Latest news with #JeffBlashill
Associated Press
3 days ago
- 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:
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Why Anders Sörensen chose to stay with the Blackhawks after Jeff Blashill took his job
After he was told he wouldn't be the Chicago Blackhawks' next head coach, Anders Sörensen could have gone elsewhere. Sörensen's resume — 56 games as the Blackhawks' interim coach this season, three-plus seasons as an AHL head coach, an appearance at the World Championship as an assistant coach for Sweden this year — could have landed him another job in the NHL, AHL or Sweden. Advertisement Sörensen didn't pursue anything else, though. Disappointed he wasn't hired as the Blackhawks' permanent head coach, Sörensen still saw an exciting opportunity when he was offered a position as an assistant on new Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill's staff. 'I believe in working with a group that pulls on the same rope, so to speak; I think that's an important part for me,' Sörensen told The Athletic on Monday. 'It's probably more important than having a title at times. As long as you're part of a group that everybody has a voice and everybody is included — someone obviously has to make the final decisions, but I think including people is a big part of it. I think Jeff seems to be doing that really well. That's why I'm excited.' Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson broke the news to Sörensen that Blashill had been hired while Sörensen was in Europe at the World Championship. 'It was honest and direct, and that's all you can ask for,' Sörensen said of Davidson's communication. 'Obviously they made their decision there. For me, you obviously going in hoping for something. … But once Kyle told me that Jeff was the guy, obviously some disappointment first, but then obviously excitement when I heard who it was. What he stands for is something I really believe in. It made the decision a lot easier.' Sörensen and Blashill have crossed paths throughout their careers. That began when Blashill was an assistant at Miami (Ohio) and Sörensen was with the Chicago Mission, an AAA program. Sörensen especially got to know him at an annual Notre Dame coaching clinic. 'We always met up in summers at those things,' Sörensen said. 'I always held him in very high regards as a coach and a person. Got to know through there, and he was a guy I always stayed in touch with throughout the years and picked his brain on different things. It always seemed like I came out of conversations with Jeff, whether it was over beers or just in the coaches setting, I always came away with something. I was like, 'Oh, yeah, I like that,' or he made me think. He made me think about different things. That's something I really value.' Advertisement Blashill being the Blackhawks' pick helped Sörensen's decision. He and Blashill talked for a long time, too, before Sörensen accepted the position, but ultimately, Sörensen's decision came down to what he thinks of Davidson's rebuild plan and what he's observed with the Rockford IceHogs and the Blackhawks. 'You know, I had a really strong belief in this group of players that we had, that we acquired obviously a lot through the draft,' Sörensen said. 'These young players, I've seen them throughout the year in Rockford and Chicago, I really believed in this group of players. This made my decision to stay on board obviously a lot easier as well. I want to help see this through. You see other teams in the league that have gone through this, if it's Edmonton, where they were eight, nine years ago, or Colorado before their runs there. I think those things, just excitement seeing this group through.' The end of the Blackhawks' season confirmed that for him, too. 'I think especially the last 10-some games here, these young guys, how their game took a stride,' Sörensen said. 'Frankie (Nazar) and even (Connor Bedard's) last six, seven, eight games, how he handled everything throughout the year and finished was super positive. You see some of those young defensemen. You see how they handled playing in this league, with that young of a group, was really impressive. Obviously, small sample, and I'm sure we're going to hit our speed bumps throughout the season here, but to see the potential in that group was really exciting.' Sörensen would rather be the head coach, but he did point out some positive benefits of being an assistant. He can work in different ways with Nazar, Bedard and others. 'I think, obviously, when you're an assistant, your role is a little different, but I think it's an opportunity to work even closer with some of those guys one-on-one,' Sörensen said. 'When you're the head coach, there's a lot of responsibility that goes into that. So, maybe it's a little bit of time for just hockey when you're an assistant, and something I've always enjoyed. I think the way we are and some of the other teams in the league right now, we do have to develop these young guys in the NHL. It's not always an easy task, but I think it's something I think we're all up for.' Advertisement Sörensen will return, too, with the lessons he learned from coaching Sweden's national team. He was in charge of Sweden's power play and forwards. 'I think the one thing that keeps standing out, it's the players' game,' Sörensen said. 'First of all, elite players are super smart, and they know a lot. A lot of times, they want honest and direct feedback. That's something you learn throughout the season, especially in the NHL, but even here at the World Championship. I think that's something I learned, just the importance of the relationships with the players and the people around the staff as well. 'I think I'm a much better coach today than I was a year ago, for sure. The growth probably got accelerated because of the opportunities in the NHL and obviously at the World Championship here.'
CBS News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill talks about his experience and the road ahead
New Chicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill is hoping to bring his own experience and hone the skills of the team's young talent to make the proud franchise competitive again. Blashill, 51, spent the past three seasons as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before that, he spent seven seasons as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022. This makes him among a select few that can now say he has been coach of two of the NHL's six original franchises. Blashill recently sat down with CBS Sports Chicago to talk about the task ahead. RB: "When you were introduced as the 42nd head coach of this proud, historic franchise, you said, 'This job, this team, this moment is the exact job I wanted.' Why did you make that statement?" JB: "Well, I guess that's the way I feel, and I feel that for a multitude of reasons. One is the people — I think it's really, really important to work with great people, and kind of have a shared vision. There's a number of young players coming at a time where we have a chance to have not only depth in every position, but great, elite players in each position, and so that part excited me. The last thing would just be the experiences that I've had I think have really prepared me for this. I've lived a rebuild in the National Hockey League, so I know, you know, the rebuild and the pain that's been felt here for a couple of years. I know what I'm walking into." RB: "It's been a rough road the last few years." JB: "Yeah, and I get that. I understand that. I understand how hard it is. I understand that it's not an easy escape out of it, but that, you know, there's certain pitfalls that we'll kind of navigate as we go through." RB: "You are now the head coach of not one, but two original six franchises. Not many coaches in the National Hockey League can say that. Being from hockey town, how does the history of this organization resonate with you?" JB: "Tons, and I certainly know the rivalry between Detroit and Chicago going back to the Norris Division days, and Chris Chelios is a good friend of mine. So I certainly know what a proud franchise this is, and what a passionate, passionate fan base we have. I'm excited to be part of it." RB: "It's been a decade since the Blackhawks last won a Stanley Cup. Ten years ago, you were also hired as the coach of the Red Wings. Didn't end so great in Detroit, your hometown. As you take over this rebuild, do you feel like it's a perfect fit — because not only the 'Hawks, but you have something to prove as well that you belong as a head coach in the NHL?" JB: "For sure. It's a perfect fit in the sense that because of the experiences I've gone through that I spoke about, I know what it's going to take to get this program to the top, and I know what it's going to take for us to get there and win. Doesn't mean it's going to be easy, and it doesn't mean, frankly, that we'll execute it. We still have to go out and execute it." RB: "And it's not going to happen overnight." JB: "It is not, for sure. Ultimately, we want it to happen as quick as the fan base wants it to happen. How long before we're competitive again, I don't know that answer. But I know that we have young talent. I know that if that talent, one, buys into playing winning hockey, and if we can help that talent develop at a good rate, that we'll be there sooner than later." RB: "Coming from Tampa Bay, did you put lightning in a bottle?" JB: "Certainly, what my time in Tampa has helped me is just again, see firsthand, you know, what a championship, at NHL level, what that looks like — and learning from a guy like John Cooper, who is certainly one of the very best coaches in the league." RB: "Before we let you go, I want to talk to you about your home team — your family. Such a great moment as you were introduced to be the head coach of the Blackhawks. How important is your wife, Erica, and your three kids to your journey and helping you achieve the success and the opportunities you've had?" JBB "Amazing. When you're a wife or a child of a coach, you live the roller coaster that is coaching, and that includes the hard losses — going through those moments. That includes being released in Detroit. That includes having to move and all those things, and through that whole period of time, they've always encouraged me to keep going — and for that, I am forever grateful for them."
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill makes bold prediction about Connor Bedard ahead of new NHL season
Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill makes bold prediction about Connor Bedard ahead of new NHL season (Image Source: Getty Images) The Chicago Blackhawks are beginning a fresh chapter under new head coach Jeff Blashill as the 2025–26 NHL season approaches. While fans are still waiting for a strong turnaround, Blashill is already making headlines with his strong message about Connor Bedard, who is heading into his third year with the team. Jeff Blashill shows full support for Connor Bedard During his first news conference as Chicago Blackhawks head coach on Thursday, May 22, 2025, Jeff Blashill made really certain he backed Connor Bedard's growth. Over the 2024–25 NHL season, the 19-year-old centre accumulated 67 points in 82 contests. Barely below his rookie season, when he won the Calder Trophy by scoring 61 points in only 68 games. Even though Bedard's second year was up and down, Blashill had strong words during the event held in Chicago. 'He's going to get to another level. I don't think there's any question,' Blashill said, as reported by Chicago Sun-Times writer Ben Pope. 'Because like other superstars in this league, he has the drive and want.' Midway through last year, the Blackhawks made a coaching switch that probably had an influence on team chemistry. Presently 51, Blashill formerly coached the Detroit Red Wings seeks to assist Bedard recover his confidence in training camp before the regular season starts in October 2025. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Buy Brass Idols - Handmade Brass Statues for Home & Gifting Luxeartisanship Buy Now Also Read: Under Jeff Blashill, A New Era Has Emerged With Michael Peca's Appointment As Assistant Coach Of The Chicago Blackhawks Jeff Blashill focus on development and team culture On Friday, May 23, 2025, Blackhawks forward Tyler Bertuzzi also spoke to local media in Chicago. He said that coach Jeff Blashill is clear and honest, and he expects every player, including Connor Bedard, to grow under his guidance. Blashill is already working on building his coaching staff, which includes Anders Sorensen and Michael Peca. A third assistant is expected to be announced soon. The new coach also shared some details on what Bedard needs to work on. 'We want him to focus on creating more space in the offensive zone and play with winning habits,' Blashill explained. He also wants Bedard to keep his shifts shorter and stay focused on small game details. Blashill added, 'The best way to increase the ceiling of your team is through individual growth. That's true for everyone from young players to veterans.' He noted that there's no clear timeline for success but said he believes in the process of building a strong, winning culture. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
New Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill excited to work with team's young core
After a pair of failed hires and a couple of interims in between, the Chicago Blackhawks believe they have finally gotten it right with new head coach Jeff Blashill. Blashill was introduced at the United Center on Tuesday. Blashill, 51, spent the past three seasons as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Before that, he spent seven seasons as head coach of the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022. Blashill called the head coaching position with the Blackhawks the exact job he wanted, and said he is excited to work with the Blackhawks young core that includes Connor Bedard. "Working towards Connor's strengths, I think, will be important, and then just part of the process of any young player that I've ever coached — helping them become the great winning-type players that you have to be in order to compete like the four teams that are left right now," Blashill said. Of course, it is not just about developing the young players — but also about getting the team to win more games. "The best way to increase the ceiling of your team is for those individuals to get better — and that's not just the young players," Blashill said. "You know, that's asking to make sure he continues to improve his game." "I'm excited. I think that's what, you know, I think you look for is to try to blend the two, right?" said Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno. "There's no us versus them. It's trying to make this work with the group that we have, and I think I'm extremely excited about the guys that we have — especially at the end of the season." Blashill confirmed that interim head coach Anders Sörensen will be staying as part of his coaching staff. Nick Foligno said he thrilled, as Sörensen can be someone to lean on when it comes to learning about the guys on this Blackhawks team.
