The Chicago Blackhawks have found their next guy behind the bench. On Thursday, it was announced that the Blackhawks are hiring Jeff Blashill as their next head coach. Blashill will be the 42nd coach in Blackhawks history and has a real challenge in front of him. But what experience does Blashill have as a coach, and what should fans expect of him?
Jeff Blashill is the 42nd Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks
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Jeff Blashill Coaching Career
Blashill started coaching as an assistant at Fresno State in 1999. After coaching at several other colleges and junior teams, he became the head coach of Western Michigan in 2010. In his first season behind the bench, the Broncos had one of their most successful seasons, appearing in the CCHA Championship game and making the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament. This success led many publications to name him Coach of the Year.
After only one year at Western Michigan, the Detroit Red Wings hired Blashill as an assistant coach. He spent one season in that role before being promoted to the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate. In his three seasons with Grand Rapids, he had a record of 134-71-12-11. He also made the playoffs each season and won the Calder Cup in the 2012-13 season. Blashill is the only coach in Griffins’ history to make the playoffs three straight seasons.
During the 2015 offseason, Blashill was named head coach of the Red Wings after Mike Babcock left for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Blashill spent seven seasons behind the Red Wings’ bench, coaching them to a record of 204-261-72. They only made one playoff appearance during his tenure in 2015-16, losing in the opening round to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. Blashill left the organization in 2022, after Steve Yzerman announced they would not renew his contract.
What This Hiring Means for the Blackhawks
Blashill’s biggest challenge will be developing Connor Bedard. After winning the Calder Trophy in his rookie year, Bedard did not take the step forward many were expecting him to. He scored 23 goals and 44 assists for 67 points, similar to what he put up during his rookie campaign. The hope is that Blashill will be able to develop Bedard and whoever the Blackhawks draft with the third overall pick into franchise cornerstones. This will get their rebuild in the right direction and get them closer to returning to the Stanley Cup Playoffs—something they have not done since the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire – Imagn Images
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