[News] Ryan Huska named HC. 12:30 PM MT presser

[transplant99]

I dont believe any potential HC can be judged on their AHL record. They just arent the same jobs. Development vs winning as a priority confirms this.

Joel Quenville was dreadful in his AHL time IIRC. It also took him some time to find his footing in the NHL....though back then teams were far more patient with their hires.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Article in the Athletic from Lebrun says that none of the 2024 UFA class was coming back if Sutter returned lol.

They like Huska and this may change minds. I wonder how much of that went into this move. Would be disappointing to hire someone so we can handcuff the team with more long term deals for guys outside their prime years.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by flamesgod

I agree with some of what you’re saying, but Treliving never promoted our guys to the head coaching chair. I’d rather sink with someone we tried to groom as an organization, rather then drown with a complete unknown organizationally like Gulutzan.

Having said that, I’m still optimistically hoping for the best. And I’m willing to give Conroy the benefit of the doubt.

The fact that he passed over Huska doesn't really help make this hire any more inspiring. It's clear that Conroy has maybe more confidence in him than Treliving did. Promoting assistants hasn't worked out for this organization so hopefully Huska can break the trend. I assume though that many players on the roster like Huska for Conroy to feel he's the right guy so that's a plus.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by transplant99

I dont believe any potential HC can be judged on their AHL record. They just arent the same jobs. Development vs winning as a priority confirms this.

Joel Quenville was dreadful in his AHL time IIRC. It also took him some time to find his footing in the NHL....though back then teams were far more patient with their hires.

He coached one season in the AHL and had a.444 winning % and made the playoffs.

Hard to judge his AHL career on that since he got promoted.

[Major Major]

I don't really understand this iteration of players and maybe that's why I'm miffed by Huska. The last group lead by Johnny and Tkachuk needed a firm hand big dog type coach. This group out and out rejected that big dog but it may just because it contracted rabies. The only vibe I get about our current room is that I don't like it and that it's soft. I don't think Huska fixes that or any other coach really. So I basically am hoping for maximum amount of turnover. Ironically, it seems keeping Sutter was the best way to achieve that. Part of the reason I was excited for Love is the same reason some seem excited for Huska. He has built relationships with what I see as the future of the team, not the past of the team.

[terryclancy]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

Nah little change with Conroy and Huska

I must say I am absolutely shocked by this take.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

He coached one season in the AHL and had a.444 winning % and made the playoffs.

Hard to judge his AHL career on that since he got promoted.

Kind of the point....AHL results have almost zero bearing on what happens in the NHL.

[Manhattanboy]

I suppose it’s possible Conroy’s top picks weren’t “excited” about our roster.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Like most here, not exciting but will reserve judgement and give him a chance.
I know very little about him.

[dustygoon]

Many of us not head over heels for Huska is not because we think we know better than the GM or don't like Huska. He obviously is a legit candidate and could be an effective olive branch to disgruntled UFA's to be.

But the problem to me is my suspicion that AC's promoted to HC's on the same team on average doesn't pan out. Going from good cop to bad cop, attaining respect, etc.

Not sure how to track, but must be some info on success of internal promotes to HC across the league over the years.

And now compounding this potential mistake is if Love is indeed an AC, then this means he too won't be a great HC option in the future after Huska.

[All In Good Time]

To me the difference between Huska or Love isn’t much. Perhaps a slight edge to Huska simply because he’s a bit more of a known quantity to the organization but at the end of the day there isn’t much to pick between the two.
Ultimately, the focus of this coming year is on the roster considering that they may have underperformed last year and apparently stated their reasons why in the exit interviews.
Now that the coach has been selected, we can now focus on more relevant issues.

[bluejays]

While I don’t know much about Huska or Love, my guess is Conroy liked both of them from a fostering perspective. This team as is has a run or two left before they have to get younger and retool seriously. Just a hunch but I’d venture Conroy wanted someone flexible to take on a run for it this year and a potential retool in the future. Some of the vet coaches who have options probably want assurance it’s win now and into the future.

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by Manhattanboy

I suspect Huberdeau and the rest of the team are about as underwhelmed with the undynamic duo of Huska/Conroy as we are.

Based on what evidence?

Maybe they asked for Huska?

We can both make stuff up.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I was excited by the Sutter hire, I know Leafs fans were excited by the Babcock hire and Oiler fans were counting rings with Tippet,Hitchock, McLellan, Eakins, etc. (lol). Perhaps fan excitement isn't good measure of the quality of the coach or fit for a team.

I think excitement generally corresponds with a known quantity. Boudreau probably would have generated more excitement. Maybe Roy. Maybe Brunette. Even Love had more recognition based on his Wrangler success.

Huska may not be exciting and I don't really care. I wonder how much excitement Carberry is generating, or Cronin. Way less than Babcock for sure, and it remains to be seen if is a better hire than the unexciting ones.

[Major Major]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

I was excited by the Sutter hire, I know Leafs fans were excited by the Babcock hire and Oiler fans were counting rings with Tippet,Hitchock, McLellan, Eakins, etc. (lol). Perhaps fan excitement isn't good measure of the quality of the coach or fit for a team.

I think excitement generally corresponds with a known quantity. Boudreau probably would have generated more excitement. Maybe Roy. Maybe Brunette. Even Love had more recognition based on his Wrangler success.

Huska may not be exciting and I don't really care. I wonder how much excitement Carberry is generating, or Cronin. Way less than Babcock for sure, and it remains to be seen if is a better hire than the unexciting ones.

That's a fair way to look at coaches, but at least in recent flames history, excitement for a known quantity has lined up pretty closely with expected results. Best flames seasons of the last decade were under Hartley, Peters and Sutter. The duds were duds when they were hired and never stopped being duds in GG and Ward. I know which of those two piles I'd put Huska in now. Up to him and this current group of players to prove otherwise.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Dan403

Based on what evidence?

Maybe they asked for Huska?

We can both make stuff up.

I think Kadri was telling Murray that unless Conroy and Huska were at the helm he was going to try for an own goal every game

[DropIt]

Cant wait to hear how often people think we got 'Outcoached' each game next year

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

You mean woodcock

Who’s woodcock?

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Many of us not head over heels for Huska is not because we think we know better than the GM or don't like Huska. He obviously is a legit candidate and could be an effective olive branch to disgruntled UFA's to be.

But the problem to me is my suspicion that AC's promoted to HC's on the same team on average doesn't pan out. Going from good cop to bad cop, attaining respect, etc.

Not sure how to track, but must be some info on success of internal promotes to HC across the league over the years.

And now compounding this potential mistake is if Love is indeed an AC, then this means he too won't be a great HC option in the future after Huska.

Ha. Someone reads CP 😉

https://flamesnation.ca/news/coaches...same-nhl-teams

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Many of us not head over heels for Huska is not because we think we know better than the GM or don't like Huska. He obviously is a legit candidate and could be an effective olive branch to disgruntled UFA's to be.

But the problem to me is my suspicion that AC's promoted to HC's on the same team on average doesn't pan out. Going from good cop to bad cop, attaining respect, etc.

Not sure how to track, but must be some info on success of internal promotes to HC across the league over the years.

And now compounding this potential mistake is if Love is indeed an AC, then this means he too won't be a great HC option in the future after Huska.

I hate to break this news, but on average, the majority of coaching hires overall don’t work out.