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

[HighLifeMan]

"Uninspiring" sums up this hiring quite nicely.

Admittedly it's tough to judge a coaching hire from the outside looking in (especially a coach without prior NHL HC experience) but how much change can we truly expect when promoting from within at both the GM, and HC positions?

Hoping for the best. Atleast Huska comes off as an extremely personable and likeable guy, and put an emphasis on allowing his players to play to their strengths which is quite the contrast from the dinosaur we had last season.

I'll take the wait and see approach here and evaluate him for what he does and doesn't do moving forward.

 

[Backlund]

And all I've been hearing today is that Treliving wants to sign Lucic and Perry in Toronto. He's not learning by his mistakes. He's going after the slow veterans that'll spend most of their time in the penalty box. Wouldn't be surprised if he gets Trevor Lewis either. All our old guys to the Leafs.
I liked GMBT for a long while, but since most of what he did here has left, I'm glad he's out the door too.

Trevor Lewis was a Sutter guy so I doubt it but it could happen. What Treliving is trying to do makes sense but is probably not be the right way to do it. The Leafs are obviously missing what Lucic and Perry would bring but too many slow guys might take away from how they want to play. Hard to bring in what that team needs at a price that makes sense to acquire. Treliving isn't stupid, he's just bargain bin shopping for toughness.

 

[viper0220]

The wheel of mediocrity spins on.

 

[BobColesNasalCavity]

Mitch Love robbed

 

[Boomstick]

Trevor Lewis was a Sutter guy so I doubt it but it could happen. What Treliving is trying to do makes sense but is probably not be the right way to do it. The Leafs are obviously missing what Lucic and Perry would bring but too many slow guys might take away from how they want to play. Hard to bring in what that team needs at a price that makes sense to acquire. Treliving isn't stupid, he's just bargain bin shopping for toughness.

They've had Wayne Simmonds there for a couple of years, and barely played him. I know Perry can still score some goals, but Tampa had him on the power play. He won't see any pp time in Toronto, but I could be wrong. Maybe pp 2. Anyways, I'm hoping our 4th line has some youth. I don't mind depth players, but just not old and slow.

 

[Boomstick]

Mitch Love robbed

Conroy at the end of the press conference said he really likes Mitch Love, but he thinks he needs some NHL experience before becoming a head coach. So we'll be looking at him for an assistant I'm sure.

 

[Backlund]

They've had Wayne Simmonds there for a couple of years, and barely played him. I know Perry can still score some goals, but Tampa had him on the power play. He won't see any pp time in Toronto, but I could be wrong. Maybe pp 2. Anyways, I'm hoping our 4th line has some youth. I don't mind depth players, but just not old and slow.

They can be useful on low term low dollar contracts but when they become ineffective you need a coach that will bench them. Most NHL coaches over rely on veterans and won't do it so that's the real problem.


Conroy seems like he's gonna follow through on his promise of more youth. We might finally take full advantage of having the AHL team in the same city. Keep the lineup spots open and rotate in and out whoever is performing and send down whoever hasn't been cutting it lately.

 

[Rubi]

Flames management had multiple directions to go to get a depressed and disappointed fan base excited about the upcoming season. This wasn't one of them. Typical Flames play. Another conservative safe pick that doesn't rock the boat.
Looking forward to another mediocre season from the Flames.

 

[flames23]

I enjoyed the press conference. I look forward to Ryan's first yr behind the bench as the head honcho. I wanted Love, but I've come around to this. If Mitch wants to stay here and come on as an assistant that opportunity will be his. I'm very confident.

 

[Kranix]

Right off the bat Huska talks about getting players who want to be here. I started skipping around the video and at both spots I randomly skipped ahead to, the words coming out of he and Conroy's mouths were "guys that want to be here"

 

[Bounces R Way]

Flames management had multiple directions to go to get a depressed and disappointed fan base excited about the upcoming season. This wasn't one of them.

Like what? Who was available that would have made a big splash? Darryl Sutter was the biggest name on the market when they hired him last time and look how that turned out. Our best two players leaving and our GM following them out the door. Total disaster.

Typical Flames play. Another conservative safe pick that doesn't rock the boat.
Looking forward to another mediocre season from the Flames.

Damn. If only they handed Mike Babcock 30 million dollars like the Leafs did so the fanbase could get frothy loins.

 

[sxvnert]

Flames management had multiple directions to go to get a depressed and disappointed fan base excited about the upcoming season. This wasn't one of them. Typical Flames play. Another conservative safe pick that doesn't rock the boat.
Looking forward to another mediocre season from the Flames.

This feels like they lost out of many other candidates and settled on Huska. Hopefully he does well.

 

[Rubi]

Like what? Who was available that would have made a big splash? Darryl Sutter was the biggest name on the market when they hired him last time and look how that turned out. Our best two players leaving and our GM following them out the door. Total disaster.

Mitch Love, Alex Tanguay, Gerard Gallant, Todd Reirden, Andrew Brunette when he was still available, even Marc Savard. Any one of those would have gotten the Flames fan base more excited about the upcoming season than Ryan Huska.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Mitch Love, Alex Tanguay, Gerard Gallant, Todd Reirden, Andrew Brunette when he was still available, even Marc Savard. Any one of those would have gotten the Flames fan base more excited about the upcoming season than Ryan Huska.

Well they're trying to build a winning hockey team. Getting the fanbase excited should be pretty low on the list of priorities. How excited the fanbase is has next to no bearing on the on ice product.

