The Chicago Blackhawks interviewed several candidates for their general manager position before eventually handing the keys to the incumbent. Kyle Davidson, who had taken over on an interim basis when Stan Bowman left the organization, was named the full-time general manager at the beginning of March. One of the candidates they interviewed, however, is still joining the organization, as Emily Kaplan of ESPN reports Jeff Greenberg will be hired as associate general manager.
Greenberg, notably, is not part of the hockey world. He most recently worked as an assistant general manager with the Chicago Cubs, an organization he has been with since 2012. Davidson explained to Kaplan why the team is going in this direction:
It’s the direction I always wanted to go. To bring in that outside influence and expertise we don’t have in-house, and someone that can bring the unique perspective of how a front office can be run. I’m excited to get his influence into our group. I think he can help push us into the area a lot of other sports are in right now, streamlining, modernizing and adding sophistication to the decision-making process, that hockey isn’t necessarily at the level of, in my opinion.
The team had interviewed several prominent candidates during their general manager search, including Eric Tulsky, Scott Mellanby, and Peter Chiarelli. Soon after deciding on Davidson, whispers started to surface that some of the others that interviewed could be considered for other positions with the organization. That has now come true, as Greenberg joins Davidson and fellow associate general manager Norm Maciver at the top of the Blackhawks’ front office.
Since day one when he took over–something that only happened because of a massive scandal–Davidson has indicated that the Blackhawks needed a complete overhaul on and off the ice. He demonstrated that by moving Brandon Hagel, a young, core piece of the roster, at the trade deadline and has made clear that there will be more drastic moves coming. The team is entering a rebuilding phase, one that can be used to get Greenberg up to speed in the hockey world.
Of course, this is not the first time the Greenberg family has been linked to the NHL. Greenberg’s father, Chuck Greenberg, a good friend of Mario Lemieux, attempted to purchase the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017 before that franchise was eventually sold to Tom Dundon.
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