What to know about Jeff Blashill, next head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks
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Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson needed to nail the team's head coach hire.
"We've got to find the right person that fits what we're doing, and that's kind of the course we're running right now," Davidson said on May 6 after the NHL Draft Lottery. "We're looking to check a number of boxes."
Time will tell if Jeff Blashill, who was officially announced as the Blackhawks' next head coach, will be the perfect hire. But, there's no denying Blashill checks the ‘Hawks’ boxes.
Here's what to know about him.
This is Blashill's second stint as a head coach
The Blackhawks didn't want to pin their entire search on the idea that their next coach would need NHL experience, but it was going to be a plus to have.
Blashill has that experience. He was the Detroit Red Wings head coach for seven seasons, and had a record of 204-261-72 in his 537 games as head coach with the team.
In his first season as head coach in the 2015-16 season, Blashill led Detroit to a 41-30-11 record and a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That season, the Wings had a .567 point percentage, which was the sixth-highest in Red Wings history for a first-year head coach.
Blashill didn't make the playoffs after his first season in Detroit, but the Red Wings began a rebuild heading into his second season and struggled to find consistent success as the franchise tried to build a contending team.
In Chicago, Blashill will have a team that has a star in Connor Bedard, established veterans around Bedard and a deep prospect in place. He needs to develop the prospects into players that can play at the NHL level.
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He wasn't the Blackhawks' first choice
This isn't a slight on Blashill's resume. Chicago was thorough and tried to get the biggest names on the market.
The Blackhawks took a run at David Carle and inquired about Mike Sullivan after the Penguins parted ways with him. Carle took himself out of the Blackhawks' coaching search and signed an extension with Denver University. Sullivan took the New York Rangers' head coaching job.
But, every team with a head coach opening did the same as the Blackhawks did. Only the Rangers, who have an established core of players and a near-complete team that expects to contend for a Stanley Cup, were able to woo the Cup-winning Sullivan.
Blashill might not have been the hottest name on the market, but he still fits what the Blackhawks wanted in their next head coach.
MONTREAL, CANADA - APRIL 04: Assistant coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning Jeff Blashill handles the bench during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on April 4, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Tampa Bay Lightning de
Blashill has had success at every level'
Blashill's first stint as an NHL head coach lasted seven years, but his experience and success goes beyond that.
He led the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins to their first Calder Cup championship in franchise history in 2013. He also won bronze with Team USA at the IIHF World Championships in 2018.
This kind of success isn't lost on those who analyze the game.
"Jeff Blashill has excellent energy, command, and experience. Got the Red Wings job at the WORST time," ESPN NHL analyst John Buccigross wrote on X on May 16. "Everywhere else he's coached he's improved the environment. Won Championship in USHL and AHL. He's smart, self aware and runs a good practice. This is a sweet spot hire for all."