If Gallant couldn't even beat the Devils with all the talent the Rangers had this season I don't see what's so exciting about him. Savard has only been a head coach of a junior team two seasons. Tanguay hasn't been a HC anywhere. Hiring a guy for his name rarely works out, whether in hockey or anywhere else.


Huska must have gotten a strong vote of confidence from the players on the team. He wasn't my first choice but that's good enough for me.

 

[Mobiandi]

I have a hard time picturing how an assistant can survive three different coaching regimes. If the average head coach’s message starts getting tuned out after 3 seasons, what does that mean for a guy like Huska?

It’s especially worrisome if we sign guys to retirement contracts and they quickly start ignoring the coach’s message because they have term that is prohibitive to move

There needed to be some turnover within this org. I was hoping for heavy coaching/management overhauls but that’s not happening it seems. I think it’s time to let go of some players and make sure the message is fresh for some new guys.

 

[brentashton]

Ryan Huska has appeared to be a solid coach anywhere he’s Worked. Kind of seems like one of those guys that’s always a bridesmaid in these competitions (a gen x Kirk Muller if you will) though.

I know 2 kids that played for him in Kelowna and speak highly of his communication and people skills (they didn’t speak to his strategic abilities).

I hope he succeeds. The NHL is better when Calgary is competitive (vs Edmonton).

Question though, what happens with Mitch Love? He’s the guy I really thought was going to get the seat. I have followed his career and he seems like a bright light. Maybe he’s just still too fresh, but it seems that in todays NHL , youth reigns.

Best of luck Ryan Huska.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Conroy at the end of the press conference said he really likes Mitch Love, but he thinks he needs some NHL experience before becoming a head coach. So we'll be looking at him for an assistant I'm sure.

It's honestly not a terrible idea Huska has seen what has and hasn't worked with the past few coaches so it makes sense to give him a shot especially if he is liked in the room and giving Love an assistant role let's him gain some experience in the best league in the world without all the pressure on him while showing him if he puts in the time with us he will be given a shot.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

what happens with Mitch Love?

Might find himself in an assistant coach role next season.

Whether that's with the Flames or another team...

 

[Iggys Dome]

Worried about a country club atmosphere developing under another “players coach” after they got what they wanted by pouting and crying until we fired Sutter. Only time will tell with this team. CC has a lot of work left to do this summer.

 

[Rubi]

Well they're trying to build a winning hockey team. Getting the fanbase excited should be pretty low on the list of priorities. How excited the fanbase is has next to no bearing on the on ice product.

Huska must have gotten a strong vote of confidence from the players on the team. He wasn't my first choice but that's good enough for me.

Fans get excited when they think the team is on the road to winning the SC. Change was and is obviously needed beginning with the GM and the coach and perhaps even ownership. Well we all know that ownership isn't going to change but I and a lot of other fans have been looking forward to exciting possibilities with new management and coaching. Ryan Huska reeks of same old same old who got the job more because "it was his turn" than his outstanding record as a coach. Maybe I'm wrong and I've misjudged his abilities but honestly right now I feel he's a rather safe and pedestrian hire and not the guy to get the best out of the offensive weapons that the Flames have. Hopefully I'm wrong and under Huska the Flames becomes a force in the 2024 playoffs. We will see I guess.

 

[Nanuuk]

A good hire. You do your due diligence and interview internal and external candidates according to whatever criteria you are assessing them on, rank them, and then make a decision.

I have no doubt this was a robust process and that Huska ranked the highest hence his hiring.

I noticed one of his answers during the presser was that they would assess the exiting associate and assistant coaches and go from there.

Hopefully Love joins the coaching staff and maybe Muller is replaced.

Congrats Ryan Huska!

 

[Bounces R Way]

Fans get excited when they think the team is on the road to winning the SC. Change was and is obviously needed beginning with the GM and the coach and perhaps even ownership. Well we all know that ownership isn't going to change but I and a lot of other fans have been looking forward to exciting possibilities with new management and coaching. Ryan Huska reeks of same old same old who got the job more because "it was his turn" than his outstanding record as a coach. Maybe I'm wrong and I've misjudged his abilities but honestly right now I feel he's a rather safe and pedestrian hire and not the guy to get the best out of the offensive weapons that the Flames have. Hopefully I'm wrong and under Huska the Flames becomes a force in the 2024 playoffs. We will see I guess.

Yeah I mean maybe it is safe and pedestrian. People said the same about Paul Maurice last season and now he has an 8th seed in the finals. I think a safer hire for Conroy would have been a more experienced NHL coach that has made the playoffs like Gallant or Rierden or Brunette. You get one free coach as a GM. Making the playoffs in 2024 would be great but what the Huska and Conroy hires tells me is that they might finally be looking past the one season 'get in and anything can happen' rush everything strategy.

They have a new coach and new GM. To me it seems fairly clear they'll have a roster that looks quite different than it did last year. Sounds like they're finally getting a new arena. I just don't know what else some Flames fans want? The nuclear option? Suck donkey balls for 10 years like the Oilers did?

 

[BobColesNasalCavity]

Not the good kind of love I was hoping for

 

[Jihadi Flames Fan]

Good luck to him. He's going to need it.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Not the good kind of love I was hoping for

He doesnt have a lot of options. Unless an NHL team offers him a promotion, hes staying where he is at.