Toggle sidebar

Confirmed with Link: The Calgary Flames Name Ryan Huska the Franchise's 24th Head Coach

Kranix

Kranix

Deranged Homer
Jun 27, 2012
18,456
16,582
Dube Dube Doo said:
Friedman - just now.

Not a done deal but Ryan Huska is the front runner for the head coaching job in Calgary. (paraphrased)

:eek3:
Click to expand...
They're going to let a 2 time AHL coach of the year walk? I guess they're choosing experience.

Dube Dube Doo said:
I'm kind of against anyone from the previous regime coming back in any capacity, if the team culture was as toxic as has been implied (inferred?)
Click to expand...
Unless it came up in interviews that Huska was the players' favorite or something
 
Dack

Dack

Registered User
Jun 16, 2014
3,918
3,550
Huska wasn't even a good AHL coach. Flames trying to rebuild through incompetence?
 

DomBarr

Registered User
Apr 7, 2014
2,761
903
Dack said:
Huska wasn't even a good AHL coach. Flames trying to rebuild through incompetence?
Click to expand...
My issue with Huska (similar to Conroy) is he was hired as the AHL coach to align the AHL team to the NHL team style and then brought up to Asst Coach the Flames. He has never had to show what his true game philosophy is or implement it. The Flames since Hartley have always tried to be the Gritty, "quick", and high shot volume/high possession metric type team which has resulted in jack sh*t so it better be different
 
Tkachuk Norris

Tkachuk Norris

Registered User
Jun 22, 2012
15,707
6,861
Husks was in control of our defense and PK, that’s what we did well last year. Going back to his Kelowna days this guy churns out Dmen.

He doesn’t strike me as a true HC type but who knows. Maybe we need someone more laid back after last year.
 
Kranix

Kranix

Deranged Homer
Jun 27, 2012
18,456
16,582
One thing I hope isn't the case, is that Maloney is going about this like people were promised things, and he's too nice. Conroy and Huska have been here a long time.
 

viper0220

Registered User
Oct 10, 2008
8,747
3,718
TheHudlinator said:
Hoping this means Love is an assistant. Huska had to pay his dues so hopefully this means that's all Love will have to do to
Click to expand...

Why would Love do that?

The Flames are going to suck under Huska and Love’s reputation will go down.
 
Rubi

Rubi

Photographer
Sponsor
Jan 9, 2009
15,675
10,233
Please God... not Huska... what a bland and underwhelming choice. Certainly not the coach to get the fan base excited about the upcoming season. Far from it.
So why Huska?... out of all the available candidates is he asking for the least amount of money to do the job? I figure that's gotta be it. It certainly can't be his experience getting his teams to play an exciting and successful offensive oriented type of hockey
 
Last edited:

Body Checker

Registered User
Aug 11, 2005
3,428
1,080
I’m expecting Love to be named associate coach; further strengthens his resume for a NHL head gig and allows a Huska firing in season if needed although would most likely be a 24-25 move. Huska will get some rope to learn/adjust.
 
HighLifeMan

HighLifeMan

#SnowyStrong
Feb 26, 2009
7,318
2,490
Yeah Huska would be such a decisively mediocre hiring, but par for the course I suppose.

The guy has been here for five years and through three different head coaches. He shouldn't even be looked at.

A clean slate and a fresh face was needed. I am not happy if this indeed is the case (which all signs point towards).

I am happy with the Conroy hiring but only this organization would believe the two best options league wide at both the GM and HC positions were internal after tolling in mediocrity for so long.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rubi and Ace Rimmer
Fig

Fig

Absolute Horse Shirt
Dec 15, 2014
13,003
8,465
Dack said:
Huska wasn't even a good AHL coach. Flames trying to rebuild through incompetence?
Click to expand...

IIRC, the management mandate for the AHL was player development. They completely shifted the KPI from AHL success to prospect graduation success. When we had Troy Ward for instance, he wanted to win all the time and played vets over prospects to the detriment of many prospects. Many flamed out or were lost to injury/mental health. Soon after we fired Troy Ward, management demanded that prospect development and successful graduation be the mandate of the AHL team, and I heard that management has been pretty happy with all of the AHL head coaches in doing their best to meet that mandate since the change.

Huska and Maclean did well in that regards. Love, I'm not sure about the prospect graduation part yet.

If the current management is dealing with a temporary concept of bottoming out with a coach like Huska for 1-2 seasons, but having really good development of those players during those 1-2 seasons before getting a better coach to go for a string of runs... I could see that concept.

But with the age of certain contracts, I think we need to go all out ASAP and develop on the fly. This would be accomplished only by a veteran HC IMO. The only guy I can think of that might be pretty good at that is Rierden and Boudreau while still maintaining somewhat of a players coach to reset against the hard ass coach burnout from Sutter.

The Flames are too perfectly smack dab in the middle to either speed rebuild or retool on the fly. We aren't really forced down a certain path. We're kinda stuck between multiple good options that are viable but not great/bad options.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Nanuuk
TheHudlinator

TheHudlinator

Registered User
Nov 21, 2011
28,842
7,628
Victoria,BC
viper0220 said:
Why would Love do that?

The Flames are going to suck under Huska and Love’s reputation will go down.
Click to expand...
Why would someone take a job to get experience at level they haven't coached at before? I don't understand the question. If Huska fails Love would be the front runner for the job if Huska does well Love will get attention from other organizations it's a win win for Love. There is still a very real chance that without the best goalie in the ahl Love doesn't look as impressive.
 
Bounces R Way

Bounces R Way

Registered User
Nov 18, 2013
34,634
55,144
Weegartown
1517355619835


still only gives Associate Coach vibes 🤔
 
  • Like
Reactions: Felidae, BobColesNasalCavity and Boomstick
Iggys Dome

Iggys Dome

Not allowed to say the “R-Word” (rebuild)
Mar 19, 2018
2,988
4,308
Cap Space
Kranix said:
Why?
Click to expand...

Maybe it’s just me, but Huska feels like a lame duck hire. He hasn’t had success of any kind as a pro coach. He certainly did well “developing” guys in the AHL so they would adapt to the Flames system when they got promoted. It’s just such a weird decision to me if we’re trying to win now.

But I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, mainly because we share the same name :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom