Chicago Blackhawks Basic Supervisor Kyle Davidson introduced immediately that Jeff Blashill has been named the forty second head coach in franchise historical past. Blashill joins the group after spending the earlier three seasons as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Jeff is an extremely good and gifted coach who boasts greater than 25 years of teaching expertise throughout developmental leagues, the NHL and the world stage,” Davidson mentioned. “He’s thrived when ready to develop younger gamers and has proven he’s able to mixing that into general group success, a imaginative and prescient and philosophy we share for the place we’re immediately and the place we see our group sooner or later. We couldn’t be extra excited for what’s to come back beneath Jeff’s course.”
Throughout his tenure behind the Tampa Bay bench, Blashill, 51, helped the group earn a report of 138-86-22, qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in every of his three seasons with the membership. Previous to his time with the Lightning, Blashill served as head coach of the Detroit Crimson Wings for seven seasons from 2015-22. Underneath his steerage, the Crimson Wings logged a report of 204-261-72 in his 537 video games as head coach with the franchise. In his first season as bench boss in 2015-16, Blashill led Detroit to a 41-30-11 report and a berth within the Stanley Cup Playoffs. His .567 factors share that season marked the sixth-highest in Crimson Wings historical past for a first-year head coach, whereas it marked the group’s twenty fifth consecutive season qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs which is the third-longest such streak in NHL historical past. Blashill departed the Crimson Wings ranked fifth in franchise historical past in video games coached (537) and sixth in wins (204).
The native of Detroit, Mich., initially joined the Crimson Wings group as an assistant coach forward of the 2011-12 season, a place he held for only one season earlier than being named head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. Blashill earned a regular-season report of 134-71-12-11 in his three seasons as head coach of the Griffins, qualifying for the Calder Cup Playoffs in every to turn into the primary head coach in Grand Rapids historical past to succeed in the postseason in three consecutive seasons. He completed with a 29-21 postseason AHL report, profitable seven of 9 profession postseason sequence and main the Griffins to its first Calder Cup championship in franchise historical past in 2013. Moreover, Blashill received the 2013-14 Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award because the AHL’s most excellent coach and was named a head coach for the 2014 AHL All-Star Basic.
On the worldwide stage, Blashill served as head coach of Staff USA 3 times on the IIHF World Championships (2017, 2018, 2019), guiding the group to a bronze medal in 2018. He additionally labored as an assistant coach at each the 2022 IIHF World Championship in addition to the 2009 World Junior Championship.
Blashill started his teaching profession in 1998-99 as an assistant coach along with his alma mater, Ferris State College, the place he performed for 4 seasons as a goaltender, earlier than serving in the identical function with Miami College for six seasons from 2002-08. He then took on a twin function as head coach and common supervisor of the Indiana Ice of the US Hockey League (USHL) for 2 seasons from 2008-10, securing a Clark Cup championship in 2009. Blashill would return to the collegiate ranks for one season as head coach of Western Michigan College in 2010-11 earlier than becoming a member of the Crimson Wings in July 2011.
Blashill and his spouse, Erica, have three youngsters: Teddy, Josie and Owen.
