[News] Flames name Geoff Ward and Ryan Huska as assistant coaches

[Split98]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Umm, unless that draft was the midget draft, that can’t be correct. Clark was a winger from the get go - including junior. Don’t know about Markov.

Looks like he was drafted a defenceman right out of Junior

"A star junior hockey defenceman with the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League, Clark was a member of Canada's gold medal winning team at the 1985 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships."

"Clark was converted to forward after he was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendel_Clark#Junior

[Jeff Lebowski]

I’m wishing this staff nothing but the best. However I’m not going to read much into comments in the off-season. Gulutzan said this when hired:

On his approach with players:

“You have to build relationships and when you have trust, you create an emotional bank account when you have to push players.”

On the style the Flames will play:

“In the West, you have to be a blend. Five years ago, I knew one way to play. We want to play fast, defend fast. You still have to play in the trenches and be strong along the walls. And how can we not spend time in our zone? There will be changes and it will be exciting. We want to be a connected group of fives in all three zones.”

https://www.google.ca/amp/vancouvers...n-trenches/amp


I recall lots of comments about playing fast, exciting hockey and a Treliving saying Gulutzan would drive players. I’m not trying to show up anyone, rather remind that talk is just talk.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I’m wishing this staff nothing but the best. However I’m not going to read much into comments in the off-season. Gulutzan said this when hired:



https://www.google.ca/amp/vancouvers...n-trenches/amp


I recall lots of comments about playing fast, exciting hockey and a Treliving saying Gulutzan would drive players. I’m not trying to show up anyone, rather remind that talk is just talk.

True or not, I think what’s currently being said is a little less cliche. Peters and Ward are both giving examples of what these things mean, they aren’t talking about “emotional bank accounts” or whatever.

Talk is just talk, true. But not all talk is the same.

[Drunk Uncle]

After hearing the interviews, I am excited about is the mix of personalities and experience with the coaching staff. I think you can have a blunt prickly head coach (I do think this is how Peters will be) as long as the assistants are able to re-convey your message in a milder way. I think that is what we get out of Ward and Huska. I also think it works better this way than the head coach being milder with more prickly assistants ala Cameron/GG.

It's not often you get a chance to hire an NHL coach (assistant/associate or head) that has 10 years of NHL experience without being fired once as a coach. I can't think of one coach off the top of my head who has that track record. Not sure why people have any reservations about Ward as an assistant.

Based on who we have, I think we will see big adjustments on the PP set-up (maybe not the players but definitely where they are in the set-up) and in-game and game-to-game adjustments. I think we see very little change in the 5v5 systems. IMO the biggest change and the one that was most needed will be the messaging and accountability of the players.

If there is only one adjustment to the roster that pushes Hathaway out of the top 9, I am very confident we make the playoffs with this staff in place.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I’m wishing this staff nothing but the best. However I’m not going to read much into comments in the off-season. Gulutzan said this when hired:



https://www.google.ca/amp/vancouvers...n-trenches/amp


I recall lots of comments about playing fast, exciting hockey and a Treliving saying Gulutzan would drive players. I’m not trying to show up anyone, rather remind that talk is just talk.

Clearly some of that is on GG, what he said and what he did are 2 completely different things. However with that being said some of that has to be on Brad as its his job to ensure our lineup had the depth to play like that, and I don't believe the 2017/18 Calgary Flames had roster to play that style of game unfortunately. Brad "identified" that just recently so I'm hoping we address that going in to 2018/19 because our current roster wont be able to repeat that without some changes.

[CroFlames]

I have a mental block where I can't pronounce the name Geoff. To me it's GEE-off.



Why can't people just name their kids Jeff or Jeffry?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I have a mental block where I can't pronounce the name Geoff. To me it's GEE-off.



Why can't people just name their kids Jeff or Jeffry?

Or Dug, or Shon, or Mikel.

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I have a mental block where I can't pronounce the name Geoff. To me it's GEE-off.

So is George pronounced GEE-orge?

Reading is a skill.

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Or Dug, or Shon, or Mikel.

I GUU-ess you could spell them that way.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

I have a mental block where I can't pronounce the name Geoff. To me it's GEE-off.



Why can't people just name their kids Jeff or Jeffry?

I answer to both "Jeff" and "Gee-off" but I don't answer to "Joffrey"


I had one teacher refer to me as Godfrey. >_<

[Locke]

Originally Posted by getbak

I thought it was funny when Rob Kerr asked Peters what the difference was between an Associate Coach (Ward) and an Assistant (Huska), and he just said that the Associate gets paid more.

Also, based on the Treliving interview, the fact that Ward was hired as an Associate is what opened the door for them to be able to snag him away from the Devils even though he was still under contract for another season there.

Hopefully he smuggled Hall out in his equipment bag and brought him with him.

He'd look nice on our wing and improve our Powerplay immensely.

[Bingo]

Wasn't expecting anyone to in the pressers to mention it but I think the big thing that gets over looked when talking about Gulutzan vs a new regime is how the team would abandon their game plan when things went poorly.

Change the system, change the adjustments, improve the powerplay, but they also need to hope that this trio can man them up a tad too, because the team's need to get a goal back individually on the next shift after giving one up was literally like watching a Division 3 bantam team in Calgary

[868904]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Wasn't expecting anyone to in the pressers to mention it but I think the big thing that gets over looked when talking about Gulutzan vs a new regime is how the team would abandon their game plan when things went poorly.

