Latest news with #JeffBlashill
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks Head Coach Jeff Blashill Officially Meets Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson
The Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Bears have a lot in common right now. Each team has a loud, vibrant fan base, but there hasn't been much success on the playing surface in recent years. During those tough years, they have had some high-end draft selections, including a number one pick for each. Now, they are both entering a season with a fresh set of eyes in the coach's chair. For the Blackhawks, it's Jeff Blashill. For the Bears, it's Ben Johnson. On Thursday afternoon in Lake Forest, the two met for the first time at Halas Hall. It was interesting to see these two coaches meet for the first time. Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on X Coach Blashill🤝Coach Johnson You can hear them exchange pleasantries, discuss their move to Chicago, and reminisce about how they were both in Detroit at the same time. Of course, Johnson was the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, which overlapped Blashill's tenure with the Detroit Red Wings for a little bit. Both men have a pedigree of winning in the recent past as assistant coaches, and now they are both hoping to get their organizations on the right track with number one draft picks leading the way. Chicago sports are a fabric of the city's culture, so fans always love seeing moments like this where they come together. Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Jeff Blashill to lead Chicago Blackhawks NHL team with major focus on young talent, player development, and winning culture
Jeff Blashill hopes to shape Chicago Blackhawks' young roster into winners (Image via: Getty Images) Jeff Blashill is set to lead Chicago Blackhawks, focusing on developing the team's young roster and building a culture of competitiveness. With an emphasis on player growth, fundamentals, and long-term success, Blashill aims to transform potential into performance, guiding the NHL franchise toward sustained progress and giving fans a clear sense of the team's future direction. Jeff Blashill's NHL career and coaching approach to developing young talent Blashill brings extensive NHL experience, having spent three seasons as an assistant with Tampa Bay and seven years as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings (2015–2022). In Detroit, he led the team to the playoffs in his first season but missed postseason play in subsequent years, finishing with a record of 204-261-72 over 537 games. His focus on fundamentals and player development aligns with the Blackhawks' current emphasis on nurturing young talent. Speaking ahead of the 2026 season, Blashill emphasized the importance of growth: 'The reality is our growth will be based on how quickly our young guys mature. Not only how they mature physically, but more importantly, how their games mature.' Jeff Blashill Introductory Press Conference | Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks training camp and rookie evaluations to build competitive NHL roster Training camp, scheduled for September 15–19, 2025, will introduce Blashill's system. Rookies participating in the Tom Kurvers Prospect Tournament in Minnesota will arrive early for workouts and evaluations. On-ice sessions will focus on smart skating, puck control, rapid transitions, and explosive first steps—key skills for both defensive recovery and generating offensive opportunities. 'It shows how willing our team is to work. And it's one of the best ways to create transition offense—being smothering in your effort to come back as forwards. That allows your defensemen to gap up, create turnovers, and go the other way,' Blashill explained. Also Read: Trophy over Wifey: Brad Marchand reveals true priority as he kisses Stanley Cup before wife in Florida Panthers celebration; Wife later reacts With a young and developing roster, implementing these systems will be challenging, but Jeff Blashill's emphasis on fundamentals, player growth, and cultural transformation could help cultivate a competitive NHL team. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Projecting the Blackhawks' 2025-26 lineup, line by line and pair by pair
No, Mitch Marner or Nikolaj Ehlers aren't coming, Yes, the Chicago Blackhawks' offseason was underwhelming. But the Blackhawks are going to be young next season. They might even be younger than you expect. That could be intriguing, especially under a new coach in Jeff Blashill. You may just want to refrain from peering at the standings too much. Advertisement Based on who the Blackhawks have returning among veterans and prospects, plus what they did this offseason in free agency, trades and the draft, here's what the Blackhawks' 2025-26 lineup could look like line to line, pairing to pairing and in net: The more I hear about what the Blackhawks think of No. 3 draft pick Anton Frondell, the more I think he's going to stick with them out of training camp. How he does in the Tom Kurvers Prospects Showcase could be an early indication. That's always been a huge barometer for me. Over the years, I think back to