In his first 22 games as the Chicago Blackhawks head coach, Jeff Blashill has done a marvelous job of helping the franchise take it’s next step in their rebuild.
With more and more of GM Kyle Davidson’s high-end draft picks finally arriving at the professional level, it was time for the Blackhawks to be a more competitive bunch in 2025-26. They’ve been precisely that under Blashill so far.
After several consecutive seasons near the bottom of the NHL standings, the Blackhawks are right in the mix in the Western Conference with a 10-8-4 record and 22 points at the quarter-mark of the campaign. They currently sit just three points back of a playoff spot and are tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the fifth-most points in the Central Division.
With a brand-new coach and one of the youngest rosters in the league, the Blackhawks didn’t have high expectations coming into the year. But Blashill has quickly created a new culture and established a winning mentality in the locker room, and his group has responded by being one of the biggest surprises in the NHL this season.
Blashill On NHL Network
Following Tuesday’s practice session at Fifth Third Arena, Blashill joined E.J. Hradek and former NHL head coach Bruce Boudreau on the NHL Network’s First Shift to discuss the Blackhawks’ strong start.
Early on during the interview, Blashill, a former goaltender himself, was asked about Spencer Knight and his relationship with the Blackhawks’ new No. 1 netminder. Knight has been one of the top goalies in the league this year and played a pivotal part in the team’s success. But Blashill also made sure to credit Arvid Soderblom, who’s been reliable in the backup role behind Knight more times than not.
“We’ve got two good goalies in Knight and Soderblom,” Blashill said. “Both have given us really quality starts, pretty much every single night they’ve been out… What they’ve done for us is allow us to grow through young mistakes. Having a young team, especially a young blue line, sometimes we make some young mistakes. The goaltending has allowed us to continue to grow through those mistakes while still winning some games. That’s been a real positive for us.”
Blashill also spoke about how formerly playing the position has helped him with his goaltending tandem in Chicago.
“It allows me [to have] the perspective of a goaltender. I have that perspective in place, in terms of making sure my communication is super clear on how we’re going to approach the upcoming practice schedule. In practice, I think having the perspective of how important it is for the shots to be spaced out in drills, so the goalie can move from the shot to the rebound. Things like that.”
Bedard’s Growth & Development
Of course, Blashill was also asked about Connor Bedard and the rise in his game in his third NHL season. Bedard is currently tied for seventh in the league with 13 goals and is tied for fourth with 31 points, which leads the Blackhawks in both categories. Bedard has impressively improved all aspects of his game and is beginning to blossom into the superstar he was hyped up as while entering the league. But it didn’t simply happen overnight: it was the result of recognition and hard work over the summer.
“What I’ll give Connor tons of credit for is recognizing that there were certain things that he had to continue to grow and get better at, and he’s done an unreal job. He and I talked, really from day one of me getting the job, [about] how I wanted him to become a great player, but also a great winner and have those great winning habits. He’s bought into that.”
“You know, I think he went to work this summer. I’m told he’s quicker, he’s faster, and he certainly looks dynamic when he has the puck coming up the ice. He’s always been really special once he gets over the blue line. The thing that I was most impressed with when I started watching film on him… he’s equally as good a passer as he is a shooter. He’s got really good hockey smarts and is a really good playmaker.”
When stepping into the bench boss role in Chicago, Blashill was tasked with ensuring that Bedard takes the next leap in his development and finds more success than he did in his first two NHL seasons. So far, so good in that department. Bedard looks more dangerous and dynamic than ever, and he’s also impacting the game more defensively. Blashill has suddenly helped turn Bedard into a well-rounded player, and the team is benefiting as a result.
Winning Habits
Another interesting talking point was the key details the Blackhawks are playing with in their game. Hradek mentioned the team’s much-improved defense so far this year, thanks to more active sticks and successfully shutting down passing lanes. Blashill spoke about instilling those crucial details during the first day of training camp in September.
“Our first practice wasn’t about structure in training camp. It was about winning habits. One of those winning habits was stick on puck, another was stopping on people, and one was angling, which I think is a big piece of learning how to become a defender. We’ve tried to continue that through practice time.”
“I’ve talked to our group about just our game maturing and understanding that it’s hard to chase goals. If you’re giving up easy goals and easy chances, man, it’s a hard league. So let’s make sure we’re learning how to limit those chances while still being able to create offensively. You will get more offense than if you cheat, and that’s been a big piece of what we’re trying to implement.”
Work ethic and playing the correct way have been phrases that Blashill has repeated throughout his first two months with the Blackhawks. While those are well-known hockey cliches, it’s been the basis of the team’s improvement.
Here’s the full, 15-minute interview from Tuesday with Blashill on NHL Network.
For more Blackhawks news, visit Chicago Hockey Now and like our Facebook Page.
Follow us on X: