[News] UPD: Geoff Ward officially named the franchise's 20th head coach (2 year deal)

[FlamesNation23]

I dont even understand why tre couldnt just at least interview some people prior to this. This is the same #### as when bill peters was hired. I hope it works out but this is just par for the course. I cannot get excited about a mediocre team that loves making mediocre decisions

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by the_only_turek_fan

This is Brad's 4th coach.

Hartley extension
Gulitzan
Peters
Ward

Hartley was out of his hands a little bit. Contract was up and he’d come off the miracle season and a Jack Adams. You can’t not extend him at that moment. It’s like Washington not extending Trotz in his moment of success.

[TheIronMaiden]

Geoff Ward as head coach of the Flames

Regular season
GP 42 W 24 L 15 OL 3 PTS% .607

Playoffs
GP 10 W 5 L 5 W/L% .500



https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/CGY/coaches.html

[Royle9]

I think it was expected this was going to be the outcome here.
Its the typical Flames move, further enforced this time around with "pandmic" and lack of spending in the league with revenue going into the ####ter.

Not overly confident here, I think Ward's a good guy but a better suited as a AC I feel.

Hopefully this is Brad's last hire, I don't think we're going to see many big changes this year (another typical Flames move) though I hope I'm completely wrong.

Personally I'd like to go into the expansion draft with a chance to start fresh with a new GM new vision and new coaches.

Faith continue's to remain at an all time low every year they extend Sigalet and the carousel of goalie failures he's produced over the last 10 years, so until that changes I remain a worried Flames Fan.

[Fuzz]

This is the move you make if you want to remain mired in mediocrity, which seems to be the default for the team.

[Wolfman]

[Vinny01]

The only thing that was frustrating for me was how long this took to get done. The longer it dragged out the more I thought they were leaning toward making a change. Just like when Peters was hired it sure feels like there are better options out there.

I am okay giving Ward a shot just wouldn’t have been my preference.

[bax]

I like it. The team responded really well to him and actually played for each other in the playoffs. The group really seemed to gel together under his leadership #badboys.

In a lot of ways he reminds me of Jon Cooper (from a distance anyways). Calm, poised, strong communicator, teacher, not a screamer. I'm much happier having him behind the bench than some dinosaur that relies on head games with his players.

Ward is good head coach with the potential to be a great one in my eyes. Also, if it helps bring in Taylor Hall then all aboard.

[troutman]

I think he earned the right to start the season and see if he can build on what he started. I really liked how the team was playing against the Jets and the first few games against the Stars.

The main troubles with this team have do with the core, not the coaching.

[ComixZone]

Oh, another reason - he's the only coach smart enough to play Sam Bennett at centre with NHL-quality linemates.

So he's wildly more intelligent than Peters and Gulutzan. All we can hope for is some level of improvement as we go forward, and being smarter than Peters and Gulutzan is a good place to start.

[Table 5]

I wish they would've at least pretended to interview some other candidates. Make us dumb fans think think that they are at least trying something new. Have a quick Zoom call. Like one of them on Facebook.

[Benched]

Not surprised. Feels like typical Flames - looking for a diamond in the rough, not high odds it works, will probably lead to more middling results.

Definitely guessing finances are part of this.

And to Burke's comments about $$ and ownership - didn't the majority owner change after Burke left? I think the landscape drastically changed a few years ago when Murray took over.

[UKflames]

Not surprised by this decision at all. I think Tre is taking the view that you can't keep changing coaches all the time and you eventually need a bit of stability. Yes it would have been great to get one of the top tier coaches that are on the market but that doesn't appear to be Tre's style.
So now we have Ward, time to change up the look and feel of the team.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I am fine with the decision, and also fine if it is BTs last coaching decision. As a Flames fan, hopefully GW is around for a long time.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by troutman

The main troubles with this team have do with the core, not the coaching.

I feel its both.
Core is toxic but for whatever reason we haven't seen anyone get much out of our core since Hartley in 2016 and even then it wasn't a complete buy in.

[Toonage]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Oh, another reason - he's the only coach smart enough to play Sam Bennett at centre with NHL-quality linemates.

To be fair this was a result of circumstance rather than coaching genius. He still plugged Ryan back in there before coming to the realization that he had something with Bennett & Dube

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by troutman

I think he earned the right to start the season and see if he can build on what he started. I really liked how the team was playing against the Jets and the first few games against the Stars.

The main troubles with this team have do with the core, not the coaching.

Read this and immediately flashed back to John Elway saying Tebow had earned the right to come into training camp as the starter.

And then went and signed Peyton Manning.

[1qqaaz]

I'm not sure whether to blame Treliving or ownership.

Either way, I hate the move.
Of course, I hope Ward proves me wrong. He's not that bad. The Flames will probably make the playoffs next year.

Anyways, I hope they at least get a new goaltending coach.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Toonage

History of past hires/decision making?

While I have Burke saying money's never been an issue in his time ... he was on the inside.

Peters wasn't looking for the cheapest guy. Not sure where salaries were when Darryl Sutter was hired, but he certainly wasn't the unproven bargain bin choice.

I just don't see how you can say clearly when it's "clearly" not.

[jayswin]

One thing worth pointing out is that Burke is a business guy with now lifelong friendships with people in the Flames organization. He would absolutely go on TV and defend Flames ownership against a claim that they are cheap whether they were or weren't during his time there.