Gustav Forsling and Alex DeBrincat, and more recently Bedard and Wyatt Kaiser, and how those players separated themselves from most in the rookie games. Some of those players, like Forsling and Kaiser, still had to spend time with the Rockford IceHogs, but you could see their potential early on. In the case of Frondell, the Blackhawks are likely going to give him every opportunity to make the team, meaning he'll likely play in a lot of preseason games, too. With the focus being so much on development and playing the young players this season, there's really no downside for him being in the NHL. He can also be sent to Rockford if they want. If Frondell is in the NHL lineup, playing with Bedard might make sense out of the gate, too. The Blackhawks envision Frondell and Bedard as future linemates. Whether they'd experiment with that early on could also depend on what Bedard looks like come fall. You would think he's primed for a bigger season in his third year. If Frondell isn't on the top line or in the NHL, André Burakovsky could be a fit there. He's played in top-six roles and produced in the past. His production fell off in Seattle, but he attributes that to his injury issues and is healthy now. We'll see if he can return to form, but he's someone who could play up or down the lineup depending on the Blackhawks' need. Ilya Mikheyev also played with Bedard last season, so that's another possibility; Mikheyev is probably better suited further down the lineup. Advertisement As for the other winger, Donato is the logical choice. Can he repeat a 30-goal season? He thinks so and will be motivated to show it. He also understands the opportunities he got with the Blackhawks last season helped him there. If he's playing up the lineup and on the first power-play unit, he's going to get his share of chances. There is always the question about Bedard at center, too. The Blackhawks believe he's still destined to be there, but they've also been willing to move him around ba it or have another center on his line to split faceoffs and defensive responsibilities. Frondell can probably be a center or wing in the future. He played wing in Sweden last season, but he's also played center at his age level and likes to think of himself there in the future. Blashill might have other ideas, too. Bedard and Nazar had some time together at five-on-five last season, but it's not something the Blackhawks would like to do much of this season. Again, the decision will ultimately come down to Blashill, but the organization thinks Bedard and Nazar are best apart, other than on the power play, and both are future centers. In time, maybe it's a Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews scenario where they're united when really needed. Nazar looks like he could have a breakout season based on his performance last season and at the World Championship in May. The Blackhawks ended the season with this line, and Nazar was at his most productive in five-on-five play with them. The trio had a 49.58 expected goals percentage in 107:33 of ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick. Teräväinen and Bertuzzi had some ups and downs during the season, especially with Bertuzzi's goalless stretches, but both probably finished with the type of production the Blackhawks expected out of them. More consistency would obviously benefit the Blackhawks next season. Another option for a winger for Nazar could be Colton Dach. Before Dach's late-season injury, he and Nazar were playing well together. The Blackhawks outscored teams 7-6 in five-on-five play with the pair on the ice, but the expected goals percentage wasn't as high, at 41.62 over 128:40 of ice time. Dach feels like one of the wild cards this preseason. If he plays well, the Blackhawks have to find a spot for him, which could come at the cost of another young player. The Blackhawks don't necessarily need all their veterans, but they need most of them on the roster to stay above the cap ceiling. Advertisement Nick Lardis will be another player to keep tabs on throughout this season. He probably stars in the AHL with the IceHogs, but he has the potential to be an NHL regular sooner rather than later. The Blackhawks want to make sure he's physically ready for the NHL, but they're confident his offensive game will translate nicely to the top level. A Dickinson bounce-back from last season would really help the Blackhawks. He may not get back to scoring 20 goals, but if he can be the steady defensive presence and match up against other teams' top centers as he has in the past, that can take a lot off the young players' plates and elevate what the team is capable of. In the 2023-24 season, the Blackhawks outscored opponents 45-36 with Dickinson on the ice at five-on-five. Last season, opponents flipped that and outscored the Blackhawks 36-24. Not all of that is on him, and injuries did factor into it, but he'd be the first to say last season wasn't his best. Mikheyev may have been the biggest surprise last season. He was arguably the Blackhawks' best all-around player. Based on Evolving-Hockey's analytics, Mikheyev was by far the best defensive player on the team and the fifth-best offensive