Who Is the Calgary Flames Head Coach?

The Calgary Flames’ unofficial rebuild coincided with the team’s hiring of their first-time NHL head coach. 

While the Flames haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, they came within a whisker of punching their postseason ticket in 2024-25. 

Much of the credit for the team’s ability to remain in the playoff picture throughout the season goes to the bench boss, who received full buy-in from his players. 

Who Is the Calgary Flames Head Coach?

Ryan Huska is the Calgary Flames head coach. The first-time NHL head coach was hired as the Flames’ bench boss before the 2023-24 season. 

Huska, originally from Cranbrook, B.C., has been credited for his ability to elicit the most from young players while helping them reach their full potential. 

Most analysts expected the Flames to finish near the bottom of the standings in 2024-25, but Huska had them positioned among the NHL betting favourites to make the playoffs towards the end of the season. 

Huska’s tenure with the Flames started before the start of the 2018-19 season. He was one of the team’s assistant coaches for five seasons before being promoted to head coach. The Flames are the only NHL team he’s worked with. 

The 50-year-old’s coaching career began in Kelowna, where he served as the Kelowna Rockets’ assistant coach for five seasons, from 2002 to 2007. 

He spent the next seven seasons as the Rockets head coach, ending his 12-year coaching tenure with the WHL team in 2014. 

After his impressive reign in Kelowna, the Flames hired Huska to coach their AHL affiliate team. He was in charge of the affiliate program – the Adirondack Flames and Stockton Heat – for four seasons before landing his first NHL coaching gig in Calgary. 

What Is Ryan Huska’s Salary?

Huska signed a three-year contract in 2023 that runs until the end of the 2025-26 season.

His salary isn’t publicly known.