Change the system, change the adjustments, improve the powerplay, but they also need to hope that this trio can man them up a tad too, because the team's need to get a goal back individually on the next shift after giving one up was literally like watching a Division 3 bantam team in Calgary

I don't think "abandon the game plan" was a bad thing, as the game plan sucked under GG, but I think what you are getting at was the mental toughness to deal with adversity, which the team had none.

I don't think that's on the players. The mental toughness and will to overcome adversity was there in 2015 with pretty much the same core and an arguably weaker team. What happened? Mental toughness and character don't just disappear, it's part of someones make up and DNA.

To me, the problem was a lack of leadership at the coach level. GG did not make adjustments or settle the team down when things started to go off the rail. He would just tell the players to "stick to the game plan". Everyone mocks the GG haters about the time out thing, but it is a common tool that successful coaches use to disrupt the oppositions momentum. Keenan use to change goalies all the time just for the sake of disrupting the oppositions momentum and giving his team a chance to refocus.

Every time the Flames had a big lead under GG, it never felt safe. You just knew the opposition would get one, and then they would get another, and you would just sit there at home watching on tv screaming at GG to do something to stem the tide, and he does nothing. Next thing you know, the game is tied or the Flames are losing.

Someone has to be a leader. This isn't about Giordano. Giordano can't call timeouts or make goalie changes or have long talks with the officials. This is about GG with his hands in his pockets staring down at the ipad while the world burns around him.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Wasn't expecting anyone to in the pressers to mention it but I think the big thing that gets over looked when talking about Gulutzan vs a new regime is how the team would abandon their game plan when things went poorly.

Change the system, change the adjustments, improve the powerplay, but they also need to hope that this trio can man them up a tad too, because the team's need to get a goal back individually on the next shift after giving one up was literally like watching a Division 3 bantam team in Calgary

Gio talked about that too. He said they'd be playing fine, controlling the game, they'd get scored on because of a fluke or a breakdown, and they'd suddenly play stupid hockey, as opposed to the same game they'd been playing, only maybe up a notch.

Not only did they not get the goal back quickly a la Vegas. They'd get scored on again quickly.

[CalgaryFan1988]

One thing we can always count on, it doesn't really matter who the Flames hire as a GM or coach, there is always (at least a half dozen) smarter than them right here on CP.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by 868904

I don't think "abandon the game plan" was a bad thing, as the game plan sucked under GG, but I think what you are getting at was the mental toughness to deal with adversity, which the team had none.

I don't think that's on the players. The mental toughness and will to overcome adversity was there in 2015 with pretty much the same core and an arguably weaker team. What happened? Mental toughness and character don't just disappear, it's part of someones make up and DNA.

To me, the problem was a lack of leadership at the coach level. GG did not make adjustments or settle the team down when things started to go off the rail. He would just tell the players to "stick to the game plan". Everyone mocks the GG haters about the time out thing, but it is a common tool that successful coaches use to disrupt the oppositions momentum. Keenan use to change goalies all the time just for the sake of disrupting the oppositions momentum and giving his team a chance to refocus.

Every time the Flames had a big lead under GG, it never felt safe. You just knew the opposition would get one, and then they would get another, and you would just sit there at home watching on tv screaming at GG to do something to stem the tide, and he does nothing. Next thing you know, the game is tied or the Flames are losing.

Someone has to be a leader. This isn't about Giordano. Giordano can't call timeouts or make goalie changes or have long talks with the officials. This is about GG with his hands in his pockets staring down at the ipad while the world burns around him.

I agree completely and I've mentioned it many times.

Systems are all well and good, but they're all fairly similar, your coach needs to understand man-management and know how to play the games within the game to his own team's advantage.

We would constantly see other teams do this and we'd never do it ourselves so it would happen against us but never for us and when the margins between success and failure are slim that little competitive advantage adds up.

This team doesnt need a teacher, it needs a General.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gio talked about that too. He said they'd be playing fine, controlling the game, they'd get scored on because of a fluke or a breakdown, and they'd suddenly play stupid hockey, as opposed to the same game they'd been playing, only maybe up a notch.

Not only did they not get the goal back quickly a la Vegas. They'd get scored on again quickly.

When I coach kids I always stress the faceoff after a goal either way.

Reset
Deep breath
On your toes
Lets go

It's such a big moment(s) in a hockey game, and team has to be strong enough to chill back into what they are doing.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by 868904

I don't think "abandon the game plan" was a bad thing, as the game plan sucked under GG...

This is akin to a number of patently ridiculous comments on this board about how "the system" quashed all creativity and skill, and how much better the players looked when they "abandoned the game plan." In other words, everything that went right was a result of players independent of the coaches, and everything that went wrong was a product of coaching.

Such assessments are overwhelmingly biased at the outset, stemming from a dislike of the coach. Moreover, the captain would seem to agree entirely with Bingo's take:

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Gio talked about that too. He said they'd be playing fine, controlling the game, they'd get scored on because of a fluke or a breakdown, and they'd suddenly play stupid hockey, as opposed to the same game they'd been playing, only maybe up a notch...

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Locke

...This team doesnt need a teacher, it needs a General.

No. This team needs both.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

No. This team needs both.

Teachers are everywhere, Generals are much rarer.