player. He probably played up the lineup more than the Blackhawks expected last season, but that was a credit to his reliable game. Foligno will be 38 come October, but he's been durable throughout his time in Chicago. He played 74 games his first season and 78 games last season. His 46.31 expected goals percentage was among the highest on the Blackhawks last season. The actual goals percentage didn't match that; the Blackhawks were outscored 53-38 with him on the ice. Foligno, Dickinson and Mikheyev are in the final year of their contracts. The Blackhawks will likely still need to get the cap floor after the trade deadline, but it's possible the Blackhawks are active moving players out if they're out of contention in the standings and it works financially. Sacha Boisvert may be the only college prospect the Blackhawks try to sign this season and have play in the NHL. The Blackhawks want to start having some lines play as they hope to see in the future. That starts with speed and skating. Slaggert is a safe bet for this line after last season; his linemates could be up in the air. Moore and Greene made their NHL debuts after turning pro last season. Whether they start off this season in the NHL will likely depend on their preseasons. If they don't start in the NHL, they could easily go the same route as Nazar last season and spend some time playing in Rockford before being recalled. Greene was someone the Blackhawks previously thought might not need any time with the IceHogs, but time will tell. Burakovsky fits this line if he isn't higher up in the lineup. Sam Lafferty will likely join this line, too. That's why the Blackhawks got him: He could be in and out of the lineup throughout the season depending on need. Advertisement Where will Lukas Reichel be at the start of the season? If he's not traded by training camp, he's going to have really open some eyes to earn a roster spot. The Blackhawks don't have the patience they once did with him, and there are plenty of young players coming in whom they want to see. Samuel Savoie likely starts the season in Rockford, but he probably gets an NHL call-up if he can build on last season. He plays how the Blackhawks want on that line, too. Sam Rinzel opened eyes with his play last season. The Blackhawks were hopeful about him, but he exceeded their expectations after signing out of college. He's positioned himself to play on the Blackhawks' top pairing and quarterback their power play to start the 2025-26 season. His play factors into that, but also trading Seth Jones also made it much easier. Alex Vlasic wasn't as reliable last season as he was the season before. His ice time and role did vary at times last season, so that could have an impact. You would hope to see more consistency out of his game this season, with it being his third full NHL season and potentially having a consistent defensive partner. He and Rinzel played a lot together last season in a short time: 126:10 minutes together of Rinzel's 165:46 total five-on-five ice time. Vlasic, Rinzel, Kaiser and Connor Murphy are probably the locks among the defensemen next season. The others are not. Levshunov played better than expected in the NHL last season, but he wasn't perfect by any means. He did play some of his best hockey with Kaiser. Kaiser could play to Levshunov's strengths but also cover his unpredictability. The Blackhawks outscored teams 5-4 with them on the ice together at five-on-five. Kaiser will be looking to build off last season, too. He was a different player after his last trip to Rockford, coming back more assertive and in control. The Blackhawks still have high hopes for him. Murphy played better last season when healthy. It's just a matter of whether he can stay healthy. With such a young defense, the Blackhawks will lean on his experience and his toughness. He loves Chicago, but whether he ends the season here is unknown, as he enters the final year of his deal with so many young defensemen pushing for spots. Murphy would like to get a taste of the playoffs at some point in his career. Advertisement Del Mastro may have been the most consistent young defenseman through last season. His ceiling isn't probably as high as some of the others, but he's showing he can be reliable in all zones. The veterans also developed a lot of respect for him. Whether he's in the NHL or AHL could depend on how some of the younger defensemen perform in the preseason. Kevin Korchinski can easily earn a spot out of camp if he performs well. The Blackhawks haven't lost faith he can still become the player they want him to be, but they've learned it's going to take more time than originally expected. He only turned 21 in June, so there is time. The defensive part of his game definitely improved last season. The Blackhawks just want him to be more aggressive offensively and pull those attributes out of his game on more shifts. He showed last season he can take over when he asserts himself. Nolan Allan is another who could be in the NHL. He was with the Blackhawks almost all of last season. His game took a dip late in the year and he ended up in Rockford, but he's shown the potential to be a consistent NHLer. Louis