Rick Tocchet? Peter Laviolette? Who are the top options in the Chicago Blackhawks' coaching search

The Chicago Blackhawks' coaching search is beginning to take some shape. That's thanks to moves other teams and candidates have made, however.

Top candidate David Carle reportedly removed himself from consideration for the Blackhawks' opening, while coaching savant Mike Sullivan spent five days on the open market. Meanwhile, more experienced candidates are available.

Experience is something the team will consider.

"It’s certainly a feather in a candidate’s cap, and you can’t deny that type of experience," Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said on April 17. "They’ve traveled that road before, and there’s something of value there. But it’s not necessarily something that we would consider mandatory if another candidate didn’t have that, but felt like a good fit for us. It’s not something that we’re going to use as a filter to rule people in or out with."

Still, experience won't be a dealbreaker.

Here's who could be on the Blackhawks' list in their coaching search as candidates began emerging in the past week.

Former Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet

One potential candidate is Rick Tocchet, who hit the open market as soon as Wednesday. The Canucks announced on Tuesday he would not be returning as head coach.

Tocchet's contract expired after the 2024-2025 season, and he decided not to sign another with the Canucks.

"Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes the opportune time," Tocchet said, according to the Associated Press. "While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities in and around hockey."

Tocchet will have opportunities because he has an undeniable resume. He won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2024 for guiding the Canucks to a 50-win season and first place in the Pacific Division. He's also been a part of two Stanley Cup-winning teams as an assistant with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

The Sullivan news might work in Tocchet's favor. What also works is how the Canucks tried to retain him, meaning the team didn't want to move on from him in the end.

"But we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career," Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said according to the Associated Press. "We did everything in our power to keep him, but at the end of the day Rick felt he needed a change. He is a good friend, a good coach, and we can’t thank him enough for all he did for our organization."

Former New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette

If the Blackhawks want to keep on a trend of looking at experienced head coaches, Laviolette is a candidate with arguably the most experience.

Laviolette was in his sixth head-coaching job in the NHL in New York. The Rangers fired him after missing the playoffs this past season. In New York's first season under Laviolette, the team won the Presidents' Trophy.

He was hired as the Rangers' head coach in June 2023. Before jumping to New York, he spent three years as the head coach of the Washington Capitals. Before that, he spent a combined total of 18 more seasons coaching Nashville, Philadelphia, Carolina and the Islanders. He won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006.

Although this past season was marked by some upheaval – forward Barclay Goodrow was put on waivers and team captain Jacob Trouba waved a no-trade clause to get shipped to Anahaim, both mid-season – there's no denying Laviolette can coach. He's the first head coach in NHL history to guide six different teams to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

What may put some teams at ease is how Laviolette is the third coach the Rangers have fired since 2021, all under general manager Chris Drury. If there's unease in Chicago, it's not the same kind of unease in New York.

Assistant coach candidates

Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coaches Jeff Halpern and Jeff Blashill

Blashill is a past head coach who has spent the last two seasons working as an assistant for Tampa Bay under Jon Cooper. Blashill coached the Red Wings from 2015 to 2022, making the playoffs just once. 

Halpern hasn't been a head coach, but he's been successful with Tampa Bay. He was on the Lightning's staff when they won the Stanley Cup in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He played for seven teams in his pro career.

Both have reportedly taken interviews, and can take any job they'd like as Tampa's season ended in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Boston Bruins assistant coach Jay Leach

Leach is in charge of the Bruins' defense and was in the mix for the Bruins' opening in 2022. He was also the AHL Providence’s head coach for four seasons. He's an assistant that could put his youth to his advantage at 45 years old.

Philadelphia Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw

Shaw has been an assistant in the NHL for six different teams and an interim coach twice. He helped develop some young stellar defensemen, and the Blackhawks have a few in Artyom Levshunov and Kevin Korchinski.

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