The Chicago Blackhawks have found their new head coach to guide Connor Bedard and company into the next stage of their rebuild, announcing the hiring of Jeff Blashill. As the former Tampa Bay assistant arrives in Chicago, he brings a coaching staff with him—including a former assistant under Peter Laviolette with the New York Rangers during the past NHL season.
Bedard and the Blackhawks had been waiting for quite some time to learn about their new bench boss, and an announcement was finally made by the organization. Blashill is now the 42nd head coach in franchise history, succeeding Luke Richardson and interim coach Anders Sorensen, who will stay as an assistant coach in the Windy City.
Though Sorensen is set to remain in Chicago, Kevin Dean, who did a great job developing the team’s defensemen, is expected to move on into new horizons and challenges. However, Blashill has already found a replacement for Dean, bringing in a key assistant coach in New York.
Filling his void will be Michael Peca, the former two-time Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and former assistant coach for the Rangers during Laviolette‘s tenure in New York City.
Former NHL player Michael Peca arrives on the red carpet prior to the 2014 NHL Awards at Encore Las Vegas on June 24, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With Peca’s arrival, Bedard and the rest of Chicago’s forwards could take significant steps toward playing a full 200-foot game—becoming key contributors at both ends of the ice and helping Blashill’s squad evolve beyond the bottom-feeding identity fans have grown used to in recent years.
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Closing in on Penguins assistant
Blashill and the Blackhawks are not done making moves and twitches to their coaching staff, as reports indicate the arrival of another assistant coach is already in the works. And, apparently, Bedard’s Hawks are targeting a former staff member from Mike Sullivan and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins.
“Another assistant coach is to be named, Mike Vellucci [former assistant under Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh] has been in the running,” insider David Pagnotta stated on his X account.
Rest assured
While the hiring of Blashill wasn’t immune to the noise surrounding the franchise on 1901 W Madison St in Chicago, general manager Kyle Davidson delivered a firm vote of confidence to the brand-new bench boss in Chi-town.
“Jeff [Blashill] 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,” Davidson stated. “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.”
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Davidson’s statement perfectly reflects the Blackhawks’ mindset heading into the 2025–26 NHL season. They aren’t chasing silverware just yet—they want to see their young players blossom and further solidify their status as starters and potential stars. That will be the measuring stick by which Blashill is judged.