Crevier has also come a long way and shown he can be a third-pairing defenseman. He could be the seventh defenseman next season if the Blackhawks don't add another veteran in the coming months. The Blackhawks are expected to run back Knight and Söderblom as their tandem this coming season. Knight is expected to be the No. 1 goalie, as he was down the stretch last season, but their performances will likely dictate the split more than last season. The Blackhawks just wanted to give Knight as much of the net as possible after he arrived from the Florida Panthers last season. Knight looked great in some games, less so in others and finished with an .893 percentage in Chicago. He will be in a contract year. Söderblom will be hoping to build on last season. After a disastrous 2023-24 campaign, he proved he can be an NHL goalie last season. His numbers weren't amazing either with an .898 save percentage, but it was up from .879 the season before. The league average was .900 last season, so both goalies were around that. The unknown going into the season is Laurent Brossoit. The Blackhawks signed Brossoit to a two-year contract with a $3.3 million cap hit to share the net with Petr Mrázek last season but Brossoit never played due to injuries. It doesn't sound like the Blackhawks know if he'll be healthy next season. If he is, it'll be interesting to see whether there's a real competition. Brossoit had a .927 save percentage in 23 games with the Winnipeg Jets two seasons ago. Drew Commesso has to wonder where he fits into the big picture. He's still just 22 years old (he'll turn 23 this month) but he's trending up and could be worth an NHL call-up next season. He was outstanding late in the season for the IceHogs last year. (Top photo of Anton Frondell: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Bench men: Get to know the new Chicago Blackhawks assistant coaches — and their roles under Jeff Blashill
Experience can make the best teachers. And the Chicago Blackhawks definitely will have lessons to learn from new coach Jeff Blashill's staff. For a team that needs more defense from its forward, Michael Peca is a two-time Selke Trophy winner. For the young players who need development and continuity, Anders Sörensen coached many of them in Rockford and as the interim Hawks coach last year. For the top units that need to go from average to good, or from good to great, Mike Vellucci has coached teams at three levels of hockey — NAHL, OHL and AHL — to championships and has worked one-on-one with stars such as Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Each assistant coach talked to the Tribune, breaking down their roles and offering a deep dive into how they hope to help the Hawks emerge from their rebuilding stage. Peca gets how most forwards think — he didn't think of himself as a defender either. Coming out of junior hockey, where he had 50 goals and 63 assists in his last season with the Ottawa 67's, he knew his future would be as an offensive winger, not a defensive center. But that all changed by the time he was at his second NHL stop, with the Buffalo Sabres. 'I still remember when (coach) Ted Nolan told me I was going to start playing against the other teams' best players in the '96-97 season,' Peca said. His first assignment was the Colorado Avalanche's Peter Forsberg. 'You're kind of scared out of your mind, initially, and you think you're going to freeze up and not handle the puck and play this kind of rigid, sit-back defense. And then as my linemates (Jason Dawe and Randy Burridge) and I started to go through this, we're like, 'Listen, the quicker we defend and get pucks back … the offensive players, they didn't care that much about transitioning back to defense.' 'So we found that the quicker we defended without the puck, to get pucks back and create turnovers, the more offense we actually created for ourselves. We were getting more offense than our top line was (getting) in an easier matchup because we were just defending better. 'So that's going to be the theme (with the Hawks): The better you defend, the more offense you actually create.' A lot of forwards preach defense in theory, but it's another thing to commit to it. If there's one thing Peca wants to drill, it's the notion that committing to defense detracts from offense. 'It makes no sense,' Peca, 51, said. 'There are great offensive players (who), when they don't have the puck, can read transition better than most players in the game. 'Playing defense isn't about setting up a wall and blocking all kinds of shots. When you have speed and skill like the Blackhawks do, you've got to change their thought process and what it means to defend. Defense is, how quickly can we get the puck back? 'Also, having more zone time doesn't guarantee quality chances, but at times players may cheat for offense and cost themselves defensively because they're not in position. … Cheating below oftentimes has no bearing on getting scoring chances.' Peca said forwards who skate hard on the backcheck not only allow their defensemen to have a tighter gap but also create a bigger gap for themselves on counter-rushes. Peca also wants his forwards to carry that defensive mindset even into the offensive zone. 