The Chicago Blackhawks had an introductory press conference for new head coach Jeff Blashill on Tuesday morning.
He sat alongside General Manager Kyle Davidson as the two gave opening remarks before answering questions from the media.
Two players, captain Nick Foligno and alternate captain Connor Murphy, were there to see their new coach be introduced.
Both of them are leaders on the team. They will share in the role of guiding the young guys through their development.
"We have the right veterans in our group to be 'Papa Bears' to the young players we have and to help them grow," Blashill said of the older players who are still with the team. As a coach, it’s important to have veterans helping out the youth.
After the presser ended, Foligno was generous with his time as he answered questions for the media next to the stage. He was honest with his assessment of the situation.
Foligno talked about how the players on this team, regardless of their status in the league, have to show up with a commitment to being the best possible. It will take everyone, including the new coach.
“You have to have people that want to be here. We have the guys in the room that are committed to this, and that going hand-in-hand with Coach Blashill will be huge for this group.”
There were a couple of players who left the team in 2024-25 via trade because they didn't want to be a part of the long-term solution. Foligno mentioned Taylor Hall and Seth Jones by name as guys who are "where they belong" because it is hard to commit to the situation that the Blackhawks are in.
"He [Blashill] seems like the guy that understands where he wants to go and how he wants to do it. That excites a player like myself, and I'm sure a lot of guys in the locker room, that we have a direction that he wants to go and a standard that we're going to get to. We're going to do it together."
It is important to have a head coach who knows what he wants out of the team as a whole and out of certain individuals. Nick Foligno has been around a long time and likely doesn't need to be told what is expected of him, but he is smart enough to know that it will benefit everyone to have a guy with that mindset leading the way.
Foligno said that they are going to meet on Wednesday to learn more about each other, which is going to be a key starting point. He is right in saying that Blashill is "inheriting a captain," which isn't always easy for an incoming head coach. Foligno is very into helping this team take a step one way or another, so it shouldn't be much of an issue.
The things that Blashill said during his presser, talking about accountability, building a culture, and his style of coaching, seem to have resonated with Chicago's captain. His positive attitude at this time suggests that good things are coming.
"I see this team being a surprise next season," Foligno said when describing how pumped up he is to begin under Blashill. There are still moves to be made during the off-season, but a new coach setting the right tone could make the on-ice product much better going forward.
