NEWSLETTER
We’ve been profiling some potential head coaching candidates for the Chicago Blackhawks recently. There are some other names that have come up in Chicago and elsewhere for potential vacancies (or upgrades). And we haven’t written about them yet — and don’t plan to do so.
Why?
Here’s a list of some names that could be on your mind and why we aren’t profiling them for the Hawks’ gig.
• Mike Babcock, former Wings and Leafs head coach — just… no. Hell no. Hard pass.
• Rick Tocchet, TNT analyst — he was a nice coach who’s enjoyed the jump to television. Why make the move off the set with Anson, Biz and Wayno for the bench of a team that’s going to struggle for a few years? And there may be better opportunities for him in the NHL.
• Paul Maurice, former Winnipeg Jets head coach — some people call him the gangster of love… Maurice took a step away from the Jets this past season and seems to want some time away from coaching. He’s one helluva coach, and if he wants back he’ll have plenty of better opportunities than Chicago.
• John Tortorella, ESPN analyst — Torts has a decent gig with ESPN right now but did reportedly interview with the Flyers. I’m not sure the Hawks want a personality as strong as his working with a young team in a rebuild. He didn’t get along well with some of the young players in his last gig in Columbus. But man, he would be fun to watch.
• Patrick Roy, Quebec Remparts head coach/GM — Roy does have some NHL head coaching experience on his resume, but we’re not sure he’s looking to make the jump back to the league for a rebuild. And his volatile personality might not work with a young team going through growing pains.
• Jeff Blashill, former Detroit Red Wings head coach — he did a nice job in Detroit with some really bad teams. And he will probably get another look at the NHL at some point (he has reportedly interviewed with the Flyers). But, after seven years of babysitting a rebuild with the Wings, we’re not sure he wants to jump back into a similar situation.
• Travis Green, former Vancouver Canucks head coach — he had a young team in Vancouver… that quit on him. It didn’t end well in Vancouver and we’re not sure the Blackhawks want a guy who didn’t work well with the young Canucks core.
• Nate Leaman, Providence College head coach — with some other college openings this year, Leaman re-committed to Providence in a big way. He signed a multi-year extension in early May. He’s got a strong track record over two decades as a college head coach, but appears to be happy at Providence.
• Rikard Grönborg, ZCS Lions head coach — Grönborg has been successful in Sweden, leading the country’s squad to the World Junior title in 2017. But his last coaching experience in North America was 17 years ago as an associate in the WHL. After the Jeremy Colliton experiment backfired, we’re not sold on the Hawks going overseas again this soon.