'The forecheck is not an offensive situation,' he said. 'Once you deposit that puck into the zone, now it's a 50-50 puck, and there's a good chance they get to it first, half the time. So now it's our stick details, it's angling details, it's how do we get that puck back? 'You can almost just say it's just playing hockey.' As it stands right now, Peca, who coached the power play for the New York Rangers, will take charge of the Hawks penalty kill. 'As a player, there's nothing I enjoyed more than killing penalties,' he said. The Hawks had the 14th-ranked PK (79.3%) last season, and Peca believes he can build on that foundation. 'Special teams, especially penalty killing, is more for smart players than talented players,' he said. 'You've got to be able to see things before they happen. You've got to really build a mental database of … what (teams') tendencies are, and it helps you think a little bit ahead of what's going on.' For all his defense-based philosophies, Peca also has to get more offensive production from a team that ranked 26th with 2.73 goals per game. So you could argue he's the assistant coach with the most heavy lifting to do. But Peca let it be known: He's built for rebuilds. 'I decided to be a hockey player at a young age, but if I didn't do anything (else), I knew I wanted to be an architect,' he said. 'There's a thing about the artistry of it and the building concept of it, building things.' Like he felt as a player on six NHL teams — most of them weren't wagons: 'I love going somewhere and helping it resurrect itself from the ground up,' he said. 'I don't see this team or this organization on the ground level right now,' Peca said. 'They've got some really wonderful pieces and it's already kind of started to ascend. The staff that Jeff has put together, it gives us a really good opportunity to build something from the first day of training camp and enjoy watching how it flourishes.' Let's address the elephant in the room. Sörensen wasn't shoehorned onto Blashill's staff because he played the good soldier as interim head coach after the Hawks fired Luke Richardson on Dec. 5 and promoted the former Rockford IceHogs coach. General manager Kyle Davidson said just after the season that he would find a place for Sörensen in the organization, and Blashill said it would be with him. 'I've known Anders for a long, long time,' Blashill said during his introductory news conference on May 27. 'I have tons of belief in him as a coach and person. He's a great fit to help guide our young players. He has relationships with a number of guys, which I think is important because it keeps some continuity on the staff. 'He's very smart, very calm and I've learned a lot from him over the years in different coaching settings, so he'll stay on staff.' Sörensen told the Tribune: 'Kyle brought it up when he let me know that they were going in that direction, they're going with Jeff. … I think Jeff had mentioned in his interview process that he'd like to keep me on board in a capacity.' Sörensen, 50, and Blashill, 51, discussed working together the next day. And the pair has history, dating to Blashill's days as coach of the USHL Indiana Ice and Sörensen's time as a Chicago Mission coach. 'Jeff and I go way back,' Sörensen said. 'I got to know him throughout the years of different coaches clinics and seminars, and he's one of those guys that I've always stayed in touch with and just picked his brain in different areas. 'Seemed like we always met up in the summers. Notre Dame used to have a coaches clinic where you'd bring in NHL, AHL, college and junior coaches, so we always used to see each other there and just exchange ideas.' Sörensen said he 'absolutely' got a fair shake from Davidson at the permanent role after finishing 17-30-9 as interim coach, and he learned a lot from the experience. 'It was almost like you get (thrown) right in the fire,' he said. 'The biggest difference (from the AHL) is, in the NHL, obviously the stakes are higher, but everything is magnified.' He didn't have a training camp to mold the team, but he said players welcomed him and his ideas, and Davidson was 'very up front' about his expectations. 'So I felt nothing but support throughout the whole season,' Sörensen said. Now, Sörensen replaces Kevin Dean as defensive coach. Sörensen hadn't yet hashed out with Blashill what the scheme will look like when he spoke with the Tribune, but one of his main charges will be developing a very young blue-line group. Here are some of the likely options to make the roster out of camp, and their ages before training camp in September. Connor Murphy, 32, is the only likely starter whose birth year begins with a '19' — and he's rumored to be a trade candidate. So Sörensen's job will be as much about the ABCs of the position as the X's and O's. 'I know most of them,' he said, alluding to his time in Rockford. 'I know their game, know their strengths and weaknesses, things they have to work on. 