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

[Azure]

I wonder how much of the 'process' is influenced by the fact that certain coaches simply won't come to Calgary.

[CSharp]

The sports news was reporting good news out of the Flames organization - that wasn't even close to being good news! Looks like the same bubble team will get trounced yet again come next playoffs and another round of revolving doors for the coaching job.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by CSharp

The sports news was reporting good news out of the Flames organization - that wasn't even close to being good news! Looks like the same bubble team will get trounced yet again come next playoffs and another round of revolving doors for the coaching job.

Who was your guy?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Azure

I wonder how much of the 'process' is influenced by the fact that certain coaches simply won't come to Calgary.

Honestly, would you if you had possibilities with other teams?

They are coach killers.

[I_H8_Crawford]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Burke reiterates the Flames did not interview external candidates on the Fan 590, there was an internal interview process with Tree and the owners for Ward.

I'm shocked. Absolutely SHOCKED that Treliving didn't look at anyone else.

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LMAO. What a joke.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by I_H8_Crawford

I'm shocked. Absolutely SHOCKED that Treliving didn't look at anyone else.



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LMAO. What a joke.

It has been said before, but I think fans are setting far too much importance on the role the interview plays in the selection process for a NHL HC. Just because no outside, formal interviews were conducted, this does not mean that the selection was made without all the information on hand. I have been in situations where I was the only candidate interviewed for a job. I have seen instances where no interviews were conducted, because the employer already had all the information needed to make a confident decision.

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[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It has been said before, but I think fans are setting far too much importance on the role the interview plays in the selection process for a NHL HC. Just because no outside, formal interviews were conducted, this does not mean that the selection was made without all the information on hand. I have been in situations where I was the only candidate interviewed for a job. I have seen instances where no interviews were conducted, because the employer already had all the information needed to make a confident decision.

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Including who wasn’t coming (Laviolette).

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

It has been said before, but I think fans are setting far too much importance on the role the interview plays in the selection process for a NHL HC. Just because no outside, formal interviews were conducted, this does not mean that the selection was made without all the information on hand. I have been in situations where I was the only candidate interviewed for a job. I have seen instances where no interviews were conducted, because the employer already had all the information needed to make a confident decision.

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In this case, that confident decision was based on “willing to coach for peanuts.”

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

In this case, that confident decision was based on “willing to coach for peanuts.”

I don't believe for a second that that was all there was to it.

[djsFlames]

So no external interview, just an internal one. So Ward shows up, shakes hands and walks through the door into his HC job basically.

Setting the bar high to coach our NHL team boys.

[ResAlien]

Maybe they know they’re blowing it up so may as well keep the interim coach instead of saddling some big name sucker with the devastation that’s to come?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Maybe they know they’re blowing it up so may as well keep the interim coach instead of saddling some big name sucker with the devastation that’s to come?

Ward would be a good coach for a rebuilding team.

But it seems unlikely. Has any NHL GM been given an opportunity for a 2nd rebuild if the first one was unsuccessful?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I'm not onboard with this anti-Huska stuff. He was big in the development of Mangiapane and Andersson, and both of those guys play with a good amount of intensity/aggression. That's stuff we need.

Disagree completely. Those players were trending toward being that before they were drafted. All I saw was a guy who had decent teams in the AHL that he sewered. I think we have had a fantastic defence group here under his term and they have not been fantastic at all. I have never gotten the love for the guy at all.

[Doctorfever]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

So no external interview, just an internal one. So Ward shows up, shakes hands and walks through the door into his HC job basically.

Setting the bar high to coach our NHL team boys.

Well part of the big picture would have been to have someone in place ready to take the reigns in case something like this happened.

What this hiring really shows Is that we were well positioned and prepared for a situation like this. Peters gets fired, with no real notice, and we had a guy within the organization ready to take over.

That is a sign of good management structure. Not poor structure, imo.

.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Disagree completely. Those players were trending toward being that before they were drafted. All I saw was a guy who had decent teams in the AHL that he sewered. I think we have had a fantastic defence group here under his term and they have not been fantastic at all. I have never gotten the love for the guy at all.

Eat Bread was a guy that was passed completely over in the draft
Andersson was a guy for whom there were big concerns over his commitment to overall fitness.

Both players have had dramatically improved trajectories since drafted. Not saying he should credit for that stuff or not. I have no idea. But no question that their trajectories as players have improved dramatically since being drafted.

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Ward would be a good coach for a rebuilding team.

But it seems unlikely. Has any NHL GM been given an opportunity for a 2nd rebuild if the first one was unsuccessful?

think the entire list is Kevin Lowe.

[Robbob]

The reason I like the signing is because we know the players are on board with him. There is no feeling out process, both sides know what the other wants. What the Flames need is more progression from the younger players and for the top line to break through the wall (if they are here). A .610 winning percentage probably wins you the division in the pacific.

That being said, I would not mind a more veteran coach to be added to the bench as an assistant.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Eat Bread was a guy that was passed completely over in the draft
Andersson was a guy for whom there were big concerns over his commitment to overall fitness.

Both players have had dramatically improved trajectories since drafted. Not saying he should credit for that stuff or not. I have no idea. But no question that their trajectories as players have improved dramatically since being drafted.

+1

You draft players for potential.

You hope your management group can develop them properly, that means identifying where their weaknesses are and providing them with solutions to address those weaknesses. If those weaknesses are addressed you then need to provide them with opportunity as a reward, in order to re-assess their development all over again. Rinse and repeat.

At some point, players also need to take ownership of their own development.

Rasmus is owed a ton of credit in how he has committed to being a pro and doing what's necessary.

united says much the same about Backlund. Hired his own trainer, committed to being at peak fitness, worked on skills development, became the player the Flames had saw the potential in when drafting him. Was trending down, forced his way back up.

Mangiapane, being undersized and lacking the relative high end puck skills of of guys his size that have carved out careers for themselves, deserves a ton of credit for his skill development and fitness. You can see what his work ethic must be off-ice when you see his work ethic on-ice.

[CaptainCrunch]

At the end of the day this year was a shyte show in terms of coaching and what Ward was thrown into.


We had Peter's literally blow up this team and its moral, and its dressing room unity.


We had Covid come in and basically bring everything to a screeching halt.


Yet Ward coached at a 100 point pace.


I'm ok with him getting another hopefully normal year to prove himself.


I doubt that many of these "uber" coaches are coming here in light of other opportunities.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Strange Brew

Ward would be a good coach for a rebuilding team.

But it seems unlikely. Has any NHL GM been given an opportunity for a 2nd rebuild if the first one was unsuccessful?

The parameters surrounding when, how long and often they were "rebuilding" are likely subjective, but David Poile has been the only GM in Nashville's history.