After firing Luke Richardson on Dec. 5, the Chicago Blackhawks began their search for a new head coach. Their shortlist included University of Denver coach David Carle and Tampa Bay Lightning assistant coach Jeff Blashill. Ultimately, the Hawks hired Blashill as the franchise’s 42nd head coach on May 22, 2025.

Blashill spent the past three seasons as an assistant with Tampa Bay, following a seven-year tenure as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings (2015–2022). He led Detroit to the playoffs in his first season, losing to the Lightning in the opening round, but missed the postseason in the next six years. Over 537 games, his record stood at 204-261-72. This experience, coupled with his developmental approach, likely appealed to GM Kyle Davidson.

Speaking to the Sun Times about the 2026 season, Blashill stressed the importance of player growth: “The reality is our growth will be based on how quickly our young guys mature. Not only how they mature physically, but more importantly, how their games mature. We’ll go from a young, talented group to a group that plays winning hockey. The most exciting opportunity we have as a coaching staff is to mold our players into winning players as quickly as possible.”

It’s the kind of message Hawks fans—starved for a deep playoff run since their 2015 Stanley Cup win—have been waiting to hear. Blashill intends to “change” the people around him through culture and habits, not by replacing them. Training camp, set for Sept. 15–19, will be the first step. Rookies competing in the annual Tom Kurvers Prospect Tournament in Minnesota will arrive a week early for workouts and evaluations.

On the ice, Blashill plans to sharpen fundamentals. The Chicago Blackhawks’ forwards will be drilled on skating smartly to the puck, stopping in control over it, and getting their sticks in position for possession. Once secured, they must transition quickly, driving play the other way to spark counterattacks.

He also emphasized quick, explosive first steps during transitions—critical for both regaining control defensively and catching opponents off guard offensively.

The Chicago Blackhawks need to pull up their socks

Implementing these systems with the current young blood roster of the Chicago Blackhawks won’t be easy, especially when lacking top-tier talent. Still, Blashill has been clear about his vision. The first system he’ll install is the “backchecking track.”

“It’s a work ethic indicator. It shows how willing our team is to work. And it’s one of the best ways to create transition offense—being smothering in your effort to come back as forwards. That allows your defensemen to gap up, create turnovers, and go the other way,” said Blashill.

Fixing the defense will be a priority. In 2024, the Chicago Blackhawks finished with the NHL’s second-worst record and surrendered the second-most goals. Their goals-against average (3.56) ranked 31st, while their .885 save percentage placed them 26th—signaling issues with both defensive structure and goaltending. The Hawks are counting on Blashill to reverse those trends and restore defensive stability.