The Chicago Blackhawks have seemingly accepted that what’s done is done, but Connor Bedard would love to have last NHL season back. After a rookie year for the ages, the former first overall pick struggled throughout the 2024–25 campaign. Now, Jeff Blashill has taken over behind the bench and is assigning former interim head coach Anders Sorensen to a role somewhat removed from Bedard.
The past season is behind the Blackhawks and that’s where everybody in Chicago wants it to stay. A distant memory, one which is now starting to get lost in the rearview mirror. Thankfully, the 2025-26 NHL season is slowly approaching. Still, fans in the Windy City have learned to be careful what they wish for.
Now, a new day is starting to rise on the horizon. Blashill is the new head coach for Bedard and the rest of the team, who have grown used to seeing different managers come and go. Fortunately, they will see a familiar face in Sorensen, who, relieved of his interim head coach duties, is now an assistant.
On that note, Blashill and the Blackhawks announced which department each assistant coach will focus on. Sorensen, as it turns out, won’t be in charge of Bedard and the forwards—quite the opposite.
Interim head coach Anders Sorensen of the Chicago Blackhawks speaks to the media after losing to the Winnipeg Jets at the United Center on December 07, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
“New assistants Michael Peca and Mike Vellucci will oversee the forwards, with Peca also coaching the penalty kill and Vellucci the power play. Anders Sorensen will oversee the defensemen — a role he previously held in Rockford,” as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. “Long-tenured goalie coach Jimmy Waite retained his position.“
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Crucial role
Sorensen has been at the helm of the defensemen group before, but this time the stakes are higher. The former interim coach did occupy a similar role back during his time with the AHL’s affiliate, the Rockford Ice-Hogs. However, the Blackhawks’ D-corps is a different beast.
As it stands, out of Chicago’s six active blueliners, five are less than 25 years old. Connor Murphy is the lone veteran with 32 years of age. Blashill knows the team’s youth is a double-edged sword, but he plans to face only the sharp end of one side.
Winning habits
“The reality is our growth will be based on how quickly our young guys mature,” Blashill told the Chicago Sun-Times. “[Not only] how they mature physically, but more importantly, how their games mature. Go from a young, talented group to a group that plays winning hockey. The most exciting opportunity we have as a coaching staff is to mold our players into winning players as quickly as possible.”
Connor Bedard #98 of the Chicago Blackhawks warms up prior to the 2024 NHL Winter Classic against the St. Louis Blues at Wrigley Field on December 31, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.
Of course, it takes time to build a winning culture, and the team must walk a road full of bumps and bruises. However, the Hawks have already experienced enough of hockey’s painful side.
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If Bedard and company could, they’d waste no time fast-forwarding to when they’re a competitive group in the NHL. But as things stand, such technology hasn’t been invented, and the only choice left is sink or swim for the organization in Chi-Town.
