Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Blackhawks Make Big Announcement Heading Into Crucial Offseason

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 22, 2025 4:10 PM ET

The Chicago Blackhawks will enter the upcoming offseason looking to do some damage in their rebuild. Chicago has missed the playoffs for multiple years, and the team wants to see some new direction take place.

The Blackhawks have taken the next step heading into the summer. The organization announced the hiring of Jeff Blashill as the next head coach of the team.

“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,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said in a statement. “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.”

Jeff Blashill is the 42nd Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks‼️

➡︎ https://t.co/YJMSzjwBw0 pic.twitter.com/8vHrfbVT7u
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 22, 2025

Blashill got his first NHL job with the Detroit Red Wings, leading them to the postseason in his first year. But Detroit couldn't keep up the success, and Blashill was ultimately let go.

The veteran coach finished with a record of 204-261-72 during his tenure. He will now be tasked with taking over a Blackhawks team that is full of young talent, and the team believes that he is the correct person for the job.

Blashill has been working with the Tampa Bay Lightning on the staff, so he brings more experience to the table. Chicago is hopeful that this hire can help get them back to competing for Stanley Cup titles each year.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: