The Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, May 22, announced the appointment of Jeff Blashill as their new head coach. The move has split the hockey community into different camps. Blashill takes over from interim coach Anders Sorensen, who helmed the club for 56 games in a dismal 2024-25 campaign after Luke Richardson was dismissed in early December.
The Blackhawks went 25-46-11 this season and finished second-last in the Western Conference. They are also deep into a multi-season rebuild, with fans growing impatient with management.
Fans Lash Out Over Chicago Blackhawks’ Choice of Jeff Blashill
Rumors of Blashill’s appointment had been swirling around the NHL for the past week, with insiders and analysts commenting on the possibility.
Jeff Blashill is the 42nd Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks‼️
📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/YJMSzjwBw0 pic.twitter.com/8vHrfbVT7u
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks)
TSN analyst Pierre LeBrun posted the news once it broke on X (formerly Twitter). His announcement drew a backlash from fans, with some seeing it as taking a step backward.
Trade Bedard and spare him the misery
— Nicholas Edward Foles (@Folesmania)
Others felt that the former Detroit Red Wings coach was not the right man for the job.
“If the goal is to get to mediocrity then excellent hiring,” a fan said.
This Jeff Blashill? pic.twitter.com/pPxJ51SjrD
— DailyDallasHockey (@DallasStarsDDH)
“This guy did absoutly nothing of note during a 7 year stretch ( that i needed to fact check cause it seemed insane) in Detroit. This is a very odd re-tread hire IMO. Woodcroft would have been much better or someone with no experience,” another user posted.
“This will help Chicago go from 31st in the league to 29th!!!” Another user said.
Blashill spent the last three seasons as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, working under the NHL’s longest-serving active head coach, Jon Cooper. The club has reached the playoffs in all of Blashill’s seasons with them. Prior to that, he helmed the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons, guiding them to the postseason in his debut year with the franchise. Blashill’s experience in player development and stints coaching in the USHL and AHL, as well as his experience as a head coach, reportedly sealed the deal for the Blackhawks’ front office.
“Jeff is an incredibly smart and talented coach who boasts more than 25 years of coaching experience across developmental leagues, the NHL and the world stage,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said via NHL.com. “He’s thrived when in a position to develop young players and has shown he’s capable of blending that into overall team success, a vision and philosophy we share for where we are today and where we see our team in the future.
The Blackhawks last won the Central Division title in 2016-17 and have finished no higher than sixth in their division since then. The team’s last playoff appearance was a five-game loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2020 Western Conference First Round. The team has dropped sharply after their Stanley Cup wins in 2010, 2013, and 2015.