Following a summer of coaching changes across the league, the Calgary Flames are sticking by Ryan Huska, announcing today they have signed him to a two-year extension that will see him stay in Calgary through the 2027-28 season.
Huska was entering the final year of his contract. Two-year extension announced today has him signed through 2027-28 season. https://t.co/w165mUACir
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 2, 2025
Ryan Huska is a True Flames Product
Huska joined the Flames organization in 2014 as head coach of the AHL’s Adirondack Flames. That was following an illustrious career coaching in the WHL. He would stay on as the bench boss of the Flames’ AHL affiliate teams in all their renditions until 2018, when the Flames hired him as an assistant coach to Bill Peters during a complete overhaul of the Flames coaching staff in 2018, following the dismissal of Glen Gulutzan.
Following his promotion to the head coach role at the end of the 2022-23 season, the Flames have missed the playoffs both years since that time. They ended up finishing fifth in the Pacific Division with 81 points in his first season. Then, leading the team to 96 points and fourth in the Pacific, it appears Flames management has high hopes for Huska to continue building on the growth over the past two years.
Did the Flames Jump the Gun?
Huska’s contract would have kept him in Calgary until the end of this upcoming season, so questions of whether it’s too soon to tell whether this extension came at the right time are fair. Would revisiting his contract in the spring have positioned them in a better place to search for a new coach, or will putting their trust in the leader of their team be a sign of good faith in the long run?
The expectations of the Flames are always high, regardless of what the team looks like, so missing the playoffs three years in a row with Huska in charge of two of those years is not something that would warrant an extension. However, he has been instrumental in the rebuild of this revamped Flames team and in developing it from top to bottom. Having served his years coaching at the professional level within this organization shows he knows this team better than any other coach out there. And if the Flames are investing in their players so much, why not do the same in their coach?
This extension serves as an act of confidence in the product the Flames are putting together. With their head coach committed long-term, fans can be hopeful that the players can continue to grow, and who knows? A strong leader on the bench who has shaped these players from day one may attract future talent to the city.
Main Photo Credit: Sergei Belski – USA TODAY Sports
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