By Regan Bartel

Ryan Huska named Calgary Flames HC

Huska at the helm!!

Jun 12, 2023 | 12:56 PM

Kelowna Rockets Press Release: 

Former Kelowna Rockets coach Ryan Huska was hired Monday as the new head coach of the Calgary Flames.

Huska, 47, becomes the first former member of the Rockets coaching staff to be named an NHL head coach.

“I am as proud as I have been of any former player or any employee of our organization to have Ryan advance on,” said Rockets president and general manager Bruce Hamilton. “From our organization, we’re so proud of him and thrilled that he has received this opportunity. He brought so much to our organization, he’s loyal, understanding and competitive; traits that he passed onto the coaches that worked below him. This is the greatest thing that could happen to him and his family, we know he’s going to do a great job with the Flames.”

He spent 12 seasons with the Rockets; five as an assistant between 2002 and 2007 and seven as the head coach from 2007 to 2014. He helped Kelowna capture the 2004 Memorial Cup and WHL titles in 2003, 2005 and 2009.

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He was also an assistant coach for Hockey Canada’s World Junior team, claiming a silver medal in 2011 and a bronze medal in 2012.

Regan’s Take:

Ryan Huska was originally hired as head coach of the Kelowna Rockets on July 24, 2007. 

“It’s nice. I am very excited about the opportunity, Huska said at the time. “I am really looking forward to working with the guys we have in place, and working with some of these young players. I think we have the makings of a very good team, so we are all excited about this.”

Huska took over for Jeff Truitt, who moved on to a pro opportunity.

“I never really expected to get a coaching opportunity here in Kelowna”, Huska added. “I always thought, or assumed that Jeff (Truitt) would stay a few more years, or I would go somewhere else to get my first chance to become a head coach. So I am very excited it is here, and as I said earlier this is the best organization to be a part of.”

This is what Rockets GM Bruce Hamilton said at the time about the hiring of Huska. 

“Ryan has earned his stripes here, and he’s the best guy for the job”, Hamilton said. “Why I waited as long as I did shouldn’t be construed as anything more than, I’ve been gone for three weeks at a lot of business things and holidays. In order to get Jeff (Finley) into place it took till now, because I wanted to spend some time talking to Jeff, and let Ryan meet with him so they could decide if they were going to get along and where their philosophies were and things like that. It’s going to be quite the pair “.

Following his time with the Rockets, Huska moved on to become the head coach of the Flames AHL affiliate, the Adirondack Flames, in 2004. He spent three more seasons as the Flames AHL head coach after the team relocated to Stockton. In 2018-19, he was named the Calgary Flames assistant coach and has been a member of their staff for the past five seasons.

Prior to coaching, the former forward spent four seasons with the Kamloops Blazers between 1991 and 1995.

As a player, he has an additional three WHL and Memorial Cup titles to his name.