Raiders head coach Truitt congratulates old partner Huska on Flames head coaching job

“When it came to learning, taking courses, listening to people, he knew a lot of people in the hockey industry that he could lean on,” Truitt said. “He just had that passion. Going through some championship years certainly helped when it comes to elevating yourself to another level.”

Hockey is often a sport that focusses on paying one’s dues. Huska has certainly paid his. He rose up the ranks as a junior coach, coaching Kelowna to a championship of his own in 2008-09, coaching the Flames AHL affiliate, apprenticing as an assistant coach in the NHL for five seasons, and now taking on the head coaching job.

“He’s gained experience along the way,” said Truitt. “It hasn’t been, ‘You’re done playing and now you get a coaching job.’ He had to go through a number of steps. He did that, he stuck to it. There he is today, head coach of the Calgary Flames. I’m so happy for him.”

Huska’s commitment and willingness to learn are key attributes for any coach, and Truitt said he can see some of those same attributes in the young assistant coaches he now works with in Prince Albert in Ryan McDonald and Keaton Ellerby.

“The parallels are there,” he said. “When you work with people, you see how hard they work and they put the time in. As much as you want to in the offseason, you want to turn your brain off and forget about things, you never do… when you’re talking about Ryan McDonald and Keaton Ellerby, and Keaton is right in his coaching infancy just like Ryan (Huska) was, when you play your cards the right way, good things are going to happen.”

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP

by Rob Mahon

Raiders head coach Truitt congratulates old partner Huska on Flames head coaching job

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