May 22 (UPI) -- The Chicago Blackhawks hired former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill as their new coach, general manager Kyle Davidson announced Thursday.
"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," Davidson said in a news release.
"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. We couldn't be more excited for what's to come under Jeff's direction."
The Blackhawks were 25-46-11 this season, finishing with the second-worst record in the NHL. They fired former coach Luke Richardson in December.
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Richardson led the Blackhawks to a 57-118-15 record over the last three seasons. Interim coach Anders Sorensen led the Blackhawks to a 17-30-9 mark over the final 56 games of 2024-25.
The Blackhawks, who won the Stanley Cup three times in six seasons from 2009-10 to 2014-15, missed the playoffs seven times in the last eight years.
Blashill, 51, led the Red Wings to a 204-261-72 record from 2015-16 through 2021-22. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Blashill also served as a head coach at the AHL, USHL and collegiate levels.
