Friedman: Flames assistant Ryan Huska was interviewed for Detroit head coaching gig

As the hockey world waits for the upcoming NHL Draft in Montreal, over at Sportsnet our pal Elliotte Friedman unveiled the final edition of 32 Thoughts for the season.

And in that column, he dropped a nice news nugget: Calgary Flames assistant coach Ryan Huska interviewed for the head coaching job in Detroit that eventually went to Derek Lalonde.

Huska, 47, has been with the Flames as an assistant coach since 2018, running the defensive group and the penalty kill. Prior to that, he was head coach in Stockton and Adirondack of the AHL, and head and assistant coach in Kelowna of the WHL.

Prior to coaching, Huska played left wing and played a few seasons of minor pro following a great junior career with the Kamloops Blazers. He was a member of Memorial Cup-winning teams in 1992, 1994 and 1995, and went to four more Memorial Cups as a member of Kelowna’s coaching staff.

Based on the success of the Flames’ blueline and special teams under his tenure, the development of the Flames’ prospects during his time in the AHL, and his experience as a coach in high-end tournaments, it’s easy to see why Huska would garner attention.  He’s widely seen as an up-and-coming coach, and it might just be a matter of time until he gets a shot to run an NHL bench.

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