I think if all goes well Huska will take Hartley's job eventually.
Depends when Hartley is let go. Could be as soon as the next off-season if it's another bottom 5 finish. I doubt Husak gets a chance at an NHL job for at least 3 more years.
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Depends when Hartley is let go. Could be as soon as the next off-season if it's another bottom 5 finish. I doubt Husak gets a chance at an NHL job for at least 3 more years.
I doubt it. I see Hartley coaching the Flames for a while... he created an identity for the Flames that has been missing for a long time. Also, I don't think Treliving is the type of GM to switch coaches every two years like the Oilers.
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Given how the Addy Flames are going to be very prospect loaded next season, I'm really happy with this hire the more I hear about him and his coaching style.
Rolling 4 lines and playing all of you D regularly is going to be huge when the team is full of prospects, and they all are in need of ice time (with good/proper coaching) to develop properly.
Given how the Addy Flames are going to be very prospect loaded next season, I'm really happy with this hire the more I hear about him and his coaching style.
Rolling 4 lines and playing all of you D regularly is going to be huge when the team is full of prospects, and they all are in need of ice time (with good/proper coaching) to develop properly.
His history certainly shows he's capable. It'll be a test to see if it can come to pass.
Nice to see Treliving doing his do diligence in seeking upgrades to this team and it's affiliates.
Sorry about the delay, wanted to write a good response after work... RJ already wrote a great summary and is very knowledgeable about the rockets and the dub. A bit long but my thoughts on Huska or at least his teams in the last 5/6 years I've watched them;
- Up tempo hockey built on an aggressive forecheck and a quick transition game. Forwards all backchecked hard. Skate skate skate. Seemed like most of their even strength goals come off turnovers and rushes. Compared to some NHL teams, way less reliant on the cycle for offense.
- Wolfpack mentality, everybody plays, everybody pulls in the same direction. He rolls all 4 lines and not just quick shifts, the 3rd and 4th liners can see almost as much ice as the 1st. Also seemed to have about 3 pp units at times.
- Had a quick roster with a ton of commitment from the players and good puck skills throughout. Not very many big guys compared to some of their rivals like Victoria and Seattle and not as many guys who fight. Golborne was the tough guy this year and he is no one shift a game kind of fighter. Not to say they got pushed around, they stood their ground but they never gooned it up. Fighters welcome but they have to be able to play hockey.
- Echoing what Red John said, very intelligent, thoughtful guy. Doesn't lead by yelling or screaming. Very cerebral and really respected in the community. I am sure he could adjust a strategy for any roster.
- Developing young defencemen has almost been ridiculous. Weber, Keith, Edler etc were before my time but even this year's club, there are 7 of 8 players with a legitimate chance of a cup of coffee in the bigs and that's almost purely down to coaching and development. Lees and Bowey were high bantam picks but the rest were diamonds in the rough and you saw them noticeably improve month to month. Defensive positioning and first pass out of the zone especially. He produces quick, mobile, well positioned defencemen really suited for the modern game.
- Another thing I really like about the way he handles young dmen is he encourages them to join the rush or pinch if they are inclined. With young guys with offensive instincts like Bowey and Tyson Barrie he didn't just round them out, he continued to build on their strengths.
- Willing to give key roles to very young players and wins with them. In recent years players like Rourke Chartier, Nick Merkley and Riley Stadel have come in and got a taste at 15 and then been big parts of the team at 16. By the time they are at their first draft they are already approaching 150 games which you don't usually see with smaller guys.
Overall I can't say enough about what he did here. He took a team with no big name 1st round nhl prospects and made them the best team in the CHL for most of the season. I can't think of a better guy to bring into a rebuilding organization at the AHL level, for me this is a grand slam.
Biggest thing I will be interested to see is buy-in at the AHL level. His teams here all bought in to his system and it's cliche to say it but really looked like a team. Can he get the same buy in from a bunch of guys who were all the stars on their CHL team? I think so but it will be a new challenge for him to manage a bit bigger egos.
Thanks for the detailed response, Matty! I'm liking this hire.
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Great hire, but good lord, when did this become the fire Hartley thread? Are we honestly so excited about this guy after reading some positive reviews that he is definitely the Flames next head coach? He'd better watch out though when that happens because Treliving will have hired the next minor league coach, that will be so awesome that he will definitely be the Flames next head coach forever and ever. Huska will be fired in short order when that happens.
Has anyone in this thread ever proposed to a girl while shouting to her on her front lawn 2 hours after their first date? Just curious.
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Thanks for the detailed response, Matty! I'm liking this hire.
He'll have to adapt to the new level but the combination of his track record of developing/working with young players and winning and the Flames having such a young AHL team and so many picks coming... Flames fans should be feeling really good about this hire. He won my respect completely in the years I've watched him here.
I am sad that's he's leaving as a fan of the Rockets but if he had to go, going to the Flames organization is the best thing that could have happened.
Even though I'm a huge fan of this hire I don't think it's in anyone's best interest to have Huska be behind the bench in Calgary for a few years. He's still in his 30's and has to learn and adapt to the pro game. He'll be an NHL coach sooner or later, but there's no rush to can Hartley just to bring him up. I hope to see status quo for the coaches for at least a couple years, preferably longer.
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- Wolfpack mentality, everybody plays, everybody pulls in the same direction. He rolls all 4 lines and not just quick shifts, the 3rd and 4th liners can see almost as much ice as the 1st. Also seemed to have about 3 pp units at times.
...
Thanks for the detailed post. Had to laugh when I read the bolded part. For some reason this clip popped in my head, and I envision this is how the first day of training camp will be for the Adirondack Flames:
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Five NHL teams called to ask for permission to talk to Huska this off-season, including the Capitals for an assistant job to Barry Trotz.
Huska chose an AHL job with the Flames organization over a possible NHL job elsewhere because he felt comfortable with new management's plan, direction and philosophy.
Its amazing what happens when you hire respected, competent hockey people like Brian Burke. He brings in another respected competent guy in Treliving who then is able to attract top candidates to fill other positions.
Truly a surreal time to be a Flames fan. It's unfortunate it's taken Murray Edwards and Ken King this long to get it right but once you get the right management in place in hockey ops the other pieces fall into place.
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Looks like Lambert is the new head coach of the Rockets. Would've loved to have him alongside Huska though, to truly turn our AHL club into a factory for NHL defencemen.
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Five NHL teams called to ask for permission to talk to Huska this off-season, including the Capitals for an assistant job to Barry Trotz.
Huska chose an AHL job with the Flames organization over a possible NHL job elsewhere because he felt comfortable with new management's plan, direction and philosophy.
Its amazing what happens when you hire respected, competent hockey people like Brian Burke. He brings in another respected competent guy in Treliving who then is able to attract top candidates to fill other positions.
Truly a surreal time to be a Flames fan. It's unfortunate it's taken Murray Edwards and Ken King this long to get it right but once you get the right management in place in hockey ops the other pieces fall into place.
So true. With Feaster in charge the Flames were becoming the joke of the NHL. Not that all the blame should go on Feaster, Ken King deserves some as well. With Burke in charge he won't take crap from idiots above him.
Five NHL teams called to ask for permission to talk to Huska this off-season, including the Capitals for an assistant job to Barry Trotz.
Huska chose an AHL job with the Flames organization over a possible NHL job elsewhere because he felt comfortable with new management's plan, direction and philosophy.
Its amazing what happens when you hire respected, competent hockey people like Brian Burke. He brings in another respected competent guy in Treliving who then is able to attract top candidates to fill other positions.
Truly a surreal time to be a Flames fan. It's unfortunate it's taken Murray Edwards and Ken King this long to get it right but once you get the right management in place in hockey ops the other pieces fall into place.
Very well said. Some folks might not like Burke's way of doing things, or what he says. But he immediately commands respect from his peers around the league. Something I don't think the Flames had a lot of. It's very cliché to say a good team on the ice starts with good management, but I think we will soon be reaping the benefits. Between Pascal and Huska, it's good to see these guys were courted by other more successful teams, yet were willing to come on board to try and turn things around here. Exciting times indeed.
