2014-15 General Adirondack Flames Discussion Thread

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

If that somehow ended up being our lineup for this season, that is easily the favourite to win the Calder Cup. That would be the end to all those infamous Texas ChainSTARS Massacres.

An interesting thought I had the other day:

I think Adirondack will be a very attractive place to play if you're an AHL free agent. Young, extremely talented roster, new school high-tempo head coach, very solid goaltending, very little travel, and a crazy fan base. (Unlike in Abby where it was tough to get solid free agents to come here unless his dad was president of the club or he was a local boy).

I know the Flames don't necessarily need AHL veterans, but we all know it will happen. Every team has them and the baby Flames don't have any right now other than Thiessen.

Who would be a good fit though? This team is going to have a young, high-powered offense but they did lose Street, Jones and Locke. So a veteran scorer could be added. Palushaj should definitely be a target. The defense will need to be heavily reenforced with veterans IMO. As it stands now, there isn't a tonne of pro experience on the back end. Perhaps a guy like Scott Ford could provide that steady presence. He would also be a solid candidate to be team captain. Danny Syvret, like Monahan23 mentioned, would be a great pickup as well. He played most of his pro career in Philly's system, so he's familiar with the city/building.

Anyways, food for thought. I don't want veterans to take playing time away from the prospects, but it's going to happen. It happens in every organization until those kids get adjusted to the pro game.

[MarkGio]

Do we know what division or conference Andironack is playing?

I really hope they get to be in the New York State division.

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

Do we know what division or conference Andironack is playing?

I really hope they get to be in the New York State division.

Yes, they are in the North Division in the Western Conference. They made some changes to the alignment a week or so ago. They are with some NY teams, but not all:

[MarkGio]

Sweet, thanks.

I'm not going to complain about that. They're not in the same division as OKC, San Antonio, and Texas. Plus they managed to avoid St. John's too?

I expect Andironack to win a lot more games this year. There was way too many back-to-backs last year.

[Monahan23]

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

I know the Flames don't necessarily need AHL veterans, but we all know it will happen. Every team has them and the baby Flames don't have any right now other than Thiessen.

We don't have any experience. If we don't get a few AHL vets we'll get killed. Also some guidance and build a winning atmosphere.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by Monahan23

We don't have any experience. If we don't get a few AHL vets we'll get killed. Also some guidance and build a winning atmosphere.

I'm sure the Adirondack will pick up vets at the deadline. They don't need them to start the season. With Arnold, Poirer, Byrbrant and Klimchuck (?) joining the team, as well as having a distracted-free Ferland and a healthy Seiloff, they're going to win hockey games. Not to mention Roy, Culkin, Kulak and/or whoever else is committed to turning pro.

[Flames1848]

Wolf i think will start in the AHL too and help to win some games and fights...

[sureLoss]

http://poststar.com/blogs/flames/adi...9bb2963f4.html

It was less about him meeting players and more about learning and instilling the system. One thing Calgary wants to see from its AHL affiliate this year is the same system. The Abbotsford Heat played a very similar system, but more structured. Now, the NHL team would like to see it’s system replicated.

“The relationship between our head coach of the American League team and the head coach at the National League team needs to be seemless and I think we’re going to have that here — I know we are,” Calgary assistant general manager Brad Pascall said.

Along with that relationship, Pascall said, comes the system. Calgary wants its system played by Adirondack so any players' transitions will be smooth after a call up — or at least smoother.

He said there will be subtle differences. Huska could run a different power play, for example. But Pascall said both coaches, Huska and Bob Hartley, want to give players room to be creative, not stuck in one spot when his style and skill could put him in another.

[Street Pharmacist]

Didn't they say the same with ward?

I wonder if "less structure" allows for Sven to be more creative

[Gaskal]

Some comments and quotes from the Huska press conference taken from FB page:

Ryan Huska

We’re going to be a hard working team. We’ll be a young team, but we’re going to be a very competitive team and we’re thrilled to be a part of this community.

Our focus is going be a hard working, always competing team, a team that’s in your face is a good way to say it. Checking will be an important part of our game, but not sit back checking, it's more about taking away time and space, forcing people into mistakes and turnovers. To be as aggressive as we can, while still being responsible defensively. That’s falling along the same lines as to how Bob wants to play with his team in Calgary.

I can honestly say I’m a little surprised about the turn out. You typically don’t get fans and this many people coming to a press conference that I’ve been a part of in the past. It’s really shown me how passionate this city and this area is towards their hockey team and it makes me really excited for what’s to come.

Brad Pascall

Through that experience with Ryan [World Juniors] I got to learn the type of coach he is. He’s a communicator, he’s a teacher, he knows how to develop talent, and he’s a champion.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

http://poststar.com/blogs/flames/adi...9bb2963f4.html

I really liked this tidbit from the above quote:

But Pascall said both coaches, Huska and Bob Hartley, want to give players room to be creative, not stuck in one spot when his style and skill could put him in another.

