Hall of Fame coach shares how he would get Flames' Huberdeau on track
The Calgary Flames are trying everything they can think of to get Jonathan Huberdeau going, and a recent Hall of Fame inductee believes he may have the answer.
Ken Hitchcock, who was part of the 2023 class inducted into the Hall of Fame, coached 1,598 games behind the bench at the NHL level and sits fourth all-time at 849 wins. The 71-year-old, who coached plenty of star players over the years, recently explained how he would attempt to get Huberdeau’s game back on track.
“I’ve had a lot of that before,” Hitchcock said to Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet 590 The FAN. “I’ve used the same method. You either trust the player or you don’t trust the player. If you trust the player, then you’ve got to put him out there in situations where he feels like you have confidence in him. That means that you’ve got to take risks and put him out there against top players, or in critical situations.
“First of all, not talk about scoring, not talk about points, but talk about game-like situations where you trust this guy. Put him out there when it really matters. Give him that confidence that he can play against top players, and then let his skill take over after a while. He isn’t going to all of a sudden wake up and score two points a game, it’s going to be a gradual process. But in the meantime, he’s gotta feel like you trust him.”
“He isn’t going to wake up and start scoring 2 points a game. It’s a gradual process… in the meantime, he’s got to feel that you trust him.”
Ken Hitchcock shares how he would deal with Jonathan Huberdeau’s slump with @RealKyper & @jtbourne. #Flames
šŗ https://t.co/SqK7M993Jz pic.twitter.com/k5HSFsw7Yj
ā Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) November 15, 2023
Huberdeau’s ice time has dropped dramatically since joining the Flames. In his 115-point season with the Florida Panthers, he was averaging 19:25 minutes per outing. That number dropped to 16:52 a season ago, and is only slightly higher at 17:11 through 15 games in 2023-24. Hitchcock’s advice may be worth considering for coach Ryan Huska as he looks to get the 30-year-old back to his former elite self.
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