Red Wings part ways with coach Jeff Blashill after missing playoffs for sixth straight year

The Detroit Red Wings will not renew the contract of head coach Jeff Blashill and will instead part ways with the coach after seven seasons, the team announced Saturday.

In addition to Blashill, the Red Wings will also part ways with assistant coach Doug Houda and goaltending coach Jeff Salajko.

Blashill, 48, became the Red Wings head coach in 2015 after a successful run as a college head coach and a stint as the coach of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. In his first season, the Red Wings went 41-30-11 and earned a spot in the postseason, but were eliminated in the first round by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Since then, Detroit has finished no better than fifth in the Atlantic Division and have the second-longest active playoff drought in the NHL behind only the Buffalo Sabres.

In 2021, the Red Wings finished with a 32-40-10 record and finished sixth in the Atlantic Division. The team finished 25th in goals scored and allowed the second most goals. 

Detroit has a 6.0 percent chance at winning the lottery for the top pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.