"Sure, I hated him": Andersson details tough love from new Flames coach Huska
Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson is thrilled to have Ryan Huska as his new head coach.
Andersson previously played for the Flames’ recently hired head coach for two seasons in the AHL when they were with the Stockton Heat. The 26-year-old believes management made the right choice in their hire.
“Super excited, super happy for Husk and his family,” Andersson said on Flames Talk with Pat Steinberg. “I know his work ethic and it’s very well deserved. I’m real excited for him and I’m excited for our team, I think it’s going to be a great fit.”
While Andersson is excited by the hire, he admits that the two have had their fair share of battles over the years. As tough as it may have been on the Swedish defenceman at the time, he credits Huska for helping him become the player he is today.
“Husk was on me every day. Every single day,” Andersson said. “But you know, I wasn’t in my best shape, I needed to get better, I needed to lose a few pounds. I was a little bit lazy coming from juniors, that kind of stuff. Husk was on me from the first day to the last day in Stockton, and that’s what I needed at that time. Sure I hated him, he probably hated me too, but that’s how you grow.”
While the Flames were looking to go in a different direction from what they had in Darryl Sutter, it seems that Huska won’t be a pushover based on Andersson’s comments. At 47, he is a much younger voice that should be able to relate to today’s athletes better, but he still demands plenty from his players.
If they can take his critiques and learn from them like Andersson did, the Flames could be extremely competitive again this coming season.
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