Qualities the Blackhawks Need From Their Next Head Coach

The Chicago Blackhawks‘ head coaching search got very interesting over the last week. They hit a snag when insider Elliotte Friedman reported that their top candidate, David Carle from the University of Denver, had withdrawn from Chicago’s coaching search.

But the good news is, the Blackhawks have a lot of options to choose from as others are available, such as Rick Tocchet (Vancouver Canucks) and Jay Woodcroft (Edmonton Oilers). There is a lot of glitz associated with the various coaches available. But what do the Hawks need in a coach to progress?

What Davidson and Blackhawks Are Seeking

Here is what we know. General manager Kyle Davidson said in his exit interview on April 17 that they will remain open-minded about potential coaching candidates to see who could be a fit, whether it’s internal or external. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen remains in the mix, as well.

Here’s another thing to keep in mind. The Hawks have been trying to forge a team identity for a few years now. Back in January, Captain Nick Foligno had said a goal for the second half of the season was to establish an identity. According to Connor Bedard, they think they may have found it: speed.

With that, let’s look at the team itself. When looking at the Blackhawks’ position, they finished second-worst in the NHL (again!), and they are a very young team. When their season ended, they had 17 players on the roster aged 25 and younger. Obviously, that might not be the case next season, but either way, the youth movement will continue. While they do, they need all the guidance they can get as they learn to navigate and succeed in the NHL.

Successful Coaching Tactics a Reminder for Blackhawks

Every coaching candidate is unique and can bring desirable qualities to a club, whether it’s experience with young, rebuilding rosters, or Stanley Cup rings. But something to think about is what works in the NHL today. Not every coach is built the same on their team, and not every team responds to the same tactics used on other squads.

However, one thing that seems key in the modern NHL is communication. Emily Kaplan of ESPN did a feature highlighting recent successful coaching tactics, with some NHL coaches noting that players respond to positivity and transparency.

Let’s apply it to this season. Spencer Carbery (Washington Capitals) has turned last season’s Wild Card group into the second-best team in the NHL. He is a potential Jack Adams “Coach of the Year” Award winner. Forward Taylor Raddysh said of his coach, “Day 1, the communication was there: what he sees me doing, the way he wants me to play, the way he feels like I will have success playing. You know what your job is, you come here every day and work.”

Or Jim Montgomery. He was hired by the St. Louis Blues midseason. Since then, the Blues became the “10th team in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs after being eight or more points out with 26 or less regular-season games to go.” What made the difference? Communication.

According to Blues Captain Brayden Schenn, “He’s a very good communicator. “He’s a guy that brings presence into your locker room with also some light heartedness or some humility, to let guys enjoy going to the rink. You get some of that, and at the same time, it’s intense, and he gets the most out of his players.”

Communication could be a quality for Chicago to hone in on. For the record, Foligno called Sorensen a “great communicator” in his exit interview.