A few days ago, we covered how University of Minnesota-Duluth associate coach Derek Plante was expected to join the Blackhawks’ coaching staff under new head coach Luke Richardson. Monday, the move was made official, with the Blackhawks hiring Plante under the title of assistant coach.
This move marks Plante’s return to the Blackhawks organization, as he served as their development coach from 2015-16 through 2019-20 before returning to the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Under Plante’s stewardship, numerous Blackhawks prospects graduated to the NHL, including players such as Alex DeBrincat, Brandon Hagel and Adam Boqvist.
At Minnesota-Duluth, Plante served as the top assistant on longtime head coach Scott Sandelin’s staff for the past two years. He also served as an assistant on his staff before his first tenure with the Blackhawks, from 2009-10 to 2014-15. Minnesota-Duluth won the NCAA tournament in 2011, and made the Frozen Four in 2021.
The addition of Plante to Richardson’s coaching staff lines up well with the Blackhawks organization’s current team direction and overall organizational plan. He has a development-focused background and a wealth of experience in a developmental role. In his prior NHL experience, his chief responsibility was developing the Blackhawks’ young talent and preparing them for the NHL. As an assistant coach, he’ll have quite a bit more to do, but on the rebuilding Blackhawks Plante’s underlying priority will be the same as before: player development.
The Blackhawks are trying to rebuild their organization around a new stable of young talent. With his experience as an assistant coach at one of the top NCAA programs and his time as an NHL development coach, Plante is a strong choice for a coaching staff whose top immediate priority will likely be player development rather than winning as many games as possible.
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