[News Roundup] Flames head coach search. Friedman: Huska is the leading contender

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Jiffy Loob

I think this might be right.

The problem for Love with Huska as Coach and him as Assistant Coach is that the path to coaching the Flames would be pretty long, if Huska does a good job. It’s one thing to be an assistant coach to an older retread coach where the coaching tenure is likely short…even when the team is successful. It’s another when the coach is an up and comer. In that case, Love’s short term chance of being a head coach in the NHL in the short term requires Huska having a Geoff Ward-like tenure as coach or Love quickly parlaying his role with the Flames into a head coaching job elsewhere.

I think Love will exhaust all head coaching opportunities before taking an assistant role under Huska. If the head coaching opportunities are exhausted, he might seek an assistant coaching role at a team where he’d be groomed as successor to a coach who is likely moving on in the next year or two.

[taxbuster]

Originally Posted by Burning Beard

One day in the future AI will have turned on humans and destroyed the world and Paulie Walnuts will still be posting furiously several times a day about Sutter.

One of the reasons he's on my Ignore List, but I still have to look at quoted text from him. It's painful.

[midniteowl]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

One of the reasons he's on my Ignore List, but I still have to look at quoted text from him. It's painful.

Yes! I wish there is a feature that when the person on your ignore list and people quote them, it'll appear #### to you, like all the swear words.

[Inferno]

Originally Posted by midniteowl

Yes! I wish there is a feature that when the person on your ignore list and people quote them, it'll appear #### to you, like all the swear words.

Or the quote to them could just be the "This user is on your ignore list" or whatever it is message.

[FlamesAddiction]

I was reading a bit about the issues with Gallant in New York, and apparently there was a point during the season that Drury was frustrated with Gallant for playing Kreider on the 3rd and 4th line, and also playing Laf on his off wing. The team was winning before that, then went on a mini slump when he made the change, but he was too stubborn to switch it back right away. Sound kind of like something Sutter would do.

[Flamesfan05]

I miss Bob Johnson

Someone who can both coach and get along with everyone at the same time

[All In Good Time]

Originally Posted by taxbuster

One of the reasons he's on my Ignore List, but I still have to look at quoted text from him. It's painful.

But
On the other hand
It can be so hilariously entertaining at times

[Cortez]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

I miss Bob Johnson

Someone who can both coach and get along with everyone at the same time

Tell me how old you are without telling me how old you are

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Flamesfan05

I miss Bob Johnson

Someone who can both coach and get along with everyone at the same time

Loved Badger Bob. But some of the players hated him.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Loved Badger Bob. But some of the players hated him.

The only person to hate Badger Bob was then Oilers coach Glen Sather. Badger would have the spare goalie wear and Oilers jersey in practice and that would infuriate Sather. Badger knew how to get under Sather's skin

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Dion

The only person to hate Badger Bob was then Oilers coach Glen Sather. Badger would have the spare goalie wear and Oilers jersey in practice and that would infuriate Sather. Badger knew how to get under Sather's skin

Hate was too strong. But I have it on pretty good authority that a number of vets disliked Badger and were quite happy when he left.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hate was too strong. But I have it on pretty good authority that a number of vets disliked Badger and were quite happy when he left.

This is news to me. What didn't they like about Badger?

[browna]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

To be fair winning seems to follow Love around whether it be Everett (assistant), or Saskatoon (they were crap for a long time and he turned them around) and the Heat/Wranglers. If there is a coach in the AHL that looks like he could be the next John Cooper it's Mitch Love. He could fail which is the norm for most Flames head coaches but it's getting pretty tiring here seeing fans moan about letting Tkachuk and Bennett go so you can just imagine if another team picks hires him and he becomes a successful NHL head coach how fans would turn on Conroy. At the end of the day you do need to reward people in the organization that have met and surpassed expectations as that's what good organizations do. Love deserves the chance.

A reward would still be an assistant role with an NHL team. Same as what Huska got. Again every AHL coach of the year doesn't and hasn't got gifted NHL head coaching roles.

Fans woild also turn on Conroy and the Flames if they hire Love as HC and he struggles (comments about the Flames being cheap and not looking around enough for other coaches etc) so he can't win.

[browna]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Hate was too strong. But I have it on pretty good authority that a number of vets disliked Badger and were quite happy when he left.

Johnson had very little time for Brett Hull and his attitude, part of the reason he lasted here only a couple seasons.
Johnson had unique methods, and fitness and well being like nutrition etc were higher up his list of priorities, which was new for that era.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by browna

A reward would still be an assistant role with an NHL team. Same as what Huska got. Again every AHL coach of the year doesn't and hasn't got gifted NHL head coaching roles.

Fans woild also turn on Conroy and the Flames if they hire Love as HC and he struggles (comments about the Flames being cheap and not looking around enough for other coaches etc) so he can't win.

Huska's AHL teams were not very good so clearly moving him to a NHL HC role would have been pretty dicey given his lack of success at the pro level. That's not the case for Love. If they want to move Love to an assistant role that's fine providing the head coach is experienced then as he would be groomed as the replacement but Love under Huska wouldn't work because usually when a team promotes a first time head coach and that coach doesn't work out teams typically will want to replace that failed experiment with an experienced head coach which would leave Love out of the equation for two cycles.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Cail MacLean was also an AHL Head Coach that was promoted. If the pattern of promotion stalls out at NHL assistant coaching, it sends a message.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's a part of the leadership equation that matters though as it plays into gaining the respect of players. People tend to buy into charismatic leaders over the cold and analytical types. You don't want a coach that has to manufacture it such as Gulutzan. When he threw a stick in the stands players laughed which was all you need to know about how his tenure went. We also heard several stories about players not respecting Playfair from day one so he never had a chance.

While you're correct that gaining the respect of the players (or direct reports in other businesses) is important, having charisma isn't required to do that, and is actually an antiquated perspective on what makes a good leader. Typical elements noted as being part of the leadership equation include EQ, communication skills, ability to assess their people and rally their people and integrity.

There no longer is a single image of a typically successful leader. Analytical types, as you put it, are in fact quite successful in leadership and NHL coaching roles (see John Cooper). Gaining the trust of the players is much more important and the trust equation spells out those elements quite clearly with a low self orientation being crucial to being seen as highly trust worthy and an element that IMO, did Sutter in.

[dammage79]

There's a possibility the Flames can lose one or the other between Huska and Love this offseason. So Conny has to be deft in his decision making.

Like Wolf, Love has nothing left to prove at the lower levels.

IMO, there's a wave rolling right now and perhaps the Flames shouldn't get in their own way and hop on it and let it ride.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I don't think hiring Love is gifting him the position and by all accounts they are doing a thorough search like they did for the GM.

If you ever heard Love on the radio he's a very confident person and the players speak highly of him not as a pushover coach but someone who gets the best out of players.

Really can't see him being an assistant coach in Calgary under any circumstances. It's either head coach or he's gone.

Some people are fast risers and he seems to be one and has that it factor about him. Plus if we are bringing Wolf up no one knows him better and we can't screw it up with this goalie.

I didn't watch the Wranglers so I can't speak to systems deployed and how defensive zone coverage was like but I think that stuff can be sorted out.

The biggest thing is getting in that locker room and changing the atmosphere repairing relationships and building trust and communication with the players and staff.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

If Wills is predicting Huska that's reassuring that it won't be Huska.

Hahahaha. Does Wills have a record of getting stuff wrong? I haven't been paying attention because I always stop listening when it's him... I would have figured he'd be aware of what's happening since he's so close to the team and org. in his role.