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Originally Posted by 1qqaaz
Thanks for the analysis. It can be hard to pick up signs of poor coaching, especially at the AHL level. So do you think that Huska will not improve as he gains experience? The fact the he uses excuses and lacks leadership seems to indicate that he has personal flaws which will prevent improvement/success.
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He may improve, there is always that possibility. The Calgary Flames brought him and his staff up after the season ended to shadow Hartley, so I think that the parent club noticed some issues too and trying to offer him some help.
I think though, based on what I've seen, this is his style of coaching and it's not a fit for what we need to develop prospects. It works okay for kids and at the CHL level, but it doesn't work for AHL level prospects who you need to lean into them a little more and correct the mistakes with a little more urgency then kids at the CHL level. When maybe 60% of the kids on a CHL will probably not move onto a higher level of hockey, you don't correct mistakes the same way. With the Flames having a number of quality picks in recent years and some stronger prospects, I think we need to ensure our AHL system has a coach that is developing them correctly and maybe not learning with the kids. I'm a believer in everyone needs to start somewhere to learn, but I'm not sure being head coach of an AHL team with no experience and a really strong crop of prospects to work with is the smart way to do it. ECHL Coach, maybe even assistant AHL coach for a few years while we put someone who has the experience and ability to teach Huska the correct way to coach in the AHL is the way to go.
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I don't disagree with the above comments.
But I also believe in the saying: show me a good goalie and I'll show you a good coach.
While Ortio was tearing it up, things were good. Otherwise, no.
Willing to give him one more year to see how it plays out.
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It was obvious Huska was riding his goalies to get any success. He called out Ortio to step up and play and carry the team right before his injury. That comment did sit well with me. The rest of his team is playing like crap and he can't get them to respond so he calls out Ortio to hold them up. Weak move. And then when Ortio went down, he moved right on the Thiessen to do the same thing. While not getting any of his forwards or defence to respond in the same manner. It was that sequence of events that really made me question him.
I don't think he needs a year. I think we give him until December/January and if the same issues and excuses that plagued the last season are still showing, we remove him from the position and find someone who has the experience to take over.
We cannot have a weak coach leading our prospects. We just can't. We need someone to do what Hartley is doing with the Flames and someone who can properly develop prospects. I didn't see any prospect development from Huska last season.