Flames name Ryan Huska head coach

The Calgary Flames promoted assistant coach Ryan Huska to the top job, the team announced Monday.

The 47-year-old spent the previous five seasons as an assistant on the Flames' coaching staff. This is Huska's first NHL head coaching opportunity, but he guided Calgary's AHL affiliate for four seasons before joining the big club. He also led the WHL's Kelowna Rockets to a Memorial Cup berth in 2009.

"While continuity and familiarity are a benefit, we have witnessed firsthand Ryan's work ethic," general manager Craig Conroy said. "He is a clear communicator who builds trust with his players, and he's a critical thinker with a plan."

Huska most recently oversaw the Flames' penalty kill, which ranked sixth in the league this past season.

Calgary fired Darryl Sutter on May 1. The Flames missed the playoffs in two of Sutter's three campaigns behind the bench in his second tenure with the team. Calgary won the Pacific Division but bowed out in the second round of the postseason in 2021-22.

Former New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant was reportedly a prime candidate for the job.