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New York Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Do the Blackhawks need to make a big move this offseason? GM Kyle Davidson answers
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson answered a variety of NHL Draft questions Thursday, being that he was at the NHL scouting combine, but there wasn't much intel he was divulging. Davidson did clear up why some of the top prospects who you'd expect the Blackhawks to draft with the third-overall pick hadn't met with the organization over dinner in Buffalo. Advertisement 'We didn't do any dinners this year,' Davidson said. 'It was much more doing it in the room. I think it's probably born out of, we don't learn anything. We haven't learned much new in those interviews in the past. … It's funny because there's no place to hide here either, right? There's only so many (restaurant) options, and everyone's bopping around to the same spot. I don't know if I've ever really drawn any connection between dinners to list/ranking or anything like that. So I don't really pay attention to it. And this year we didn't take anyone out, not for any other reason than we just feel comfortable with everyone.' Outside of that, Davidson pretty much said what you'd expect about the draft. Basically, the Blackhawks are going to draft the best player available and believe there are plenty of forwards who can play center or wing if taken. Davidson didn't mention specific players on Thursday. But my educated guess is the Blackhawks look at Anton Frondell and Caleb Desnoyers with the third pick if Michael Misa is gone, or choose Misa if he's available. What was of note Thursday from what Davidson said during his media availability was everything else about the offseason and next season. That's where most Blackhawks fans are interested right now, too. What can they expect from the Blackhawks in the coming months? Davidson got into that. We'll break this up into the three big questions. 'I feel like that's been the consensus every single year I've been GM, other than the first. I feel like every summer, it's like, 'Well, they've got to go do something now.' Look, we're always open to exploring these things, but it's got to be right. It's got to make sense. We can't do something that's going to be counter to the path that we've set out on. If there is a big move that presents itself, that makes sense, then I'm all for exploring that and pursuing something that does make sense. But to say we're going to do something just to say we did something, and then it doesn't make sense with where we're at or where we're going, then I don't think we can do that. That would be irresponsible. Advertisement 'The other thing, too, is the idea of a big splash, that's so hard to do, right? That's so hard to find. Especially with the salary cap going up, there's a lot of teams that have access to space and money that wasn't in the system before. That's either going to probably hold players in their current place or create new teams that are in the mix on a few players that do become available. So it creates more competition for a smaller number of players and just makes things harder, right? 'I think the fortunate thing for us is we've got some really exciting young players. We've got some young players on the way. We've got a lot of assets, both in the system with our draft capital and in the future. And so it's something that we can explore, and we've got the ammo to access if something comes available. And so we're open to it, but it's really hard. Everyone wants good players, and then when they get them, they don't want to give them up. That's why a lot of these players are either acquired via the draft or using their assets that they've gotten from the draft or draft capital. Everything stems back to the draft. It's very rare — expansion teams are different — but a lot of core teams are developed through the draft. Once you're at a point to leverage either players, pick capital or prospects, then you can jump at opportunities. We feel like we've got a lot of capital to do something if we wanted to, but wanting it is different than being able to do it. And so it's something we're always exploring, but it's got to be available.' 'Yeah, of course. That's something we're very open to. Very murky and not clear to me if that's even available. Something that the rising salary cap did is give people, in the majority of the cases, the flexibility to keep their players. Normally, the No. 1 motivator of movement is salary cap constraint, and a lot of teams have been relieved of that this year. There seems to be a little more comfort, I'd say, around the league. That's something that feels a little more new this year. But yes, we would be very open and comfortable exploring that if it arose. 'I think with each year you get from our draft process, you get more and more willing. The first couple years of our process, if you were to ask me that I was willing to move first-round picks or second-round picks for players, you know, I would have, but it was probably less likely. As we go, it's more and more likely to acquire people that fit where we're going and maybe some gaps that we need to fill. As we go, I think it's something we're always really exploring, exploring hard, but you can't manifest that out of nothing. There's a supply and demand there and the supply in the NHL with good players that become available is just limited. It's just the way it goes.' 'It's all about the trajectory. You hope that through the improvement of your young players and the development of your young players that continues to elevate the improvement of your group and your team and your spot in the standings. That's always what you're shooting for. 'I think we are going to be younger. We are going to be way younger than where we started the season last year. I think that's exciting. That also brings a much more volatile ebb and flow of what you get. Youth goes through growing pains at different times and for different reasons. That's something we're likely to see just based on youth. But you hope that keeps ticking upwards, and the development of those talented young players will break into the NHL full time this year, elevates your group and continues that upward trajectory. Advertisement 'It's going to be a totally different look this year. There's going to be a lot of excitement in that and a lot of exciting moments from young players where you can see what's coming, you can see what this is going to look like and you can see how they're all going to impact the team at the NHL level. There's excitement in that. And that's what we expect. We expect our players to continue to improve and that improvement to improve the team and the results. 'What that looks like you never really know. Youth is unpredictable, especially at the NHL level, but we feel they're ready. It doesn't mean there's going to be players that struggle and they need the instruction, need the education, need the information to continue to improve, kind of dig themselves out of little ruts as they figure out the NHL grind and the NHL schedule and how you need to be successful and the way you need to play at the NHL level. But with the new coaching staff, really excited for them to get their hands on this group and to dig in and see all these players taking steps and getting to know some of these players even better because some of them were here for just a very short time at the end. I think that's something that's exciting, something that we need to continue to see improvement out of this young group and through that we should see improvement not only in our style of play but hopefully results-wise too. But I think there is excitement that we ended the year with.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Key takeaways from Mackinac Policy Conference's Detroit mayoral debate
Five candidates faced off at the Detroit mayoral debate during the Mackinac Policy Conference, May 29, 2025. | Kyle Davidson MACKINAC ISLAND – On the final night of the Mackinac Policy Conference, five candidates gathered in the Grand Hotel's Tea Garden to make their case on why they should be Detroit's next mayor. The five-person panel included former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Detroit City Council member Fred Durhal III, former nonprofit CEO Saunteel Jenkins, Triumph Church Pastor Rev. Solomon Kinloch, Jr. and current Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield. Candidates fielded questions about the city's tax incentives, their plans to support business and education, address violent crime and poverty and ensure sustainable funding in the city's budget. Although the panel did not represent the full range of candidates seeking election as the city's mayor, the group was selected by the Detroit Regional Chamber's Political Action Committee due to time constraints. Attorney Todd Perkins, businessman Joel Haashiim, entrepreneur Jonathan Barlow and two-time mayoral candidate Danetta Simpson are also competing for Detroit's executive office, with the primary election scheduled for August 5. The two candidates with the highest vote total will advance to the general election on Nov. 4. With a wide field of candidates each seeking to make the final ballot, here are the highlights from each participant. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Opening the debate, Jenkins noted that many of the city's tax abatement programs would begin expiring in 2027, with over half set to expire by 2030. Jenkins said she would retool these programs at the risk of losing businesses and jobs within Detroit. As Mayor Mike Duggan – who opted against seeking reelection to pursue an independent bid for governor – worked to rebuild confidence in the city, bringing in investments and jobs, the same needed to happen in the city's neighborhoods, Jenkins said, calling for a commercial corridor in each of the city's seven districts. 'We have to ensure that our planning is intentional and that it is inclusive,' Jenkins said. 'And when we are having discussions about tax abatements, discussions about affordable housing, we have a real plan in place that is driving development and affordable housing and public transit in a way that is building our neighborhoods.' If elected, Jenkins said she would craft a strategic plan to help shape economic development in each district, working with communities to decide how they want their commercial districts to look. There is also a need for additional office space for startups that can't afford space downtown, she said. Neighborhood planning efforts should include schools, in order to ensure students have access to high quality options for education, Jenkins said. Additionally, as the city moves forward without $826 million in federal revenue it received through the American Rescue Plan Act, and payments under the city's 'Grand Bargain' coming to an end, the city needed to find ways to grow its businesses and its population, Jenkins said. She noted that she sees a role for a chief growth officer in her administration, if elected. Throughout the debate, Durhal pointed to his prior experience as a member of the Michigan Legislature, promising to coordinate with lawmakers on property tax reform and a willingness to go to bat for additional resources for education within the city. He repeatedly noted, however, that solutions come with a price tag, quoting his grandmother in saying there's 'no romance without finance.' Aside from pressing the city to utilize its current resources and maintaining discipline in the budget process, Durhal proposed a tax on blighted properties and a speculative tax on land sitting under development as potential new sources of revenue. He also pitched a corridor improvement authority for the city, focused on creating walkable neighborhoods where residents have access to groceries and other amenities, which could catalyze small business in the process. Kinloch remained focused on Detroit's neighborhoods and their residents throughout the debate, and said he would work to bring the neighborhoods to the table on issues like tax policy. Kinloch said that the next mayor needed to be open to doing something new to address homelessness, poverty and job creation. He also argued the city's budget could use input from people whose priorities are aligned with the community. On the push to bring business back to residential areas of the city, Kinloch said Detroit should leverage its corporate, philanthropic and community partnerships to create an apprenticeship program to funnel Detroiters into high paying jobs. The city should also work with private-industry grocers to mentor entrepreneurship opportunities, Kinloch said. He also called for an end to food deserts within the city's neighborhoods. 