Calgary has been flip-flopping coaches for a while between 'head games' and 'tough coaches' to 'player's coaches' and 'pushovers' (arguably, anyway).
You had coaches who had great seasons (Hartley, Sutter, Peters (and then some!)), and you had some players' coaches who had moderate success. Either way, the Flames have been eating through coaches fairly quickly.
I have likened Huska to (hopefully) Calgary's version of Jon Cooper. A smart, professional coach that has the full respect of the players in the room, who doesn't resort to playing head games or is considered harsh, but isn't a pushover either.
Huska's first season already won me over. With all that was happening with the trades and rumours and demands, he had last year's team flirting with the playoffs for a long while. Now this season, it is at another level now that the outside noise is gone, but so is a lot of talent.
Every coach has a shelf life - I am sure Jon Cooper has one, even though we haven't seen it yet. I don't think that Badger Bob Johnson had a shelf-life in Calgary - from what I remember, everyone really loved him and respected him right up to the point that he left. I am hoping that the Flames finally have a coach that that will give them continuity for the better part of a decade at least. Wouldn't that be something?
As for the playoffs, I still don't think so. However, I am hoping for it. I do still think that the lack of high-end talent in the system is going to eventually have this team bottom-out, and if i had a choice, this year would not be the year. The next two drafts after this one have really special players. It is still 2 years out, so who knows what happens, but playoffs this year followed by 2 lottery wins in a row for 26 and 27, followed by entering the Saddledome with one of McKenna or Dupont would be the story I would want to write.
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