trophy since 1989.

Hartley is also humbled just for the opportunity.

"As a kid, we play on a pond or we play in the street and we compete for a fake Stanley Cup. In the NHL we're very privileged, we compete for the real one."