'People shouldn't have to eat out of a liquor store or a gas station,' Kinloch said. Addressing education, Kinloch said his administration would bring in a chief educational officer to coordinate with the Detroit Public Schools superintendent and school board to ensure that the city is providing supplemental resources to ensure students arrive at school healthy and whole. As his fellow candidates offered pitches to address poverty and support businesses in the city, Craig said there needs to be a focus on growing the middle class. 'I talked a lot about growing small businesses. That doesn't take away from continuing to grow big businesses,' Craig said. 'We have got to raise revenues in the city. … We have to collaborate.' That means having a business-friendly city, Craig said. 'And one of the things that I've heard as chief and deputy mayor over time is that in many of the neighborhoods, they feel left out,' he said. 'They feel left out, the businesses feel left out.' Craig argued there's too much red tape for businesses coming into the city, and that efforts to make the city more friendly to business would help stabilize property taxes and keep them lower. He further emphasized the importance of continuing to bring in new business, and that tax dollars pay for vital services like police, fire departments and infrastructure. On policing, Craig promised to pick up where he left off in building trust through neighborhood policing, and noted that homicides had fallen to the lowest level since the 1960s during his tenure as police chief. However, Craig criticized gun buyback programs within the city, saying 'I have never in my 44 years in policing seen a criminal turn in a gun.' 'They don't work. It's all political talk,' he said. While other candidates pledged to work across the aisle to win support for the city from lawmakers in Lansing, Craig pointed to his existing relationship with President Donald Trump, who praised Craig for his response to Black Lives Matter protests in the Summer of 2020. Protestors later filed federal lawsuits arguing the Detroit Police Department used unconstitutional and excessive force and prevented them from exercising their First Amendment rights. The city agreed to a $1 million settlement in 2022. 'It's not about me, it's not about the president, it's about the city of Detroit,' he said. As her opponents offered solutions to address the expiring tax abatement program, Sheffield said her focus would be on addressing poverty and the high property tax rate, which lead to the need for these programs to begin with. Sheffield promised 'real structural property tax reform,' instead. The city also needs to continue to build its middle class, Sheffield said, noting that while Detroit's median income sits around $38,000, the median for the state is around $70,000. 'Without a doubt, we have to ensure that more investment comes back into our neighborhoods, and that we're activating our commercial corridors,' Sheffield said. 'I'm very excited for my administration to be way more hands on as it relates to the education of our youth.' Schools and the workforce are also targets for support, Sheffield said. 'We have to invest more in education and the workforce, creating a pipeline that is ready for the jobs that are coming for today and of tomorrow,' she said. Sheffield also called for a holistic approach in addressing crime which includes community policing alongside programs and efforts to deal with the root causes of violence. She said that could be done by providing support for mental health, jobs and education. If elected, Sheffield said she would retain Todd Bettison as police chief. Detroit is also in need of a new funding approach for programs that would have previously been funded by the federal government. Sheffield said she would consider floating a local sales option tax, a tax on admission to sporting events, concerts and other types of entertainment or a half-a-penny tax. 'If cost savings could be achieved within various departments, I think we should look at that, but more importantly, it's going to be about bringing more revenue into the city of Detroit to fund various programs,' Sheffield said, who later promised to aggressively pursue federal funding alongside state and local partners.
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.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks hire Tampa Bay Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill has head coach
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The Chicago Blackhawks' search for a head coach has ended. General Manager Kyle Davidson confirmed Thursday that Jeff Blashill is the 51-year-old spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning made the playoffs all three joining the Lightning, Blashill was the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons from 2015-2022. During that time the Wings posted a record of 204-261-72. Blashill also spent some time in Rockford when he was the head coach of IceHogs rival Grand Rapids in the AHL. He spent three seasons with the Griffins, and he guided them to the AHL's Calder Cup Championship in 2013. Blashill has also been the head coach of Team USA for the IIHF World Championships three times in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Blackhawks will hold an introductory press conference with Blashill next Tuesday, May 27. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blackhawks Make Big Announcement Heading Into Crucial Offseason
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. Advertisement '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.' 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. Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill looks on during the first period against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena. Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images 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. Advertisement Related: Avalanche Predicted to Trade For Mikko Rantanen Replacement Related: Oilers Offer Major Injury Update on Calvin Pickard for Stars Series Blackhawks Make Big Announcement Heading Into Crucial Offseason first appeared on Athlon Sports on May 22, 2025
