The Chicago Blackhawks are running short on time to find their new, permanent General Manager. So far, they have interviewed six people for the position including interim GM Kyle Davidson, Mathieu Darche, Eric Tulsky, Peter Chiarelli, Scott Mellanby, and Jeff Greenberg. Now it appears a seventh candidate has entered the mix, and like Greenberg, it’s someone from outside the hockey world.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Blackhawks have interest in bringing in Toronto Raptors VP of Basketball Operations and Player Development Teresa Resch to interview for the GM position in Chicago.
From Friedman’s report:
Part of the staff that won an NBA championship in 2019, Resch joined the Raptors in 2013. She comes with a good reputation; her responsibilities involving both basketball and business operations, including scouting. Resch previously spent five years at the league’s head office.
Chicago has expressed in their GM searching process that looking outside of the box and outside of the hockey world to find the right candidate was a possibility. We first saw that when they brought in Chicago Cubs assistant GM Jeff Greenberg for an interview. If Resch were to interview, she would become the second candidate from outside the hockey world and the first woman interview for the position.
Recently, the Vancouver Canucks made both Émilie Castonguay and Cammi Granato assistant GMs with the organization and the second and third females to ever hold that position for an NHL team. There has never been a female General Manager in the NHL before.
Resch’s name had started to circulate around the NBA as a potential future candidate for a GM position within the league, but that opportunity hasn’t presented itself to her just yet. The Blackhawks could be looking at Resch, who was instrumental in developing the Toronto Raptors roster into a NBA Championship-caliber squad, as someone with an eye for development and up-and-coming talent. Her history of involvement in the NBA league office, as well in Toronto, make her no stranger to the environment if she were to make the jump to the NHL. Of course, you know the obvious question: although she is a rising star in basketball circles, how well would Resch’s career in the NBA translate to the NHL? I suppose that’s a pretty important question for an interview …
Chicago has been announcing their own GM interview candidates after they have interviewed them, which is a welcomed form of transparency from the organization. So if Resch is to get an interview, we will hear about it. The timeline for the Blackhawks to make their GM hire isn’t exactly clear, but they have said that getting a person in the position prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 21 is their goal. The clock is ticking.