Who coaches the Heat next season?

[Hockey_Ninja]

With Playfair leaving who do you guys think will coach the Heat next season? It should be important to find a coach that can develop our prospects well for the future considering our prospect depth is thin right now (I know it will get better in the next few years). Any input?

[CofR]

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=106202

I like the idea of having a thread for this in here though, there's just some good suggestions in that other thread that we can look over. I've been preferring the Backburner Thread to FOI a lot lately, I find the discussion we have here far more on topic, and just much more educational... None of our threads here seem to turn into fights about the Canucks.

On topic, I think that all of the rumours about Deboer joining the Flames coaching staff are interesting and I wonder if he'd be willing to coach the Heat... My top candidate would be Clouston but I'm not sure we could get him.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

There's a few of the season ticket holders who are saying they've "heard" that Troy Ward may get the promotion to head coach.

Here's Troy Ward's coaching statistics: http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p....php?pid=56932

He has a hell of a resume. He has experience in the WCHA as an assistant (6 years), USHL as head coach, IHL as assistant, NHL (with the Pens) as an assistant, ECHL as head coach (lost in the Finals), and four years experience in the AHL (three with the Aeros and one with the Heat).

He wouldn't be my first choice as head coach. I'd rather have a Dave Cameron or Johnston.

[Alpine]

Whomever it will be will they bring in their own coaching staff or work with what is there already? Thanks

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by Alpine

Whomever it will be will they bring in their own coaching staff or work with what is there already? Thanks

I don't know if they'd oversee or have any input over who they would like, but it looks as though the Heat will have just about a whole new coaching staff anyways.

Steve O'Rourke (one of the Heat's assistant coaches last season) was offered a job as a BCHL head coach and took it. Don't ask me why he'd ever demote himself from the second highest professional hockey league in North America to the BCHL.

Therefore, depending on what happens with Troy Ward (becoming head coach or staying on as an assistant) the Heat will need a couple of assistants and a head coach, which will likely be determined by the Flames.

[fanman]

^I think some guys really prefer being the head coach, even if it's in a lower level league. I'm not sure if O'Rourke has been a HC before but maybe he wants that experience on his resume.

Whoever they choose as the new head coach I hope they let that person choose his own staff. If what the Flames have done recently is any indication, they'll probably interview the candidates together then give the final call to the HC. IMO it's kinda weird to bring in a new HC and then not allow him to make the final call on his own coaching staff.

I'm not sure who is available, but I hope they can find an assistant coach who is good at bringing out the offensive talent from young players. Playfair was excellent at teaching defense and I think he did a lot with what he was given. But they need some of those players to be a bit more creative offensively as well.

[Captain America]

I'm a big fan of Troy Ward, he has a great resume and I believe he's earned the promotion!

[DropIt]

I wonder if Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets could meet the criteria of a promotion the AHL, The guy actually has a decorated career in the CHL

Has 9 years of total coaching experience (3 as HC, never missing Playoffs)
Assistant coached for the 2004 memorial cup winning Kelowna Rockets.
Earned assistant coach honours for team Canada in the WJHC.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by DropIt

I wonder if Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets could meet the criteria of a promotion the AHL, The guy actually has a decorated career in the CHL

Has 9 years of total coaching experience (3 as HC, never missing Playoffs)
Assistant coached for the 2004 memorial cup winning Kelowna Rockets.
Earned assistant coach honours for team Canada in the WJHC.

He's a promising looking coach for sure. Coached Luke Schenn, Tyler Myers, Jamie Benn, and our own Backlund in terms of NHLers.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by DropIt

I wonder if Ryan Huska of the Kelowna Rockets could meet the criteria of a promotion the AHL, The guy actually has a decorated career in the CHL

Has 9 years of total coaching experience (3 as HC, never missing Playoffs)
Assistant coached for the 2004 memorial cup winning Kelowna Rockets.
Earned assistant coach honours for team Canada in the WJHC.

he was in Minneapolis for a coaching conference and the draft, the same time Feaster and gang started their search for a coach. Probably a coincidence.

http://www.am1150.ca/News/Local/Story.aspx?ID=1446395

[stignasty]

Official: Troy Ward

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=567811