'There's a lot of potential in this group. I really like the group that Kyle and management have drafted and put on the ice here, so I really have a lot of belief in this group. So for me, it's just a matter of getting the best out of them every day and keep their development path going.' Details, details, details. If the 58-year-old Farmington, Mich., native mentioned that word once, he must've uttered it 30 times during his talk with the Tribune. Through the NAHL (Detroit Compuware Ambassadors), OHL (Plymouth Whalers) and AHL (Charlotte Checkers) — with a trophy at each stop — 'we just consistently had details, we consistently built our game over the whole season,' Vellucci said. 'One of the proudest things people would say is that our teams got better as the season went on, and that to me is development,' he said. Vellucci will shepherd the Hawks power play, but you could probably add director of details to his job title, especially in practice. 'It's all the details we're trying to do out of the drill: So we want the outside stick, we want to make sure that you're finishing your route,' he gave as an example. 'Having details of that go a long way, and all the elite players have it.' It's a skill he learned while working as an assistant for five seasons under Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. 'We think alike, as far as having details of being organized,' Vellucci said. 'One of the biggest things is how he manages the star players, seeing his interaction with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, just seeing his day-to-day meetings and how he deals with the star player. 'Going to Pittsburgh to be able to talk with Sidney Crosby and help him with the details of his games, or areas that he needs to improve, holding him accountable, that's what I think was the biggest lesson out of Pittsburgh.' Elite players such as Crosby, who happens to be Connor Bedard's idol, can put up plenty of points, 'but play away from the puck has to have more detail,' Vellucci said. 'So it's just getting them to understand that and showing them and working with them, and holding them accountable 'All the star players I've worked with, Sidney Crosby, he wants to tell him the truth, because he wants to get better and he wants to be the best in the world. And that's how he became the best in the world is (by) having that desire to get better. 'Getting the buy-in and not being afraid to have those hard conversations is the biggest thing.' In Pittsburgh, Vellucci worked with the forwards and penalty kill. With the U.S. team this summer, he helped coach Hawks players Frank Nazar and Vlasic and others to the Americans' first World Championship gold medal since 1933. He helmed the forwards and power play. In Chicago, Vellucci inherits a Hawks power play that ranked seventh (24.9%) in success rate. Vellucci said he mostly helmed power plays when he was a junior and minor-league coach. The Hawks ranked 30th last season in power-play opportunities (189) and last in power-play shots (228). 'There's definitely ways you can get more man advantages by playing faster, being competitive, getting to the blue paint in the offensive zone and making them haul you down by playing a fast game and getting to those dirty areas,' Vellucci said. 'Having the puck more is another way.' Vellucci said he did a preliminary analysis of the Hawks power play, including areas on the ice where they scored goals and under what circumstances. 'There's definitely areas to improve,' he said. 'We only had one goal off the rush, as far as my calculation. … There's opportunities to score more off the rush. A team like Boston had 15 goals off the rush.' He's optimistic he can squeeze more out of the Hawks. 'They're very talented, the unit of five (Hawks) that I watched from last year, and do a lot of really good things, and I think that there's other areas to improve on,' Vellucci said.
Associated Press
03-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Blackhawks hire Vellucci as an assistant coach under Blashill
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks have hired Mike Vellucci as an assistant coach for Jeff Blashill's first staff with his new team. The Blackhawks announced the addition of Vellucci on Monday. He joins Michael Peca and Anders Sorensen as Blashill's assistants. Goaltending coach Jimmy Waite, video coach Matt Meacham and assistant video coach Adam Gill round out the staff. Vellucci, 58, spent the previous five seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was an assistant general manager and director of hockey operations for the Carolina Hurricanes from 2014-19. Vellucci also was an assistant coach for the U.S. when it won the world championship last month. Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar and defenseman Alex Vlasic were part of the winning American team. 'Serving as an assistant coach at the world championship this summer and winning a gold medal for our country alongside Frank Nazar and Alex Vlasic will bring such valuable experience to this group,' Blashill said in a release. 'That kind of championship-caliber background only makes our team better and I'm excited to get to work.' Blashill, 51, took over as Chicago's head coach last month. He spent the last three seasons as an assistant to Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning. ___ AP NHL:
