By Jordan Long
The Chicago Blackhawks have a new Head Coach. They started a coaching search once the season was over. The Blackhawks hired Luke Richardson as the Head Coach moving forward.
The Blackhawks fired Jeremy Colliton 12 games into the year. They stood at 1-9-2. With the season slipping away, Chicago felt it was time for a change. Colliton had been the Blackhawks’ Head Coach since the 2018 season. Chicago only made the playoffs once under him, 2020. Of course, that season ended in the bubble. The Blackhawks were knocked out in the first-round by the Vegas Golden Knights. Chicago expected better results, but they never came.
The Blackhawks went with Derek King as the Interim Head Coach. The Blackhawks played better hockey under King, going 27-33-10. Chicago finished the year at 28-42-12 for a total of 68 points. They missed the postseason for the 4th time in 5 years. Even though they played better hockey under King, Chicago decided to start a coaching search.
In the end, Chicago felt Richardson was the best candidate to lead this team moving forward. According to MSN.com, Ricardson said, “I’ve been through — both playing and coaching — rebuilds, teams that are competitive, whether it was two years ago in the Stanley Cup Final. The ultimate challenge is to get there. I’m totally comfortable with developing players, having patience with players, but I said right from the start, I am an optimist and I want to go win every game and I’m going to approach every game like that.”
Richardson has never been an NHL Head Coach but he has served as an assistant coach. For the 2017-2018 season, he was with the New York Islanders as an assistant coach on Doug Weight’s staff. Since 2018, Richardson has been an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadians, helping Montreal to the Cup Final last year. They fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games.
Richardson has his chance to lead the Blackhawks moving forward. He may not have NHL Head Coaching experience but being an assistant coach gives him that practice. The Blackhawks are anticipating results. They know they are in a rebuild. Richardson has his opportunity to turn them back into a winner once again. Chicago hasn’t made it past the first-round of the NHL playoffs since 2015. That year they won the Stanley Cup. If it’s a few poor seasons though, Chicago will fire Richardson and they will be back to the drawing board.
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