Blashill to Draw Upon Red Wings Experiences as he Takes Over Blackhawks

Experience is the best teacher and certainly there were plenty of lessons Jeff Blashill was learning during his tenure as coach of the Detroit Red Wings. Hard lessons. The kind that give coaches sleepless nights and have them buying Pepto-Bismol by the case load.

As he is launching his second tenure as an NHL head coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, Blashill’s intent is to draw benefit from those many harsh nights behind the Red Wings bench.

“I’ve gone through in seven years of a hard rebuild in Detroit,” Blashill said. “I know the pain that this group’s gone through over the last couple years.

“I also know the pitfalls that are potentially ahead. And so we’ll work like crazy to avoid those pitfalls as we go to lead this team into a better tomorrow.”

Jeff Blashill is the 42nd Head Coach of the Chicago Blackhawks‼️

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— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) May 22, 2025

A winning season and a playoff appearance were resulting from Blashill’s first NHL campaign in 2015-16. What followed were six losing seasons and no more postseason spots. In his last season in Detroit, the Red Wings did jump from 19 to 32 wins.

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson insisted that it was the experience Blashill endured with the Red Wings that helped to move him to the top of the list of candidates for the Chicago job.

“I think that time in Detroit as an NHL head coach certainly set him up for approaching this a different way and learning from that first tenure,” Davidson said. “What I would say that reaffirmed our belief in Jeff being the right person were some of those first-hand references and people that have either played for Jeff or worked with Jeff that confirmed he would be a good fit.”

Former Red Wings Coach Learns From Watching Lions Coach

Blashill admits that many of the lessons he learned were self-inflicted. At the same time, as coaches are wont to do, was also going to school while watching other coaches operate. And that included Dan Campbell, coach of the NFL’s Detroit Lions.

“I believe in the process,” Blashill explained. “I was able actually to see a pretty unique perspective in a different sport when I was in Detroit and watched Dan Campbell his first year have very, very, very little success. But I watched him continue and stay strong and build a culture.”

"You have to make sure you have a culture in place, and once you get that culture in place, the winning takes care of itself."

Blackhawks head coach, Jeff Blashill, on the what he believes the process to be in building a championship team. pic.twitter.com/wOjr5Ya07C

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Campbell led the Lions to the NFC Championship Game in 2023. His team posted the NFL’s best regular-season record in 2024.

“And when you see those types of experiences, it’s a good reminder to you as a coach,” Blashill said. “You have to make sure that you get that culture in place. And once you get that culture in place, the winning takes care of itself.

“My worry is making sure we do it right from day one and we continue to do it right on a day-by-day basis.”