Heading into the 2025/26 NHL season, the Calgary Flames announced two-year extensions for both General Manager Craig Conroy and Head Coach Ryan Huska, finally giving the organization some stability after years of turmoil and turnover.
While the year wasn't an easy one for anybody in Calgary, the team made their direction known as they plunged head first into their rebuild with not one, not two but three trades of key veterans that make it clear where their priorities lie. With all of that change, clearly the organization didn't want to go through much more of that, and as a result, they've announced two-year extensions for five coaches.
The #Flames have locked in their bench 🔥
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) May 1, 2026
Assistant coaches Trent Cull, Dave Lowry, Cail MacLean, and Jamie Pringle (video), along with goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera, have all signed two-year extensions, joining head coach Ryan Huska, who inked his deal earlier this season. pic.twitter.com/m6XrQFZr8q
That means that Dave Lowry, Trent Cull, Cal MacLean, Jamie Pringle and Jason LaBarbera will all be around alongside Huska and Conroy for the next few seasons, with many in Calgary finding optimism in this coaching staff. Sure, 2026/27 may not be pretty as the team look to integrate more and more young players, but in the long-term, the coaching staff and front office appear to be on the same page about development and how long things will take.
According to Sportsnet's Pat Steinberg, the players are on board with this coaching staff as well, as there's been nothing but positivity from everyone about this group, with the belief being that they can take the group into and out the other side of a rebuild.
One of the big messages from players, publicly and privately, coming out of exit meetings was positivity across the board about the coaching staff.
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) May 1, 2026
While the whole staff (outside of Ryan Huska) needed new deals, it felt like a no-brainer to keep the staff together. #Flames https://t.co/pBQaRiWtjv
Only time will tell if this group can take players like Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin and others and mold them from talented players with potential into stars at the next level, but whether they can or not, these extensions shows immense confidence from the front office in this group.
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