‘Way to go bud': Flames coach Ryan Huska celebrates son's hockey achievement
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This was a proud parent moment for Calgary Flames head coach Ryan Huska.
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Currently overseas as part of Team Canada's bench staff at the world championship tournament, Huska was thrilled to learn that his son Luke was selected by the Swift Current Broncos in the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.
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Way to go bud - proud of you. https://t.co/aDlUl2If1X
— Ryan Huska (@ryanhuska) May 8, 2025
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Luke Huska, who turns 15 in July, skated this winter with the U-15 prep squad at Edge School. He notched 14 goals and 41 points in 34 games.
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The Broncos believe this left-shot centre has a bright future ahead. They called his name at No. 44 overall in Thursday's second round.
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Luke is sometimes spotted around Saddledome, where his dad has been on the Flames coaching staff for the past seven seasons. Perhaps, he'll someday skate onto that same sheet for a WHL clash with the Calgary Hitmen.
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'I really like Luke,' Broncos general manager Chad Leslie said. 'I think if you take the name-bar off his jersey and you're just looking at the player … Certainly, his name had no bearing on why we took him.
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'I really like Luke's individual sense and his ability to make plays. He sees the ice so well. He's such a high-percentage player. He has great habits. A lot of things happen off his stick. He's reliable defensively. He wants to be a player. His lack of physical strength is really dictating for him right now, which is really exciting for us.
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'We feel the upside is huge and it's a great family. All he wants to do is be a player. He just is concerned about getting better, getting stronger, developing. And you can tell he's a coach's kid by how he plays with his habits.'
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Luke's dad, before he transitioned to coaching, had a heck of a run as a WHL player, helping the Kamloops Blazers to three Memorial Cup crowns in a four-year span from 1992-95. His teammates during that stellar stretch included Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Scott Niedermayer and Darcy Tucker.
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