It is my personal observation that Mike Keenan really didn't employ systems much, and just allowed the team to be creative. Came at a very big cost defensively (which is part of the reason he was let go, and Darryl overreacted and made the team too defensive the next year).

Brent Sutter seemed like a guy who was overly-structured. It seemed that he forced guys to dump it into the corner and start cycling, even if they carried the puck over into the offensive zone. I remember seeing both Jokinen carry the puck in, and blindly throwing it into the corner, and thinking: "Why didn't he drive to the net? He had a clear lane!". I saw Backlund do this as well numerous times. Defensively, Sutter forced everything to come out of the zone along the boards (which other teams picked up on, and often waited for it seems).

I really love Hartley's system because it isn't very offensively structured, but it is offensively focused. Players seem to have a lot of liberty in the offensive zone, and I think you are starting to see more structured offensive plays - especially off of the offensive faceoffs. Defensively, Hartley also gave the green light to get the puck out through the middle of the ice, which seems dangerous, but when you are icing a very small team it is probably not helping much going up the boards either, and then having to collapse down low as the opposing team regains possession.

Hartley's liberties comes with a bit of a price to the players, however - you better skate very, very hard to come back and help break up plays, so you better be extremely fit. His system requires continual hard skating.

I think his system is probably a lot more 'fun' to play in, but still reasonably defensively. I think it is easier to keep the players skating hard when they are allowed to be creative out there, while Hartley keeps pressing them to skate hard to cover-up for one another and the inevitable mistakes a system like can cause.

I think the overall product becomes something that is fun to watch, and I think we were all pleasantly surprised (as was the rest of the league) with the overall quality of play and entertainment value. I think if they play this way in Glen Falls, the fans will really love the team, especially with how many creative kids are on that team right now. I think it will help keep them developing offensively as well. Really glad they are essentially duplicating Calgary's system.

[Drury18]

Another interview with Huska: http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...259/story.html

“It’s time for me, coaching-wise … it’s time for me to learn some new things,” said Huska who, as a 1993 third-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks, had a few stops at Adirondack while dabbling in the minors. “It’s time to work with men now and try to get them to be contributors to this organization.”

“A lot of these guys have never lived on their own before and they need some guidance,” said the 38-year-old. “It’s up to us to become professionals as soon as possible … I’m honest with them, I try to be fair with them, and try to let them know what’s expected. Then, it’s our coaching staff’s responsibility to keep them accountable to the way we want them to play.

A huge chunk of their AHL team in 2014-15 will likely be comprised of high draft picks who don’t crack the 2014-15 roster and will need strong professional guidance through their first professional season.

Huska admitted that aspect was intriguing.

“And part of it was how (Flames GM) Brad Treliving painted the picture on what he wanted the organization to be, the family feeling he wants it to have,” he said. “A lot of the things he was saying were very similar to what I came from in Kelowna.

“That was a big reason why I left because, jeez, it felt really good.”

[Drury18]

Several bidders have shown interest in purchasing the Glen Falls Civic Centre: http://poststar.com/news/local/at-le...a4bcf887a.html

There is also confirmation that the new buyer MUST honour the current agreement with the Flames:

The buyer would be required to honor the city’s lease with the Adirondack Flames of the American Hockey League, and the management contract with Global Spectrum.

The hockey lease is for three seasons, beginning this fall, with an option to renew for up to two additional seasons.

[Racki]

I wonder if Tootoo finds NHL work this season? I think he'd be a great (off ice) mentor for some the kids.

Way out of the blue, I know. It's mid July.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by iggysback05

I wonder if Tootoo finds NHL work this season? I think he'd be a great (off ice) mentor for some the kids.

Way out of the blue, I know. It's mid July.

I wouldn't be opposed to it. Sign me up.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by iggysback05

I wonder if Tootoo finds NHL work this season? I think he'd be a great (off ice) mentor for some the kids.

Way out of the blue, I know. It's mid July.

Hey Pierre "Monster" McGuire, you should move to Adirondack and follow/write about the Flames!

Originally Posted by Pierre "Monster" McGuire

I wouldn't be opposed to it. Sign me up.

Great!

[Monahan23]

Who'll be the Adirondack captains? I think it should be Elson, Jooris or Hanowski

[Enoch Root]

Wotherspoon?

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by Monahan23

Who'll be the Adirondack captains? I think it should be Elson, Jooris or Hanowski

If either Olson or Locke remain with the Adirondack Flames, I think it's pretty much a lock (no pun intended) that either will wear the C. Olson was supposed to be Captain last year until Arsene came in.

Hanowski is probably a good candidate for the C or the very least an A if he stays in the AHL for most of the year. Seems like he was the humour in the room and definitely a popular guy in the room.

Depending on the situation with Byron, I think he might also be a top candidate for the C. Although I think he spends most of this year in the NHL not AHL.

[sureLoss]

^Olson signed with the Panthers.