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Calgary Flames Lose standout AHL coach to Eastern Conference Team

By Nathan Smith

HENDERSON, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 26: Mitch Love, head coach of the Calgary Wranglers on the bench in the game against the Henderson Silver Knights at The Dollar Loan Center on February 26, 2023 in Henderson, Nevada. The Silver Knights defeated the Wranglers 2-1. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images)
HENDERSON, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 26: Mitch Love, head coach of the Calgary Wranglers on the bench in the game against the Henderson Silver Knights at The Dollar Loan Center on February 26, 2023 in Henderson, Nevada. The Silver Knights defeated the Wranglers 2-1. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) /
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The Calgary Flames off-season has come at them very quickly, and after promoting Ryan Huska from assistant to Head Coach, there were fears from many that the team could lose promising AHL Coach Mitch Love, who was firmly in the running for the top job throughout the hiring process.

Now, after a tumultuous day for Calgary, the two-time Most Outstanding Coach in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers has officially taken a job with the Washington Capitals as a defensive assistant, and while this was always a possibility when he was passed over for the Head Coach role, it’s now become official disappointment for fans.

With Craig Conroy indicating that the Flames coaching staff should be filled out by the end of the week, we can now officially eliminate one name from the group, and while fans may want to blame Love for leaving, it’s tough to be passed over for a role after two incredible years with the Heat/Wranglers. With Dustin Wolf, Walker Duehr, Jakob Pelletier and potentially other Wranglers looking to get playing time at the NHL level in 2023-24, it would have been good for continuity and chemistry to have Love there, but this is the nature of the beast for a Flames team that is bound to make even more changes in the coming weeks.

Ultimately, Love was fantastic for Calgary in the AHL, but the team believed he needed more experience before taking a Head Coach role in the NHL, and after being passed over for the role, it makes sense for him to go gain that experience elsewhere.

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