Five NHL teams called to ask for permission to talk to Huska this off-season, including the Capitals for an assistant job to Barry Trotz.
Huska chose an AHL job with the Flames organization over a possible NHL job elsewhere because he felt comfortable with new management's plan, direction and philosophy.
Its amazing what happens when you hire respected, competent hockey people like Brian Burke. He brings in another respected competent guy in Treliving who then is able to attract top candidates to fill other positions.
Truly a surreal time to be a Flames fan. It's unfortunate it's taken Murray Edwards and Ken King this long to get it right but once you get the right management in place in hockey ops the other pieces fall into place.
Yup. The 180 degree turn the past year has been great. I know the puck hasn't dropped since Treliving was hired and nothing is proven, but we went from a franchise run by a King/Feaster/Weisbrod to Burke/Treliving/Pascal and now brought in what appears to a very promising candidate.
Thank you Burke!
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yup. The 180 degree turn the past year has been great. I know the puck hasn't dropped since treliving was hired and nothing is proven, but we went from a franchise run by a king/feaster/weisbrod to burke/treliving/pascal/Conroy and now brought in what appears to a very promising candidate.
President of Hockey Ops
Brian Burke- a highly respected individual in the hockey world, tons of experience. Went through a lot of awful years with questionable moves, but also did a lot of fleecing and great draft splashes. From some of his bigger blunders and sometimes speaking without a filter, I'm glad he isn't the GM and taking more of a background role, in his role with his experience, it will be an asset for sure. General Manager
Brad Treliving- Young but smart. Got to see how to run things in Phoenix, and he did a decent job there with limited resources. Excited to see what he can do with more resources. Great that he will be "mentored" (for lack of a better word) by Burke. Will have to see what happens this upcoming year but if Burke and Treliving have chemistry along with Conroy and Pascall, this could turn out to be golden. Assistant GM
Craig Conroy- has went through the Feaster era, where we made some great draft picks, but also made a lot of embarrassing blunders. That must've been a great experience for Conroy but the fact that Burke kept him after firing Feaster and Weisbrod shows that he is well liked and shows promise. Excited to see him take on a larger role and continued to be groomed for even larger roles in the future.
Brad Pascall- Can't say I know much about him but he definitely seems very well connected (many hires seem to be made from his connections) and has more experience than Conroy. Never hurts to add another hockey mind into management to refine things. Head of Scouting
Tod Button- Under Feaster's draft philosophy he seemed to have made some great picks. He's survived so many regime changes and none had a problem with him, so he must be well liked. Excited to see this upcoming draft.
NHL Coach
Bob Hartley- Despite what some people wrote above, I love him right now and don't want to see him replaced at all. If he coaches the way he coached last year, I'd be happy with him long after our rebuild and into our Stanley Cup runs. Even though Feaster finally admitted we were in rebuilding mode, our team still bought into Hartley's system and tried their best. Even the media took notice. That's huge because Hartley is instilling a culture into the younger prospects minds while they are still mentally and physically malleable. So in the future whether or not Hartley is the head coach, our players were taught to have a winning mentality, the Flames stole many games just through pure effort alone. I love how even though we were no longer contenders, we crushed the playoff hopes of so many teams, it felt pretty good. Unlike the Oilers who seem to be fine with losing. The problem with Oilers isn't really talent (well maybe that too) but moreso that their players seem to be content with coasting through games with their 6x6 special that was basically handed to them like candy. Many Oilers fans are happy with T. Hall's passion but that's because he seems to be the only guy on the team who cares. We have 5 of those at all times on the ice. LA Kings is a great example of how mentality and passion triumphs over talent almost every time (though LA Kings roster is still pretty talented. I wouldn't have anyone else be the head influence on our roster right now. AHL Coach
Ryan Huska- Amazing record with the Rockets. With so many offers on the table for him he chose an AHL position over an NHL one. This shows that he was using his head, he took a position that is a bit lower but seems to have more potential. That sounds like a smart guy to me. I like what I hear from Kelowna fans.
Obviously I'm super excited before we've even played one game, I'm usually more of a wait and see type of person but it's not hard to see with our management group and coaches, there's a ton of potential.
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