Quote:
Originally Posted by 1qqaaz
On the Calgary Herald today, Huska was asked what the greatest problem with the team was this year (in regards to missing the playoffs). He answered "traffic" as the main reason for their problems. Is "traffic" in Adirondack (prior to Stockton) the reason nearly every player regressed offensively during Huska's first year as coach?
This isn't exactly the type of answer that I would be looking for. Their divisional rivals have the same problem, and they don't blame their problems on this type of factor. Making the playoffs is more important for a team that played fewer games as it is. I think Huska is a smart guy, but a lot of his answers really have to make you wonder.
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I've been in locker rooms and interviewing coaches for over a decade now as an accredited media member in various levels of hockey, not just some guy with a podcast sitting on the sidelines making observations, and Huska's responses are some of the poorest I've seen from a coach. Even the few words from Sutter at least made more sense then Huska.
I've talked to a lot of coaches and a lot of management and so many answers from Huska like "Ebbs and Flows" and "Traffic" just read off as excuses from a coach that doesn't have answers. They don't make any sense and it's like he wants to create his own buzz words so his excuses sound like they actually mean something.
Huska also isn't the only coach in the AHL who is under instructions from his AHL team how to play, who to play, how much to play them. The Grand Rapids Griffins play closely under the watch of the Detroit Red Wings. They have a fantastic AHL system and something to aspire to be. They have coaches who were adaptable and managed to coach the team despite what's thrown at them. Texas is another good example. Close proximity to the home team and playing the Stars system. They even argueably have a weaker prospect base and yet year after year, they are a top team in the AHL. They have a coach who adapts. Stockton needs a coach who can better adapt to the system and coach the kids. He's not doing that right now.