Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson announced that Jeff Blashill has been appointed as the 42nd head coach in the franchise's history. Blashill arrives from the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he served as an assistant coach for three seasons.
"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 stated. "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."
Blashill, aged 51, contributed to Tampa Bay achieving a record of 138-86-22 during his tenure, with playoff appearances each season. Before joining the Lightning, he was the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022. Under his leadership, Detroit recorded a 204-261-72 record over 537 games. His first season saw him lead Detroit to a Stanley Cup Playoffs berth with a 41-30-11 record. His .567 points percentage that year was notable as it marked Detroit's 25th consecutive playoff qualification, one of the longest streaks in NHL history.
Blashill began with Detroit as an assistant coach in 2011 before becoming head coach of their AHL affiliate, Grand Rapids Griffins. He led them to three consecutive Calder Cup Playoffs appearances and secured their first championship in franchise history in 2013. He also received recognition as AHL's most outstanding coach with the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award.
Internationally, Blashill coached Team USA at the IIHF World Championships from 2017 to 2019, earning a bronze medal in 2018.
His coaching career started at Ferris State University as an assistant before moving on to Miami University and later taking roles with Indiana Ice and Western Michigan University.
Blashill resides with his wife Erica and their three children: Teddy, Josie, and Owen.