Nemisz was a serviceable NHL callup last year and looked like he would be pushing for a permanent spot this season.
In my opinion it would be poor asset management to give up on a player after one poor injury riddled season, after his first two AHL seasons were pretty good and led to him getting looks in the NHL.
This isn't going to be popular but I would love to see Ward let go after the season. He's burried all Flames prospects to play career AHL players. I've seen enough of Irving in Calgary to know that he should never have been cast aside for two career AHL goaltenders. The Heat need a teacher coach not a Keenan type guy that's going to ride veteran players in hopes of wins.
As long as Ward remains head coach of the Heat it's imperative that any top Flames prospects go directly to Calgary before he can get his hands on him and destroy their confidence.
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This isn't going to be popular but I would love to see Ward let go after the season. He's burried all Flames prospects to play career AHL players. I've seen enough of Irving in Calgary to know that he should never have been cast aside for two career AHL goaltenders. The Heat need a teacher coach not a Keenan type guy that's going to ride veteran players in hopes of wins.
As long as Ward remains head coach of the Heat it's imperative that any top Flames prospects go directly to Calgary before he can get his hands on him and destroy their confidence.
Sven and Horak play top 6 when they play for the Heat. When you can't outplay AHL calibre forwards, how will you make it to the NHL as a top 6 forward? From all accounts Ward is definitely a teacher coach and not a Keenan screamer coach. It seems as though every call-up from the Heat are ready to play for the big club and that speaks volumes about the Heat's coaching.
This isn't going to be popular but I would love to see Ward let go after the season. He's burried all Flames prospects to play career AHL players. I've seen enough of Irving in Calgary to know that he should never have been cast aside for two career AHL goaltenders. The Heat need a teacher coach not a Keenan type guy that's going to ride veteran players in hopes of wins.
As long as Ward remains head coach of the Heat it's imperative that any top Flames prospects go directly to Calgary before he can get his hands on him and destroy their confidence.
Or, you know, spend 5 minutes reading about the Heat from reputable sources and the people actually watching the games and you will realize he's a complete teacher coach, but doesn't coddle his players like little children.
Or, you know, spend 5 minutes reading about the Heat from reputable sources and the people actually watching the games and you will realize he's a complete teacher coach, but doesn't coddle his players like little children.
Don't care. He needs to go. Your top prospects need ice time to develope and DO need to be coddled in their developement. It's a developemental league! The tough love approach should be saved for the NHL as that's where the men should be separated from the boys. Not in a developemental league.
Sven and Horak play top 6 when they play for the Heat. When you can't outplay AHL calibre forwards, how will you make it to the NHL as a top 6 forward? From all accounts Ward is definitely a teacher coach and not a Keenan screamer coach. It seems as though every call-up from the Heat are ready to play for the big club and that speaks volumes about the Heat's coaching.
Oh really name a call-up that's been ready? Horak bypassed the Heat last year. Brodie was a Playfair products. I guess Ward can hang is hat on the great Lance Bouma. Truth is that developement has been terrible since Playfair left. Terrible!
Don't care. He needs to go. Your top prospects need ice time to develope and DO need to be coddled in their developement. It's a developemental league! The tough love approach should be saved for the NHL as that's where the men should be separated from the boys. Not in a developemental league.
I have no idea if you are right or not, but I do know that you probably shouldn't be calling for the firing of Ward because you went and looked at a stats page and weren't happy about the younger guys points totals.
Come on EE, you're smarter than that aren't you?
There is a heck of a lot more to it than just goals and assists.
Even still, earlier in the season this team was being led offensively by Sven, Horak and Brodie, all three of whom made the NHL team out of camp. Unless you can somehow prove that these players successes are despite Ward, how can you justify claiming he needs to be fired?
I like Ward, but I do agree he needs to give more ice time andbe a little more willing to see rookies make mistakes. I like what he's done with Brodie, though, giving him 25+, even 30 minutes a night. I would have liked to see Reinhart and Ferland get more ice time.
I think part of it, though, is that Feaster shouldn't sign as many minor league players for next season. We have Brossoit, Wotherspoon, Ramage, and possibly Culkin making the jump next year. All need to be given precedence.
Oh really name a call-up that's been ready? Horak bypassed the Heat last year. Brodie was a Playfair products. I guess Ward can hang is hat on the great Lance Bouma. Truth is that developement has been terrible since Playfair left. Terrible!
Article discusses some of the focus that Ward puts in developing prospects. There was an article discussing about how Brent Sutter was extremely pleased with the readiness of players coming up from Abbotsford. Aliu, Byron, Bouma, Nemisz, Brodie and older players like Desbiens, Kolanos.
Funny that you mention Playfair because he also loved to play his veterans and a stifling defensive system. Truth is when players are ready to handle more minutes they will be given more minutes. As I mentioned, Horak and Bartschi started in Abbotsford on top lines.
Maybe a bigger concern is that the Flames have a bunch of players that aren't actually as talented as Flames fans think they are. We don't have a bunch of second line centers and top 4 defence sitting around. All we see is the points they put up in juniors and go crazy over nuts over those stats. What I've seen since I've started prospects is that there are plenty of players that look promising, but making the next step in the AHL is extremely difficult and it gets even tougher in the NHL.
I have no idea if you are right or not, but I do know that you probably shouldn't be calling for the firing of Ward because you went and looked at a stats page and weren't happy about the younger guys points totals.
Come on EE, you're smarter than that aren't you?
There is a heck of a lot more to it than just goals and assists.
Even still, earlier in the season this team was being led offensively by Sven, Horak and Brodie, all three of whom made the NHL team out of camp. Unless you can somehow prove that these players successes are despite Ward, how can you justify claiming he needs to be fired?
You can look back months to see this isn't something I just acted on today after looking at the stats. I actually followed the Heat somewhat during the lockout and don't pretend to be an expert but I've seen enough to know he's trying to win hockey games not develop young players. We have seen many Flames head coaches bench young players after a bad play or bad game but does this really need to be happening on the farm as well? It seems like once a young player gets in Ward's doghouse he gives them the Keenan treatment. You can easily crush the confidence of young kids and I don't see any young kids excelling in Abbotsford.
Last edited by Erick Estrada; 02-12-2013 at 09:00 AM.
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the handling of irving this offseason has me severly questioning what exactly is the philosophy of our AHL affiliate.
how can i guy who basically didn't make the heat even as a backup, played very few games, somehow manage to become the big club's backup.
Other teams used the lockout as a means to get their young guys top mins in the AHL so they got a headstart when the NHL season resumed. The flames decided against this, knowing they didn't really have any other decent backup goaltending options.
Just a franchise fail in my opinion.
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Article discusses some of the focus that Ward puts in developing prospects. There was an article discussing about how Brent Sutter was extremely pleased with the readiness of players coming up from Abbotsford. Aliu, Byron, Bouma, Nemisz, Brodie and older players like Desbiens, Kolanos.
Funny that you mention Playfair because he also loved to play his veterans and a stifling defensive system. Truth is when players are ready to handle more minutes they will be given more minutes. As I mentioned, Horak and Bartschi started in Abbotsford on top lines.
Maybe a bigger concern is that the Flames have a bunch of players that aren't actually as talented as Flames fans think they are. We don't have a bunch of second line centers and top 4 defence sitting around. All we see is the points they put up in juniors and go crazy over nuts over those stats. What I've seen since I've started prospects is that there are plenty of players that look promising, but making the next step in the AHL is extremely difficult and it gets even tougher in the NHL.
Brent was happy that the call ups were playing a defensive system already. YAY! That's what we want our prospects to be good at!
The kids should be developing their skills at the AHL, not learning systems play!
Can you honestly say that Horak in the NHL is a major upgrade on Comeau or Jones?
All Ward has done is made our top prospects interchangeable to our 3rd and 4th line pluggers. Even Baertschi was lacking the pizazz he had compared to last years call up.
Best way to look at it is to compare with other teams. Dallas Eakins is tough on the baby leafs, but he doesn't force them into playing a stifling defensive system that kills their creativity.
Look at how many players actually graduate from the baby leafs and make an impact at the NHL level for the Leafs. Look at them this year.
Kadri still isn't a good defensive player, but at least he's playing to his strengths and scoring goals.
Ward is a good coach, a smart coach, but he's looking out for himself here. He wants to be a head coach in the NHL, that's his priority, and the best way to do that is to win, development is secondary to him and it shows with the way he coaches and the emphasis on defensive schemes. The Heat are TERRIBLE to watch. It's like watching paint dry. It's no wonder fans don't come out. Compared to the Canucks, the style of play is incredibly boring and it's not just about the skill level of the players, it's the style. There's absolutely nothing to draw the fans out to watch games. I live in Vancouver, I'm a diehard Flames fan and even I haven't made the short trip out to watch a game. I thought about when Sven was in the lineup, but then watching games on Sportsnet really killed my desire to go. The team is boring to watch.
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Calgary Flames, PLEASE GO TO THE NET! AND SHOOT THE PUCK! GENERATING OFFENSE IS NOT DIFFICULT! SKATE HARD, SHOOT HARD, CRASH THE NET HARD!
Last edited by 868904; 02-12-2013 at 09:47 AM.
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Even still, earlier in the season this team was being led offensively by Sven, Horak and Brodie, all three of whom made the NHL team out of camp. Unless you can somehow prove that these players successes are despite Ward, how can you justify claiming he needs to be fired?
Sven played a total of 21 games in the AHL so it seems a little kind to give Ward much credit for his "development."
Horak looks okay but far from a feather in anyone's cap just yet. We will have to wait and see with him.
Brodie does seem to be the one success story to come from the Heat in the past couple of years and really looks like a guy that went back down to the Heat and improved his game.
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Sven played a total of 21 games in the AHL so it seems a little kind to give Ward much credit for his "development."
Horak looks okay but far from a feather in anyone's cap just yet. We will have to wait and see with him.
Brodie does seem to be the one success story to come from the Heat in the past couple of years and really looks like a guy that went back down to the Heat and improved his game.
EE was saying that Ward should be canned for not giving ice time to our top prospects, and for stifling them or ruining their confidence.
I brought those guys up because they were getting plenty of ice time under Ward early in the AHL season, and were all in the top 5 offensively for the team.
EE was saying that Ward should be canned for not giving ice time to our top prospects, and for stifling them or ruining their confidence.
I brought those guys up because they were getting plenty of ice time under Ward early in the AHL season, and were all in the top 5 offensively for the team.
Brodie and Horak are poor examples as they have both played in the NHL which means they should be getting lots of ice time on the Heat. The problem is that the players the Flames have drafted and invested in are taking a backseat to career AHLers. Street and Kolanos were seasoned AHL players before Ward got his hands on them and it seems the Heat has become a haven for other teams cast off prospects to get first line ice time and occasional call up. Great for them. Bad for actual Flames prospects. Now I have never been a huge fan of Nemisz but I remember the days of him being talked about as a 2nd line player. I always felt he would never be that good but possibly become a useful depth player. Under Ward it looks like his career is over much like how he almost sabotaged Irving's career.
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Ward is a great coach but it seems that he's focused on winning and improving his coaching resume rather than developing rookies. Can't blame him for looking out for himself.
Brodie and Horak are poor examples as they have both played in the NHL which means they should be getting lots of ice time on the Heat. The problem is that the players the Flames have drafted and invested in are taking a backseat to career AHLers. Street and Kolanos were seasoned AHL players before Ward got his hands on them and it seems the Heat has become a haven for other teams cast off prospects to get first line ice time and occasional call up. Great for them. Bad for actual Flames prospects. Now I have never been a huge fan of Nemisz but I remember the days of him being talked about as a 2nd line player. I always felt he would never be that good but possibly become a useful depth player. Under Ward it looks like his career is over much like how he almost sabotaged Irving's career.
Just because you have played in the NHL does not mean you are entitled to ice time. Entitlement is the number one thing you want to stomp out of this organization.
Also I believe Ward played Nemisz a ton the previous year in scoring roles.
Yeah what's to talk about? Well our prospects sure look terrible don't they but that's on them for every single one of them sucking surely not Ward who is doing a great job squeezing out wins with veteran AHL players. I see Byron got called up good break for him to try and get some confidence back.
You can look back months to see this isn't something I just acted on today after looking at the stats. I actually followed the Heat somewhat during the lockout and don't pretend to be an expert but I've seen enough to know he's trying to win hockey games not develop young players. We have seen many Flames head coaches bench young players after a bad play or bad game but does this really need to be happening on the farm as well? It seems like once a young player gets in Ward's doghouse he gives them the Keenan treatment. You can easily crush the confidence of young kids and I don't see any young kids excelling in Abbotsford.
I respect everyone's opinions of Ward, whether positive or negative.
I'll just add my piece to this thread. The bolded part is just wrong. Nobody has been purposefully benched more under Ward than Kolanos. In fact, at least twice a game Reinhart will turn the puck over or bobble the puck, which leads to an odd man break and he doesn't miss a shift.
Since the lockout, Reinhart's time on ice has essentially doubled from 9:40 to 19:23 per night. It seems like he's always out there and in every situation imaginable except goalie. That's just one example. Another example is an increase in ice time for Byron and Sylvester. Breen plays the second most minutes of any blueliner (behind Callahan. Used to be behind Brodie).
I also want to note that Ward doesn't stifle offense. In fact, it's the exact opposite. Straight out of Ward's mouth (start watching at the 2:00 mark):
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