In an era of high turnover for NHL coaching staff, the Calgary Flames have bucked the trend, retaining head coach Ryan Huska as a beacon of stability in an otherwise turbulent Pacific Division. Hired on June 12, 2023, Huska is now the longest-tenured bench boss in the division, a stark contrast to the coaching carousel spinning in rival cities.
While Huska has guided the Flames to a respectable, if not stellar, 113-105-28 record over his first 246 games, the team has yet to make a Stanley Cup playoff appearance under his leadership. Over the past three seasons, Calgary has accumulated 254 points, ranking 25th in the league. Despite the middling results, the organization has shown faith in Huska, who replaced former Jack Adams Award winner Darryl Sutter. This patience stands in sharp relief against the backdrop of a division where every other team has made a coaching change since Huska was appointed.
A division in flux
The most recent and perhaps most surprising change comes from the Edmonton Oilers. Despite reaching the Stanley Cup Final in two consecutive seasons under Kris Knoblauch, the organization is reportedly looking for its third head coach since 2022, with speculation linking veteran coach Mike Babcock to the vacant position.
The Los Angeles Kings, who have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for five straight seasons, are also starting fresh. On June 9, 2026, the team hired veteran coach Peter Laviolette, making him their fourth head coach since 2020. Laviolette takes over from D.J. Smith, who had been serving in an interim capacity.
Further north, the Vancouver Canucks hired Manny Malhorta as their new head coach on June 1, 2026, following a disastrous season that saw them plummet to the bottom of the league standings. The move was part of a complete organizational overhaul that included a new president and general manager, and it marks the third consecutive season the Canucks will start with a new face behind the bench.
Even the Vegas Golden Knights, who won the Stanley Cup with Bruce Cassidy, made a late-season change. With just eight games remaining in the 2025-26 campaign, the team brought in the fiery John Tortorella, who successfully guided the team back to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Anaheim Ducks made a controversial but ultimately successful move last summer, hiring Joel Quenneville on May 8, 2025. After several losing seasons, Quenneville led the Ducks to a competitive year where they vied for the division title and reached the second round of the playoffs. Similarly, the Seattle Kraken appointed their third coach in their brief five-year history, naming Lane Lambert to the top job on May 29, 2025. In his first year, he led the young franchise to a sixth-place finish in the division.
The only other coach with significant tenure in the division is Ryan Warsofsky of the San Jose Sharks, who was hired on June 13, 2024. Despite a challenging 59-85-20 record over two seasons, there is optimism in San Jose, largely thanks to the arrival of bona fide superstar Macklin Celebrini. The franchise is betting that Warsofsky can build a playoff contender around the young phenom.
Huska’s tenure in context
When the 2026-27 NHL season begins, Huska will be the eighth-longest-tenured coach in the entire league. He follows a prestigious list of coaches who have all had significant success, including Jon Cooper (Tampa Bay, 2013), Jared Bednar (Colorado, 2016), and Rod Brind’Amour (Carolina, 2018). The key difference, however, is that every one of those seven coaches has guided their club to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Huska remains the lone exception, a fact that undoubtedly increases the pressure on him and the Flames organization. The Flames' decision to stick with their coach through a period without playoff hockey suggests a commitment to a long-term vision. This strategy is not always popular in the high-stakes world of professional sports, where fan and media pressure can often lead to frequent changes. The stability could be seen as a calculated move, giving a consistent voice and system to a team in transition. This is in line with a city that prides itself on steady growth, as reflected in its California college football players sue NCAA over House settlement and generally stable financial outlook.
The rebuild and the road ahead
The upcoming season is shaping up to be a pivotal one for Huska. In October 2025, the Flames demonstrated their commitment by signing him to a two-year contract extension. The clear mandate is for him to oversee the team’s rebuild and develop its next generation of core players.
The success of this rebuild will hinge on the development of top prospects like goaltender Dustin Wolf, forward Matt Coronato, and newly drafted defenceman Zayne Parekh. Huska is tasked with turning this raw talent into a cohesive and competitive NHL roster. A rebuild requires patience, a commodity often in short supply in professional sports, but one the Flames’ management seems willing to afford their coach.
As his divisional counterparts continue to change, Huska has been given the rare gifts of time and trust. The 2026-27 season will be a critical test of whether that trust was well-placed, as he pushes his young core to take the next step and finally challenge for a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
