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Emily KaplanESPN
CHICAGO – Here's what we know about new Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton: He's 33 years old and was selected in the 2003 NHL draft, the same class as Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook. Actually, the seabridges were played with Seabrook when they were 11.
"We are leaving the same career path," Seabrook said. They played in the Western Hockey League against each other and were teammates for Team Canada on two World Juniors teams. Afterward is where their careers diverged.
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While Seabrook was taken from the New York Islanders, the game was played by the New York Islanders, but played in only 57 NHL games over five seasons. He struggled to latch onto a team after the 2012-13 lockout and signed with Mora IK in Sweden. Collided played only three games before withdrawal, still feeling effects of post-concussion syndrome. He transitioned into coaching, staying in Sweden.
The Blackhawks became enlisted with their AHL team before last season. Here's what else we know about Colliton: He and his wife just welcomed a new daughter on Thursday. (The couple also has two sounds). We know that Collon is known in Rockford as being a great communicator. We know GM Stan Bowman and team president John McDonough think highly of him. But in a nearly 40-minute introductory news conference in which Rocky Wirtz is a partner, we are not learning much about Joel Quenneville, the NHL's second-winning coach of all time.
Colliton only partially referenced his notes, a page from a spiral notebook. He was soft-spoken, if not deferential. The youngest coach in the NHL will be a mystery to many, and his impact on the team remains to be seen. In the meantime, here's everything we know about the Blackhawks, including the important issues that need to be explored.
Veterans' guilt
Parting with Quenneville Stanley Cups with the coach took the firing especially hard.
"Definite shock," captain Jonathan Toews said. "I did not think there was going to be a change for a while."
The Blackhawks got off to a quick start but only 10 points, including a winless Western Canada road swing immediately before the firing.
"When I first heard I was thinking." I wish I was not sick that game in Vancouver, '' winger Patrick Kane said. "I wish I felt good on that road trip and could have played it better … Also, Duncs [Duncan Keith] got kicked out two minutes into the game in Calgary; Maybe that makes the difference in the game as well. There are different things that run through your head as a player. "
Quenneville, many felt, was the fall guy. "Goalkeeper Corey Crawford said, adding Quenneville was the coach who had a good faith in the beginning. "We just did not perform the way we should, I guess, and in sports unfortunately the coach takes the first fall of the time."
Blackhawks management disputed that the dreadful Western Canada swing was the reason for the firing, but it was certainly the impetus. Management saw a situation where the season could spiral, as Wirtz said.
"We want to make sure that we are able to do this and do everything we can to make this right," McDonough said. "I've said this before: Is the right time? Is June 7 the right time? Is Dec. 10 the right time? There is no right time."
Denials of a power struggle
There have been rumblings of a power struggle between the coaching staff and management for years, and Bowman especially wanted to quash any rumors.
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"There's no truth to that whatsoever," the GM said. "Quite the contrary." We would like to have a good relationship. Very similarly and I think that we have so much to do with it.
McDonough said the team did not consider firing Quenneville last season, considering Marian Hossa was significant. The team's performance – missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade – was not an indictment. Wirtz, however, seemed to be a change last season.
"John came to me and Stan, and we talked about this," Wirtz said of the decision to fire Quenneville. "We talked about it last year, we talked about this year, the organization and the company."
McDonough said he did not consider firing both Quenneville and Bowman, reiterating his faith in Bowman's roster construction. It should be noted that McDonough has a bigger say in hockey operations than most team presidents.
'He's a guy that you can talk to'
So what exactly does the team have so much in Colliton? It was clearly invested in its development, but the promotion felt rushed; Colliton was only in his second season in the AHL. Despite success – the team made it to the Western Conference finals this past season – it was a coveted asset the Blackhawks needed to secure another team snatched him up.
Blackhawks management frequently called Collision a good communicator, and it was a bit defensive, clarifying that it was not saying there was a communication breakdown with Quenneville.
Young players who came through Rockford rave about the coach. Consider 26-year-old defenseman Erik Gustafsson, who had a cup of coffee with the Blackhawks last season before being sent back down. "When I got sent down last year, my confidence was not great," Gustafsson said. "I guess you could say I had a hard time, he talked me through it."
When asked if it was Collected who initiated the talks or Gustafsson, the player said: "He came to me, I came to him, too, we put halfway there."
Gustafsson has had a good time, playing in 15 games this season and averaging 21 minutes per game.
"John Hayden, who started with the Blackhawks but ended the season with Rockford last season. "Yes, he's young, but he's going that far, he's relatable, he's not that far from playing in the NHL and playing pro hockey."
Bowman cited veterans Lance Bouma and Cody Franson buying in colliton's system – despite being disappointed they were not on the NHL – as a reason he thought colliton can lead a team with eight players who are 30 or older.
Different style
Colliton's first practice was definitely up-tempo. He seemed to use a lot of the same line we've seen recently, but again, it was Day 1. Will he implement new systems? Based on his comments, do not expect anything drastic, at least not right away.
"Yeah, there'll be some things that we adjust," Colliton said. "I do not think we're going to have a huge amount of change." It's "Can we push on a few things, detail-wise, that can give us a little jump start?" And then we get our hands dirty here and we know [one another] a little better and play some games, then, yeah, things are going to come up and we'll feel more comfortable and have a better feel for what we have to do. "
The Blackhawks also fired two assistant coaches – Kevin Dineen and Ulf Samuelsson – Barry Smith, who had been on the Blackhawks' hockey operations staff. (Smith has been an assistant coach on three teams, but was last behind an NHL bench in 2007). Bowman said he does not have plans to hire another assistant.
When asked how the new staff would be divvy up – Dineen, for example, was in charge of the power play. "So we're sharing everything right now," the new coach said. "We just started, that's kind of an ongoing conversation."
More moves on the way?
The Colliton hiring certainly signals the Blackhawks are embracing their youth movement. Blackhawks continues to flounder, it's fair to wonder if it's a big shake-up is coming. For the record, management reiterated the goal is to still win this season. When asked if he anticipates roster moves if the team stands as he is, Bowman vaguely said he's always looking for ways to improve the roster. He was not going to tip his hand.
But say the team still struggles – who could be moved?
Kane is likely untouchable. At 30, he is still producing at a superstar level and shows no sign of regression. A trade of captain Toews would be shocking and mighty irrevocable harm in the locker room and among the fan base.
That leaves defensemen Seabrook and Keith. Seabrook's is the name most circulated among fans, though his cap hit (6.85 million) and term (through the 2023-24 season) make his contract almost too cumbersome to move. Any trade involving Seabrook would likely include other players. Keith ($ 5,538,462 million through 2022-23) is far more attractive to other teams, though the Blackhawks would ask a huge return.
Stanley Cups for the franchise, it's tough to say that it would be truly shocking at this point.
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