The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Jeff Blashill to be the new head coach of the team. With the announcement comes a lot of reaction.
Many thought the Blackhawks were going to go with a new young face in David Carle for the next head coach of the team. When that possibility went out the door with Carle going back to the University of Denver, it seemed like most fans wanted a coach with experience behind the bench in Chicago.
With the Blackhawks bringing in Blashill, General Manager Kyle Davidson spoke highly of the new bench boss, saying Blashill "thrived when in a position to develop young players and has shown he’s capable of blending that into overall team success."
It's a big deal when any team decides to make a coaching change, let alone a team trying to take a step in a rebuild. With this decision comes a lot of thoughts, so let's look at some of the major takeaways from Blashill being brought in.
1. Jeff Blashill gets a second chance with the Blackhawks.
We always talk about teams giving guys a chance as first time head coaches, but second time head coaches might be in a better position for success.
Blashill comes to Chicago with the experience of seven full seasons as head coach in Detroit. He helped get the Red Wings to the playoffs in his rookie season, 2015-16 with a record of 41-30-11 and then was behind the bench as the team tore it down for a rebuild they are still working out of.
Blashill might not be the biggest name available, but with three seasons under his belt on Jon Cooper's staff mixed with a better up and coming roster like the Hawks there can be some reasons for optimism.
2. Blashill will be tasked with helping the Blackhawks find another level.
Speaking of that optimism, Blashill will walk into a Blackhawks roster immediatly expecting some results. So many players on the Hawks roster are young, and with the youth movement will come an easier adaptability to a new coach's system. By the time the Hawks hit the ice for Game 1 of the 2025-26 NHL Season, there is no reason not to expect results.
Blashill will have a tough task ahead. He has a young defensive core, an influx of younger forwards who not only need to be set up for success in the long run but they also need to be better this season.
There are a few familiar faces for Blashill and the Hawks. Tyler Bertuzzi and Joe Veleno both played for Blashill in Detroit. In fact, Bertuzzi's best NHL Season came in 2021-22 when he registered 62 points and scored 30 goals in 68 games, that was with Blashill behind the bench.
3. The Tampa Bay connection definitely doesn't hurt for Blashill.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a proven winner. Now it might be important to note that they have not won the Stanley Cup since Blashill joined the coaching staff, but Blashill did experience how a team like Tampa Bay operates.
Tampa Bay has a star offensive player like Nikita Kucherov, working with Kucherov and now coming to Chicago with Connor Bedard is definitely a plus for the Blackhawks. Take a look at what former Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel had to say about Blashill via Ben Pope.
"He teaches you how to play the right way. " The Blackhawks, with so many young players, can definitely benefit from a coach who has seen how winning teams compete night in and night out.
4. Results speak louder than words.
With all the positives in mind, results speak louder than words. So much of the Hawks coaching search revolved around guys resumes and past accolades. Maybe the Blackhawks should bring in Carle, or Tocchet or Sullivan or, or or.
In looking around online over the past few hours there has been a lot of reaction, a lot of reasons why it was a good move or a lot of reasons why this is horrible. All of that can be true, and yet it won't matter when the 2025-26 NHL Season comes around.
Results will be the only barometer on Jeff Blashill and the Chicago Blackhawks. Whether or not he can make the Hawks more competitive and make Connor Bedard a better player will be what ultimately pops up on his report card.
The expectations are set, now it is up to Blashill and Davidson.
