As Chicago has searched for its next bench boss, they’ve been linked to very few candidates. Aside from potentially retaining interim head coach Anders Sorensen, the only external candidate they were known to speak with was David Carle who instead is remaining at the University of Denver.
However, another coach has popped up in the search. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (video link) that the Blackhawks have interviewed Jeff Blashill for their head coaching position.
Blashill has only been the bench boss once at the NHL level but it was a fairly lengthy stint as he spent seven years at the helm of Detroit, running from 2015-16 to 2021-22. While the Red Wings made the playoffs in his first year with the team, they failed to do so in the other six (and haven’t since he was let go, either). Under the 51-year-old’s tutelage, Detroit played to a 204-261-70 record, good for a points percentage of just .480.
Blashill has spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Lightning and has been a speculative candidate for other roles before now. It appears that Chicago isn’t the only team potentially interested in him as Seravalli added that Seattle is believed to be considering him as well. At this point, it certainly feels like Blashill is going to get another opportunity to run an NHL bench but whether Chicago, a team that’s looking to emerge from its rebuild and become much more competitive in a hurry, is the right fit for his services remains to be seen.
Chicago brought in Luke Richardson as their head coach in 2022 with an eye on more of a development-focused approach. However, the team struggled mightily with him at the helm, winning just 57 of 190 games, resulting in Sorensen being brought up from AHL Rockford back in early December to take over the rest of the way but the Blackhawks only won 17 of 56 games following the change, resulting in a coaching search that is nearing the one-month mark.
Are the Hawks offering their head coaching candidates $7.25/hr or something?
This should be the most coveted job, by a mile, but it’s clearly not.
They are now progressively now offering potential head coaches, the prevailing $16 per hour.
Outside of Bedard the team is garbage why would a coach want to sign there to be a scapegoat in a season
@bigdaddy I’m with you. They haven’t given any clue to suggest the rebuild will start paying off soon. We’ve seen other teams with lots of young talent flail for years. Sometimes it doesn’t click.
If I’m a coach in demand Chicago is not at the top of my list. It might in a year or two but it isn’t right now.
Jeff Blashill can head to Chicago & be the bench boss there as far as I’m concerned. That would leave an opening on Tampa’s coaching staff for Derek Lalonde to return as a defensive coach for the team which he excelled at in Tampa.
My two cents: the hawks are in a good position to come out of the rebuild. Problem is, they hit too early with the lottery and took Bedard who’s going to get $13-14 million after his ELC, plus, if any of their other picks truly emerge, there’s going to be a cap crunch soon.
UncleMike, like to hear your thoughts
Well I wouldn’t exactly call Jeff Blashill an exhaustive search. We were promised they would search high and low for the right guy. So far I’ve heard about 2. Blashill already failed in a system where he coached all the Red Wings prospects and then coached them in the NHL. Does it mean he’ll fail again? No but I just say let’s keep our thinking caps on boys. I’ve said it before, As long as it isn’t one of the geezer retreads who’s been passed around the league about 5 times fine. I still think it’s a job for a young guy to grow with a young team together. Chances are I won’t know who he is anyway. I liked Richardson, But he was clearly in over his head.
It doesn’t matter who the coach is unless they enhance the talent on the team. They are moving in the right direction, but too slowly. Time to hit the accelerator and bring in a couple of top players. Would Marner come here? You may have to overpay.
The talent is here. The draft picks are starting to sign. Bedard not going to Worlds and figuring out what he needs to do to get even better is to me a good sign. They are learning on the job. Korchinski has been learning but in smaller steps. He was the key example to me as to why that rule they had about guys not being able to play in the AHL until they were 20 was dumb. He was too good for Junior and too young for the AHL so he got beat up in the NHL. Now he’s on a more traditional path forward. Would Marner come here? Why not? It’s a big market, The money is there and the Cap is going up. What does he want? I have no idea what his personal preferences are. When you are truly free to go anywhere and most teams will either have the money or would make the money work even if they don’t is the question. All the talent in the World will only advance if they have the right leadership. it’s more important in a young team. A veteran team knows what it needs on it’s own. The days of signing old guys for leadership is over. The leadership needs to come from the coaching staff. Hawks would probably rather draft a scorer but if Schaeffer falls to them having Schaeffer and Korchinski and Vlasic from the left and Arty and Rinzel from the right is exciting to think about. With Knight and Commesso make your D World Class and go from there. I could see Woodcroft. That might work.
Just hire Jay Woodcroft already!
He checks all of the boxes.
Blashill and Woodcroft might play. They have both had one job and learned on the fly what works but more importantly what doesn’t work. Davidson should be talking to a bunch of AHL guys who are successful also. The next coach needs to be not only a teacher but be organized and be able to mold his system to the talent they have. Hawks have a bunch of Forwards who can fly and that needs to be utilized.
Agreed.
I favor Woodcroft because he had a chance to coach superstars as well.
So, I think that hire is not only for now, but moving forward into the future.
If you eventually want to win in the playoffs, you don’t sign Marner.
Watching him & Matthews play, I swear they were on dope….lol
Pat Ferschweiler should be in the convo!
Gonna be honest…whomever they sign now more thank likely won’t be the coach in however many years it takes to get this team back into contention. The guy they get now is going to have to be someone who has proven success with developing young talent so they can help the kids develop their games but the Hawks are probably another 2-3 years from being considered as a serious contender no matter who they hire as coach or sign in FA.
We could want and wish for Carle or Sullivan or whomever all we want, but it takes two to tango. Cant force someone to sign a deal. While they might like what the Hawks are putting together, to take the opportunity to come here would take a MAJOR leap of faith that not only management will be able to turn this around soon, but also that they won’t blame YOU as the reason why its not happening quicker. Other teams can offer good money AND a better situation to win NOW which is what most guys are looking for if they are taking the job unless they are assured they will get time and no GM is really willing to do that given if it doesn’t work, their own job will be on the hot seat.
I see no reason why a coach would doubt what Hawks Management is building here. It was torn down to the foundation and it’s only been 3 years really with Davidson. he’s taken some older guys and weaponized cap space for draft picks and still has a plethora of them. The Hawks still have the money in the cap and both the young players and draft picks to trade for anyone who might be available. I’m not saying they can get Mcdavid because he’s unattainable but if he was the Hawks could put together as good a package as anybody if Bowman the idiot decided to pull a Doncic trade. Major leap of faith? Management has proven they’ll make anything happen within reason. Nobody is going to pay a coach 20 million bucks but I’m sure Wirtz will pay market price for whoever Davidson wants. All it would take is a guy willing to grow with not only the talent that’s here but what’s coming which is immense. This is year 3 of what is usually a 5 year rebuild and is ahead of schedule if anything. So you’re post is silly.
Take Blashill, please!
Firing Quenneville was their downfall